AuBuchon, Fan Named Interim Deans

Aaron AuBuchon was named interim dean of the School of Communications and Elsa Fan the interim dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. Both start their new roles this summer.

“Both Aaron and Elsa were highly recommended by their peers and overwhelmingly approved by President Keane, due to their strong academic experience and their leadership roles at Webster,” said Interim Provost David Schmidt. “I congratulate both for their new roles and know that they will be fantastic leaders for their respective academic units.”

AuBuchon served as an associate dean, department chair and an associate professor in the School of Communications, where he taught film, media production, and film studies for more than two decades. A filmmaker, editor, and media scholar, he brings a creative and industry-informed perspective to media education. His work spans production, criticism, and cultural analysis, with recognition for his writing and commentary on horror and other cinema genres.

In addition to his academic and client work, he has produced media projects for, business, nonprofit, arts and cultural organizations and contributed essays, commentaries, and video features for numerous film publications and physical media releases. At Webster, he has been deeply involved in curriculum development, program innovation, space and equipment planning, and strengthening connections between the School of Communications and the professional media landscape, with a strong focus on preparing students for meaningful careers in communications and creative media.

A double alumnus of Webster, AuBuchon holds a bachelor’s in video production, and a master’s in communications and media studies.

Fan served as an associate professor of Anthropology and chair of the Global Languages, Cultures and Societies department who specializes in medical anthropology, critical global health, and health and humanitarianism. Her research explores the circulation of standardized practices and interventions in global health across different social and cultural contexts. She is the author of “Commodities of Care: The Business of HIV Testing in China,” published by University of Minnesota Press.

Fan was a 2024-2025 U.S. Fulbright Scholar in Taiwan, where she conducted research on the landscapes of care among women with breast cancer. She has received grants from ASIANetwork and the Missouri Humanities Council to support community engagement work with AANHPI in St. Louis. The National Science Foundation, the Wenner-Gren Foundation, Faculty Research Grants, and the UC Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation, among others, have supported her scholarship.

She holds a bachelor’s in Anthropology and a bachelor’s in Psychology from the University of California at Berkeley, a master’s in Anthropology and Development Studies from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and a PhD in Anthropology from the University of California at Irvine.