Professor - Applied Arts Professor - Applied ArtsAffiliate Faculty at the VCU Schools of Medicine and BusinessDepartment of Theatre
Dr. Aaron Anderson is a multifaceted scholar, educator, and consultant. His hard-won experience began as an Army Explosive Ordnance Specialist struggling to get out of a wheelchair after a year in a military hospital. Today, he is one of few people in the world with simultaneous university positions in Art, Medicine, and Business.
Dr. Anderson holds an Interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Culture from Northwestern University, an MFA in Theatre from the University of Hawai’i, and a Certificate in Executive Presence from Cornell University. His expertise spans multiple disciplines, having worked as a professional Fight Director on over 100 film and theatrical productions and earning national recognition for Excellence in Arts in Health Education.
At Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), he plays a pivotal role in various capacities including:
- Faculty Lead for the Center for Arts Research in the School of the Arts.
- Founding Director of the Standardized Patient Program at the Center for Human Simulation and Patient Safety in the School of Medicine.
- Coordinator of Presentation Training for both the Undergraduate and Executive MBA programs in the School of Business.
Beyond academia, Dr. Anderson has spent the past 25 years working across six continents as a sought-after consultant for Fortune 500 companies, congressional leaders, and global aid organizations. His clientele includes NASA, UNOS, NetHope, Save the Children, Oxfam International, Altria, Dominion, The Federal Leadership Institute, the Federal Reserve Bank, and many others.
His groundbreaking work has been featured in over 200 media outlets, including The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, The Atlanta Constitution, The San Francisco Chronicle, National Public Radio, and U.S. News & World Report.
Additionally, he is a certified Teacher and Fight Director with the Society of American Fight Directors and the British Academy of Stage and Screen Combat. At VCU, he teaches courses in Asian Theatre, Mask, Movement, Stage Combat, and Applied Theatre. His ongoing research focuses on blending artistic expression with interdisciplinary innovation.