Lisa Anderson

Lisa M. Anderson is a Professor in the School of Social Transformation at Arizona State University and Senior Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Engagement in the Graduate College. Her research focuses on semiotics, race, gender, and sexuality in cultural representations across theatre, film, television, and literature. She has held leadership roles including Deputy Director and Associate Director for Graduate Studies in her school. Anderson earned her Ph.D. in Theatre History and Criticism from the University of Washington, and holds degrees from Smith College and Mount Holyoke College.

Her research emphasizes Black feminist, queer, and trans science fiction, decolonization, and the lived experiences of Black and Latina queer/trans communities. Current projects include a co-authored book on creolization and a monograph on imagining Black futures. She teaches courses like 'Genes, Race and Society' and 'Visual & Narrative Culture', and has advised numerous Ph.D. and master's students in interdisciplinary studies.

Anderson has secured over $300,000 in grants through the Luce Foundation and IHR Seed Grant for projects on identity and belonging. She serves on professional associations including the National Women's Studies Association and Caribbean Philosophical Association. Her service includes roles on academic standards committees, graduate program review, and editorial reviewing for journals like Meridians and presses like Lexington Books.

Notable publications include Black Women and the Changing Television Landscape (2023) and Black Feminism in Contemporary Drama (2008). Her work bridges semiotic analysis with intersectional frameworks, addressing topics like genomic studies' racial assumptions and performative activism in social media.