Christopher Kelty

Christopher Kelty is a Professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, holding appointments in the Department of Anthropology and Department of Information Studies, as well as the Institute for Society and Genetics. His research focuses on the intersection of technology, social theory, and cultural practices, with notable work on free software, participation, and urban animal ecologies. Kelty earned his PhD from MIT's Science, Technology, and Society program in 2000. He is the author of Two Bits: The Cultural Significance of Free Software (2008) and The Participant: A Century of Participation in Four Stories (2019). His current projects include the Labyrinth Project, studying human-wildlife entanglement in Los Angeles, and NSF-funded research on participation in digital platforms. Kelty is also a key figure in open access publishing advocacy, leading initiatives such as the University of California's open access policy and co-founding the scholarly journal Limn. His work bridges anthropology, science studies, and activism, addressing themes like open science, urban ecology, and the political dimensions of technology.

Education: PhD, Science, Technology and Society, MIT (2000).
Research Interests: Technology and social theory, participation studies, urban wildlife, open access, hacker cultures.
Grants & Projects: UCLA Grand Challenges (Sustainable LA), NSF-funded participation research, Labyrinth Project.
Affiliations: Limn editorial collective, Libraria (open publishing advocacy).