Twitter: @drlaeeqkhan
http://professorkhan.com/
Areas of Expertise
- Digital Audience Analytics & Brand Strategy
- AI-Driven Communication, Ethics, and PR
- Strategic Health and Crisis Communication
- Global Media, Culture, and Identity
Bio
Laeeq Khan, Ph.D., MBA, is an Associate Professor (Tenured) and the Founding Director of the Social Media Analytics Research Team (SMART) Lab in the Scripps College of Communication at Ohio University. A globally recognized scholar and strategist, his research and teaching are at the intersection of digital media, strategic communication, and data analytics.
Dr. Khan's expertise bridges the gap between academic theory and industry application, focusing on three core areas essential to modern communication fields:
- Audience Engagement & Social Media Analytics: Investigating the drivers of user participation, content virality and brand engagement across digital platforms to build actionable models for data-driven campaign strategy and audience insight.
- Strategic Messaging in Health and Crisis Communication: Examining message credibility, source influence, and public engagement to develop evidence-based crisis management and public health messaging frameworks that build trust and motivate behavior.
- Ethical AI Adoption and Digital Strategy: Investigating public perception and the ethical implications of emerging technologies, providing a critical framework for tech-centric brand communication and responsible marketing of AI-powered tools.
His research is published in over 60 peer-reviewed studies and in the book, [The Data Analytics Advantage: Strategies and Insights to understand Social Media Audiences] (Oxford University Press). He translates this research into the classroom, developing cutting-edge curricula in social media analytics and strategic communication, and into practice through global consulting on digital strategy and audience analytics for organizations and universities. His work and commentary have also been featured in the popular press — e.g., The Hill, The Tribune, and NPR.
An award-winning educator, Dr. Khan is passionate about translating research into practice. He has developed innovative curricula in social media analytics and strategic communication, consulted for organizations, and mentored dozens of graduate and undergraduate students worldwide, including the University of Angers (France), Sultan Qaboos University (Oman), NUST Business School (Pakistan), the University of Ottawa (Canada), and Monash University Indonesia, and the ASEAN Humanitarian Assistance Center (Indonesia).
Dr. Khan is also the Editor-in-Chief of the Oxford Intersection on Social Media in Society & Culture (Oxford University Press), which he proposed and now oversees interdisciplinary work on digital disruption, marketing, PR, and digital culture. His prior professional experience as a Digital Marketing Strategist informs his applied, results-oriented approach to teaching and research.
He holds a Ph.D. in Media & Information Studies from Michigan State University and an MBA in Marketing.
Education
Ph.D., Michigan State University
MBA, Murray State University
M.S., Murray State University