Laeeq Khan, Ph.D.
Social media analytics, AI, and audience research. Associate Professor at Ohio University, Director of Graduate Studies in Media Arts & Studies, and Founding Director of the SMART Lab.
Turning social data into strategy that moves people.
Who I am
I am a computational social scientist studying how social media, algorithms, and artificial intelligence shape the way people communicate, form beliefs, and make decisions. I teach analytics to students who have never written a line of code, advise doctoral and master’s researchers, and train professionals in governments, newsrooms, and companies on four continents.
My work has appeared in more than 60 peer-reviewed publications and two books, most recently The Data Analytics Advantage (Oxford University Press, 2025).
Roles
Associate Professor
Tenured · School of Media Arts & Studies, Scripps College of Communication, Ohio University
Director of Graduate Studies
Ph.D. and M.A. programs · School of Media Arts & Studies, Ohio University
Founding Director, SMART Lab
Social Media Analytics Research Team · Ohio University, since 2015
Editor-in-Chief
Oxford Intersections: Social Media in Society & Culture · Oxford University Press
60+
Peer-reviewed publications
2
Books, including Oxford University Press
30+
Invited talks and professional workshops
21
Doctoral and master’s theses supervised
9
Countries taught and trained in
Director of Graduate Studies
Ph.D. and M.A. programs · School of Media Arts & Studies, Ohio University · 2026 to present
I lead graduate education for the School of Media Arts & Studies, overseeing both the doctoral and master’s programs. The role sits at the point where a program’s intellectual direction meets the practical work of building cohorts and supporting students through to the degree.
Day to day, that means directing graduate admissions and recruitment, aligning incoming doctoral students with faculty advisors across our quantitative and computational track and our critical and cultural track, and managing graduate, teaching, and research assistantships alongside adjunct assignments. I coordinate the graduate curriculum, course scheduling, and catalog with department leadership, and I lead joint orientation and end-of-year programming in partnership with the School of Journalism.
The through-line is the same one that runs through my teaching: graduate study should be rigorous and it should be navigable. Students do their best work when the path is clear, the advising is real, and the funding is settled early.
Considering graduate study with us? I am happy to hear from prospective doctoral and master’s applicants whose interests overlap with social media analytics, AI-mediated communication, digital inequality, or audience research. Get in touch.
What I do
Research
Investigating how AI and analytics transform audience engagement, equity, and public discourse.
Teaching
Making data analytics accessible and actionable for students in the social sciences and humanities.
Training & consulting
Advising organizations, agencies, and newsrooms on AI strategy, audience analytics, and data storytelling.
Turning complex data into clarity, trust, and strategy
Advancing knowledge through data and insight
As a computational social scientist, my research investigates how social media, algorithms, and emerging technologies shape human communication and digital behavior. I publish widely in digital literacy, health communication, audience engagement, and misinformation, turning complex data into frameworks that inform ethical, equitable, and human-centered innovation.
From analytics to action
I work with organizations and institutions to translate analytics into strategic decisions that drive measurable impact. Through consulting and collaboration, I help teams harness social media data, AI, and digital storytelling to strengthen engagement and trust, and to navigate complex media ecosystems with clarity and confidence.
Empowering the next generation of digital thinkers
I design courses that merge theory with real-world analytics practice, guiding students to collect, visualize, and interpret data for social good. My teaching emphasizes curiosity, critical thinking, and ethical responsibility in using AI and data to understand the world around us.
Leading innovation through SMART partnerships
As Founding Director of the Social Media Analytics Research Team (SMART Lab), I lead interdisciplinary projects that connect academia, industry, and community. From funded research collaborations in Oman, Pakistan, and Canada to grassroots work on digital equity in Appalachian Ohio, I work to transform research into action and foster innovation that serves people, not just platforms.
The Data Analytics Advantage
Oxford University Press, 2025 · ISBN 9780197814239
A practitioner-friendly roadmap for turning social signals into decisions. I introduce the DAV framework, Discovery, Analysis, and Visualization, to help teams translate online conversation into clear narratives and measurable action.
- Actionable methods to collect, analyze, and visualize social and platform data.
- Human-centered use of AI tools for audience insight and content strategy.
- Case studies spanning media, public communication, and digital campaigns.
Recent publications
Fostering audience engagement on social media: The impact of self-determined relatedness on Facebook brand pages
Oxford Intersections: Social Media in Society and Culture, 2025
Credibility and influence in health messaging: Examining medical professionals’ role on X in promoting N95 respirators during COVID-19
Information, Communication & Society, 2025
Musings
Editor-in-Chief, Oxford Intersections
I serve as Editor-in-Chief of Oxford Intersections: Social Media in Society & Culture, a major interdisciplinary series published by Oxford University Press. The series brings together leading global scholars to explore how social media shapes culture, governance, and everyday life in the digital age. I am also Associate Editor of the Journal of Strategic Marketing.
Let’s connect
For speaking, research collaborations, graduate study inquiries, or consulting, send a note.
327 Schoonover Center, Scripps College of Communication, Ohio University
khanm1@ohio.edu
Laeeq Khan, Ph.D. 