Aaron received his Bachelors of Arts degree in Creative Studies – Biology Emphasis from the University of California Santa Barbara and his Doctor of Philosophy in Geology – Paleobotany Emphasis from the Roy M. Huffington Department of Earth Sciences at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. Dr. Pan actively conducts research in paleobotany, entomology, and malacology and publishes scientific articles on prehistoric African forest plants, abalone systematics, velvet ant mimicry and evolution, and the ecology, behavior, and conservation of native bees.