Biography
Ty Matejowsky is a Professor and the Chair of the Department of Anthropology at the University of Central Florida. He received his Ph.D. in 2001 from Texas A&M University and joined UCF in 2002. His primary research area is food and foodways, particularly the globalization of fast food and symbolic meanings behind popular restaurant brands. His current geographical focus is the Philippines and U.S. His books include:
- Risqué Business: Breastaurants in American Culture (University of Alabama Press, 2025)
- Smothered and Covered: Waffle House and the Southern Imaginary (University of Alabama Press, 2022)
- Fast Food Globalization in the Provincial Philippines (Lexington Books, 2018)
He was awarded the 2014 Association for the Study of Food and Society’s Belasco Prize for Scholarly Excellence for his publication “The Incredible, Edible Balut: Ethnographic Perspectives on the Philippines’ Favorite Liminal Food.”
His media appearances include The Atlantic, New York Times, and podcasts/radio shows such as Today, Explained (Vox), Louisiana Eats!, TC After Dark, and More Perfect Union.
