Research, teaching, community.

I publish under the name Howard T. Welser, but I go by both Howard Welser and Ted Welser. Here I am paying my respects at 'Notorious Max' Weber Haus, the OG of the West Coast theorists, in Heidelberg, DE. I am a full Professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Ohio University in Athens Ohio. I have volunteered with community non-profits related to climbing, soccer, and futsal. Currently I actively support the development of climbing resources and community support through the Ohio Climbers Coalition and Climb Athens.

Best Paper in Digital and Social Media

In Janurary of 2026 my co-authors (Will Hoffman & Miracle Sammons) and I published our paper "Anxious and Disengaged: How Social Media's Engagement Model Has Disrupted Student Capacity to Engage in School" at HICSS-59 where we were awarded best paper in the Digital and Social Media Track. This research was made possible by support from the Center for Advanced Internet Studies in Bochum Germany, the Ohio University Honors Tutorial College, and the OU Department of Sociology and Anthropology.

Research

My published research is summarized on Research Gate, and also shared on Google Scholar and LinkedIn. Currently I am focused on the intersection of digital social systems, organizations and social change. I started the 2023-2024 academic year on faculty research leave on a writing retreat in Utah. I am extremely grateful for the support and fellowship I enjoyed from the [CAIS] Center for Advanced Internet Research in Bochum Germany. I also appreciate the opportunity to work as a visiting scholar in the Department of Social Informatics, Faculty of the Social Sciences at the University of Ljubljana, in Slovenia. I am working on a book project describing the connection between the organizational forms that own digital social systems alter the evolution of cooperation and the direction of historical change in the rules and affordances of those systems. CV Resume

Current Teaching 2026

Sociology 3500: Social Research Methods [Spring and Fall Semester]

Sociology 4950: Sociology Capstone - Mass Shootings/Killings in the US [Spring Semester]

Sociology 6110: Social Media social networks and social change [Spring Semester]

Recent Teaching 2025, 2024

Sociology 2500: Applied Statistics in Sociology and Anthropology [2025: Spring and Fall Semester]

Sociology 3500: Social Research Methods [2025: Spring and Fall Semester]

Sociology 2500: Applied Statistics in Sociology and Anthropology [2024 Fall Semester]

Sociology 4950: Sociology Capstone - Mass Shootings in the US [2024 Fall Semester]

Sociology 6540: Sociology Research Methods [2024 Fall Semester]

Advising resources

I organize my advising through Teams, so contact me there if you have advising questions. Links to some slide decks

CAIS Open Term for Science Digital work and agency Student Group Slides The internet is here

Community

ORCA is the Outdoor Recreation Coalition of Appalachia; centered in SE Ohio.

OCC is the Ohio Climbers Coalition, with regional representation across the state.

Climb Athens, is a local climbing community building non profit focused on Athens County.

Google Sites

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