Jan Hopmans retired as an associate dean for the UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, where he was the leader of the CA&ES International Programs Office. He was a professor of hydrology in the Department of Land, Air and Water Resources, where he has also served as department chair. He also served as the interim director of the UC Davis World Food Center. He has previously served as the associate vice provost for the UC Davis Office of Global Affairs. Hopmans holds a doctoral degree from Auburn University in soil physics. His master's degree in hydrology/hydraulics and bachelor's degree in land and water use are from Wageningen Agricultural University in the Netherlands.

He was an ex-oficio member of the Horticulture Innovation Lab's International Advisory Board, from 2016 to 2018.