Nguyen Van Hanh, Ph.D. - Director, Office of Refugee Resettlement

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Nguyen Van Hanh, Ph.D.

Director, Office of Refugee Resettlement
Administration for Children and Families

Dr. Nguyen Van Hanh became head the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) in August, 2001. The mission of the ORR is to help refugees, Cuban/Haitian entrants, asylees, and other beneficiaries of our program to establish a new life that is founded on the dignity of economic self-support and encompasses full participation in opportunities which Americans enjoy.

Educational Background:
Ph.D. in Economics, University of California, Davis (UCD). Fields of specialization include Public Finance, Economic Development, and International Trade. Earlier, Dr. Nguyen Van Hanh also graduated from the University of Florida, receiving a B.S. (Magna Cum Laude) and M.S. degrees in Agricultural Science.

Work Experience:

1985-July 2001:	Part-time Faculty Member, California State University, Sacramento (CSUS). Taught Environmental Science (1996-2001), Engineering Economics and socio-economic adaptation of refugees from Southeast Asia (1985-90) at CSUS and UCD (1990). Published papers and made presentations at international conferences on Southeast Asian refugees adaptation, economic development, and international environmental issues.
1993-July 31, 2001:	Manager of various units responsible for market analysis and development, and member of the Environmental Technology Certification Program, California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA).
1991-1993:	Deputy Director, Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. Assisted ORR Director in managing national refugee resettlement programs. Concurrently he was a member of the Citizen's Advisory Committee to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, specializing in international trade and development issues.
1990:	Representative of California Governor Deukmejian on Community Relations.
1982-1990:	Senior Economist for the State of California in water resources and financial management of environmental protection programs.
1976-1981:	Director, Office of Refugee Affairs, California Health and Welfare Agency. Coordinator of Governor's California Refugee Task Force. 1978-1981: Member of the California State Commission on Inter-group Relations, appointed by the Lieutenant Governor. Active in community programs for education and economic development.
1976-1981:	Dr. Nguyen Van Hanh was the Director General of Planning for South Vietnam, in charge of economic development. After returning from the U.S. in 1965, he joined the Nuclear Research Institute in Dalat, South Vietnam to conduct research on radiation biology. He also served as a faculty member at the National Military Academy in Dalat, South Vietnam, after graduating from the U.S. Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, Georgia.

Over the past decade, Dr. Nguyen Van Hanh has received numerous awards and certificates of appreciation from the California Legislature, the Department of Social Services, joint CSUS-UCD recognition, U.S. Departments of Energy and Agriculture, professional associations and community based non-profit organizations. As a Presidential Appointee, Dr. Nguyen Van Hanh joined the Senior Executive Service of the United States in the Spring of 2002, and has participated in international programs related to ORR.