Lien Fan Shen

Professor Lien Fan Shen is a faculty member in the Department of Film and Media Arts at the University of Utah. She holds a PhD in Art Education from The Ohio State University and an MFA in Computer Art from the School of Visual Arts, New York City. Her work spans graphic novels, animation, and digital media arts, with a focus on gender, sexuality, and East Asian pop culture. Shen has been recognized with awards including the College of Fine Arts Faculty Excellence Award in Research (2017) and multiple honors at international film festivals.

Her research interests include animation, Japanese anime, manga studies, and queer representation. Notable creative works include the animated documentary Seeing Through the Eyes of Crocodiles (screened at Beijing Queer Film Festival) and the graphic novel I Will Be Your Paradise, Taiwan's first lesbian-themed comic. Shen has led projects funded by grants such as the CFA Faculty Course Release Grant and the Research Foundation Seed Grant.

• Teaches courses like Animation Project I/II, Japanese Anime, and 3D Character Animation.
• Professional affiliations include the Society of Cinema and Media Studies and Utah System of Higher Education's General Education Creative Arts Group.
• Community engagement includes animation workshops for Project Youth and the Green Map Project public art initiative.

Shen's work bridges art, technology, and social critique, with exhibitions in Singapore, Japan, South Korea, and the Netherlands. Her recent projects explore digital storytelling and queer narratives in East Asian contexts.