Anan Wan, Ph.D.

Anan Wan (Ph.D., University of South Carolina) joined the A.Q. Miller School of Media and Communication in Fall 2020. She teaches a variety of undergraduate courses in advertising and public relations, including Principles of Advertising, Campaigns in Advertising & PR, and Communicating in Global Markets, as well as graduate-level courses in strategic communication. Wan also serves as the faculty adviser for the school’s American Advertising Federation (AAF) chapter, the Advertising Club.

Wan earned her Ph.D. in mass communications from the University of South Carolina and an M.S. in journalism from West Virginia University. Prior to joining Kansas State University, she taught strategic communication courses at Georgia College & State University and the University of South Carolina.

Wan’s research focuses on how advertising intersects with new media technologies and their impact on consumer well-being in the digital age. Her recent studies have explored the effectiveness of human and virtual influencers on social live-streaming services in China, the negative effects of social live-streaming, and the potential for Danmu (Bullet Screen) video technology adoption in the U.S. Her work has been presented at conferences such as AEJMC, AAA, and ICA, and published in journals including Journal of Marketing Communication, Journal of Current Issues & Research in Advertising, Journal of Advertising Education, and Social Media + Society, among others. In June 2022, Wan was invited to present her research on new media technologies’ impact on users’ well-being at the Cambridge Digital Humanities Research Centre, the University of Cambridge, UK.

Wan also brings professional experience in non-profit public relations in the U.S. and local television in China. She enjoys introducing students to the evolving world of advertising in the social media age and exploring cutting-edge media technologies.