Anan Wan, a newly tenured associate professor of advertising and public relations at the A.Q. Miller School of Media and Communication, has been a vital presence in the classroom, research community and lives of her students and fellow faculty members since she joined the school in fall 2020. She teaches a variety of subjects, including principles of advertising, campaigns in advertising and public relations, and communicating in global markets; as well as graduate-level courses in strategic communication and applied research. Her teaching style reflects real-world relevance, critical thinking and global awareness. She also serves as faculty adviser for the K-State Ad Club, American Advertising Federation (AAF) chapter, providing students with professional development opportunities in the advertising industry.
For Wan, advertising is more than persuasion; it is a lens through which emerging media and consumer well-being converge. Her research includes investigations into virtual versus human influencers on social live-streaming platforms in China and the psychological effects of live-streaming culture, implications of AI in advertising on consumers, and the potential adoption of Danmu (Bullet Screen) video technology in the United States. Her research has been published in top journals such as Journal of Marketing Communication, Journal of Current Issues & Research in Advertising, Social Media + Society, and Journal of Advertising Education. In 2022, Wan was invited to present her research at the University of Cambridge’s Digital Humanities Research Centre, where she discussed the impact of new media technologies on user well-being.
She earned her doctorate in mass communications from the University of South Carolina and a master’s degree in journalism from West Virginia University. Wan brings a rich blend of international industry experience and academic excellence to her work. Before transitioning into academia, she worked in non-profit public relations in the U.S. and local television in China, experiences that now inform her teaching and research.
In March 2025, Wan’s contributions were acknowledged by the American Academy of Advertising (AAA) Research Fellowship Award, a competitive, double-blind-reviewed grant award that recognizes innovative and impactful research in advertising. The grant was presented at the AAA Annual Conference in Pittsburgh. Her project examines how artificial intelligence is shaping advertising strategies on short-video platforms, with a particular focus on consumer engagement and the psychological mechanisms, such as emotional responses, that influence the effectiveness of AI-generated brand content.
Also this year, Wan was selected for the 2025 Association of National Advertisers (ANA) Educational Foundation’s Visiting Professor Program, a competitive, nationally recognized initiative that connects academia with industry. The program was held in New York City in collaboration with Fordham University and brought together advertising and marketing faculty from 25 states. This gave her further exposure to top global brands and leading advertising agencies such as Edelman,McCann, IBM, and Mastercard, gaining insights into emerging strategies, AI applications and recent campaigns shaping the industry.
Wan continues to innovate in her curriculum by integrating timely discussions around AI in advertising, ethical advertising and global communication. She enjoys helping students explore the fast-changing world of advertising and preparing them for careers in the dynamic field of strategic communication. Her upcoming graduate seminars will explore the implications of AI & automation and other innovations in advertising and marketing, and she is also expanding K-State Ad Club’s external partnerships to increase student exposure to the industry.
As she steps into this next chapter at K-State, Wan will continue guiding students through the dynamics of advertising and media.
“Receiving tenure is both a milestone and a beginning,” Wan said. “I’m deeply grateful for the support of my students, mentors, coauthors and colleagues throughout this journey. I hope my experience encourages students, especially international and first-generation scholars, to believe in their voice, embrace uncertainty, and find strength in community.”