Ellsworth first joined the College of Business at Ohio University in 1966. During his tenure with the College of Business, he has served as the Director of Entrepreneurship program, the first Chair of the MIS Department and the ITM coordinator at the MARA Institue of Technology in Shah Alam, Malaysia from 1988-90.

He has taught courses in Statistics, Accounting, Entrepreneurship and MIS. Ellsworth will continue to teach every Spring Quarter on the Athens Campus as part of his Early Retirement and will be still reside in Athens with his wife, Ann.