Aaron D. Anderson, Ph.D.

Professor - Stage Combat

Theatre Graduate Program Director

Affiliate Faculty at the VCU Schools of Medicine and Business

Department of Theatre

headshot of dr. aaron anderson

Department of Theatre

Dr. Aaron Anderson is probably the only person in the world to hold simultaneous university positions in Art, Medicine, and Business. He is Associate Chair and Head of Undergraduate Studies for the Theatre Department, Founding Director of the Standardized Patient Program in the School of Medicine, and Instructor for the Executive MBA program in the School of Business. He holds an Interdisciplinary PhD in Culture from Northwestern University and an MFA in Theatre from the University of Hawai’i at Manoa. He is the recipient of multiple awards for excellence; is the author of five books and fifteen articles; has presented invited keynotes and workshops for over one hundred businesses, associations, government agencies and healthcare organizations in twelve countries on four continents (including NASA, UNOS, NetHope, Save the Children, Oxfam International, Altria, Dominion, The Federal Leadership Institute, and The Federal Reserve Bank among others). Interviews about his work have appeared in over two hundred media outlets including The Washington PostThe Chicago TribuneThe Atlanta ConstitutionThe San Francisco ChronicleNational Public RadioUS News and World Report, and many others. He is also a certified Teacher and Fight Director with the Society of American Fight Directors and the British Academy of Stage and Screen Combat. Classes at VCU include Asian theatre, mask and movement, stage combat, and applied theatre.