Ece Kaya

Dr. Ece Kaya is a Senior Lecturer and Associate Head of Engagement in the Management Discipline Group at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) Business School. She holds a PhD in heritage and tourism studies from Western Sydney University and an M.Sc. in urban planning. Her research focuses on equity and education (gender equity in sports, higher education participation), urban transformation (placemaking, creative spaces), and academic development (collegiality in the neoliberal academy).

Dr. Kaya’s recent funded projects include investigations into gender inequity in Australian surfing, immigrant families’ educational challenges, and industry-academia collaboration in event management education. She is a member of UTS’s Centre for Sport, Business and Society, examining women’s surfing experiences and urban space intersections. Her teaching spans postgraduate courses like Creative Problem Solving and undergraduate subjects in event management, tourism policy, and social research methods.

• Education: PhD (Heritage & Tourism Studies, Western Sydney University), M.Sc. (Urban Planning)
• Grants: UTS Business School Research Grant (2024), Social Impact Grant (2023), Leisure Studies Association Grant (2024)
• Awards: Collegiality Award (2023), Top Teaching Awards (2022)

Her work bridges urban studies and education, with publications on Sydney’s waterfront transformation, online education during pandemics, and home-sharing frameworks. She actively contributes to academic peer review and course evaluations, emphasizing equitable pedagogy and interdisciplinary innovation.