Keiko Tanaka

Keiko Tanaka is a Professor of Rural Sociology at the University of Kentucky, holding a joint appointment with the Department of Sociology in the College of Arts and Sciences. She is actively engaged in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment and contributes to interdisciplinary programs in Sustainable Agriculture and Japan Studies.

Her research focuses on the sociology of agriculture and food, science and technology, and development, with a particular emphasis on sustainable agriculture and food systems, international development, and community food security in East Asia and the United States. She examines how agricultural science and technology reconfigures food production and consumption globally, publishing in both English and Japanese academic journals.

Recent publications reveal a strong comparative U.S.-Japan research trajectory examining beginning farmers' knowledge networks, labor ethics in agrifood supply chains, and migrant agricultural labor systems, demonstrating interdisciplinary methodological approaches across rural sociology and food studies.

Scientific Awards and Honors:

• President of the Rural Sociological Society (2018-2019)
• Vice President of the Rural Sociological Society (2014-2015)
• Program Chair for the 75th Annual Meeting of the Rural Sociological Society (2012)

Dr. Tanaka leads multiple research initiatives including comparative studies of beginning farmers in the Southeastern U.S. and Japan, and participates in grant-funded projects on agriculture-of-the-middle. Her academic leadership includes serving as Director of Graduate Studies in Sociology (2009-2011, 2013-2014) and Community & Leadership Development (2015), emphasizing civic engagement and internationalization in scholarship.

She actively collaborates through interdisciplinary teams developing Sustainable Agriculture curriculum in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment and Japan Studies curriculum in the College of Arts and Sciences, bridging academic research with practical outreach on food systems and Asian studies.