Research manager elected president of leading imaging society

May 2007 -- Eric Hanson, a manager in the Digital Printing and Imaging Laboratory at HP Labs, has been elected president of the Society for Imaging Science and Technology (IS&T), the premier professional organization for imaging and printing research.

Hanson leads the Marking Technology Department, which is focused on technology advancements to enable higher performance thermal inkjet printing and liquid electrophotographic printing (LEP). He joined HP Labs in 1977 and has managed research teams investigating advanced digital printing since 1984.

His work has contributed to improvements in designs, operating conditions, fabrication techniques and materials, resulting in printers that are more reliable and easier to use, and also provide better image quality and permanence.

Hanson received his PhD in physics in 1977 from the University of California at Berkeley, where his focus was experimental research on optical properties of liquid crystals and solid state materials.

After joining HP Labs, he initially conducted research on optical fiber fabrication and optical switching components. In addition to his work in advanced digital printing, Hanson has investigated several other non-impact marking techniques, and has analyzed strategic technological trends in the major printing technologies. He has been awarded 18 US patents.

Hanson has been long active in IS&T, and is currently the IS&T executive vice president. He previously served IS&T conference vice president, general chair of the 1995 International Digital Printing Conference and chair of the Digital Printing Technical Council. He assumes the president's job in July.