Hannu Laukkanen

Dr. Laukkanen is currently an associate graduate faculty member and professor emeritus of optometry. He currently co-teaches a PhD graduate course in Pacific University’s Vision Science Department; a Master’s courses in Education and teaches in Pacific University’s International programs. As a charter member of Pacific’s internationally recognized Vision Performance Institute, his past research has resulted in dozens of published articles in scientific journals as well as book chapters. He has presented hundreds of scientific lectures and courses to health professionals from many different disciplines at conferences and medical facilities internationally and in the U.S. Dr. Laukkanen introduced and validated a symptom survey that is now used worldwide for assessment of vision problems after brain injury. He is a member of the Board of Directors for Northwest Congress of Optometry, President of Brain-Injury Connections-Northwest (support organization for brain injury), and a past advisory board member of the multidisciplinary NORA (Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation Association). He has earned Academic Fellowship with OVDRA (Optometric Vision Development & Rehabilitation Assoc. as well as Fellowship with the American Academy of Optometry; in addition, he has been honored with multiple national and international awards for his service.

Personal: Dr. Laukkanen was born in Astoria to Finnish parents and raised on small dairy farm on the most northern soggy tip of Oregon. Before his career in academe, he was a farmworker, logger, sawmill worker, and commercial SCUBA diver to support his education. Dr. Laukkanen hobbies are skiing, scuba, gardening, fishing and, self-admittedly, driving way too fast.