Distinguished alumnus and longtime professor recognized for career in fluency disorders

Bruce Hanson ’75 served a range of roles in the Minnesota State Moorhead Speech-Language Hearing department during periods of prodigious change. On campus, he led Moorhead’s programs as they outgrew Grier Hall, relocating into an expansive Murray Hall. Nationally, he was one of the first speech-language pathologists to become a Board-Certified Specialist in Fluency Disorders (BCS-F), a cohort that’s still fewer than 150 people in the U.S.

BS in Speech Language Hearing Sciences

For his influence on the field of speech-language hearing sciences (SLHS), both at Moorhead and across the region, and his involvement in the Fargo-Moorhead community, Bruce has been honored with an MSUM Foundation 2026 Distinguished Alumni Award.

“Scoop” Builds a Hands-On Program and a Whole-Hearted Family

Back in the ‘70s, Bruce was a transfer student drawn to Moorhead’s well-known journalism program. He followed his sister on the staff of The Advocate, the student newspaper, and earned the nickname “Scoop” as sports editor. But his own fluency disorder (stuttering) made him rethink his path and switch from journalism to speech-language hearing sciences.

Bruce earned his bachelor’s degree in speech-language pathology and audiology in 1975, closely followed by his master’s at Moorhead in 1977 and certificate of clinical competence (CCC-SLP) in 1978. He worked as a public-school speech-language pathologist for two years and then joined the Moorhead faculty in 1979, progressing to tenure in 1984. Upon fully retiring in 2018, he had served as clinical supervisor, academic advisor, student organization advisor, graduate program coordinator, speech and hearing clinic director, and department chair.

During that time, Bruce focused on immersing students in clinical experiences as early as possible.

“At many schools, students have no clinical experience until after graduation,” he says. “We make sure that our students learn not just from textbooks but by applying what they’re learning to an actual person.”

Bruce describes the SLHS program as collaborative, a family of faculty and staff. Some of those faculty with master’s degrees earned terminal degrees so the department could continue accreditation with the American-Speech Language Hearing Association, a distinction that ensures the quality of an SLHS education at Moorhead.

As one of the first fluency disorder specialists, Bruce was also able to collaborate with other specialists around the country.

“Specialties abound in the medical realm, but this was new for speech-language and hearing. You can now go to a fluency disorder specialist website and find a group of specialized providers to connect with,” he says.

With growth to the field as a whole and at Moorhead, the department has made good use of three-times the classroom and clinical treatment space in Murray Hall. Bruce marvels at the increase in Moorhead's Speech-Language Pathology graduate program, from 3 to 5 students at a time to a current count of about 50 in the two-year Master of Science program.

“Scoop” Brings Expertise and Empathy to His Community

Beyond playing a pivotal role in Moorhead SLHS programs for 40 years, Bruce co-founded Human Communication Associates (HCA) in 1983, a speech-language pathology private practice that served six locations in North Dakota. He has also been a leading member of the Sertoma Club of Fargo-Moorhead for 20-plus years, supporting those in the community with hearing impairments and communication concerns.

Motivated by his own fluency disorder, Bruce established the Moorhead Chapter of the National Stuttering Association, a group that has met for 17 years and provides not only support to families but clinical experience to Moorhead graduate students.

“People might not know that stuttering is not caused by nervousness or your words getting ahead of you,” Bruce says. “With brain scans, we know that the brain of someone who persists in stuttering has different active areas during speech tasks than someone who does not stutter. It has nothing to do with intellectual functioning, emotional regulation or other brain functions.”

Knowing his deep compassion for others, Bruce’s teacher-then-colleague Marie Swanson, SLHS professor emeritus, persuaded him to visit inmates at Clay County Corrections. Marie and two others started Heart of Clay in 2018, inspired by the work of jail chaplains in Cass County Corrections. Bruce joined them as a volunteer early on.

“Matthew 25 is pretty direct. Jesus says to visit those in jail,” he says. “We are letting people who are incarcerated know there are people who care about them.”

Bruce’s servant attitude toward those within reach and those he built connections with at MSUM have made him a retiree who is deeply immersed in his community.

“It’s hard to put into words what MSUM means to me,” he says. “I have relationships that have lasted long after my education and career.”

The MSUM Foundation is thrilled to honor Bruce’s compassionate legacy with a 2026 Distinguished Alumni Award.