MARIAH L. WELLMAN
Mariah (she/her) is an expert, educator, and advocate researching social media influencers and the wellness industry. She is an assistant professor in the College of Communication Arts & Sciences at Michigan State University.
Mariah has written a book with the University of California Press titled "In Search of Wellness: How social media influencers transformed an industry" (Join the email list above to be notified when the book releases). She has ongoing projects exploring the intersections of wellness and politics, dissecting conceptualizations of authority and expertise in the influencer industry, and analyzing the success of Mormon lifestyle influencers. She has published work in New Media & Society, Social Media + Society, Health Communication, Journal of Media Ethics, Rhetoric of Health & Medicine, and Feminist Media Studies.
Mariah has taught over a dozen undergraduate and graduate courses in communication & media, strategic communication & ADPR, and health & wellness communication. She has designed and implemented three undergraduate courses on wellness & technology, digital influencers, and journalism ethics. Mariah has also developed Influencer Marketing and Strategic Content Creation curricula for her home department.
Mariah completed her Ph.D. in Communication at the University of Utah. She holds an M.A. in Mass Communication from the University of Iowa and a B.S. in Journalism and Mass Communication from the Greenlee School of Journalism at Iowa State University. Mariah resides in Michigan with her wife, son, and their rescue dog.