Ziya Kaya

Ziya Kaya is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. He received his Ph.D. in sociocultural anthropology with a minor in geography from the University of Arizona in August 2024.

Dr. Kaya's research focuses on digital, biotechnological, and financial interventions in Turkey's agroecologies. His work spans multiple interdisciplinary fields including:

• Digital Anthropology and Critical Algorithms Studies
• Environmental anthropology and Political ecology
• Science & Technology Studies and Critical Data Studies
• Multispecies Ethnography and Infrastructure studies

His research examines how agritech companies prioritize data-driven and algorithmic technologies over human involvement in agriculture, exploring implications for food security and ecological welfare. He investigates technologies like autonomous drones for precise chemical spraying and smartphone applications offering real-time soil data through sensors and algorithmic recommendations.

Dr. Kaya serves as a Contributing Editor for Platypus, The CASTAC Blog, where he has published on algorithmic imaginations in agriculture. His work analyzes how these technologies generate insights for agricultural corporations, financial firms, and public institutions, while examining the gap between technological promises and actual adoption by Turkish farmers.