Derin Ozlem Atalay is Director of the Liberal Arts Action Lab, a community-based research partnership between Trinity College and CT State Community College Capital, and a Lecturer in Public Policy and Law at Trinity College. Derin holds a Ph.D. in Urban and Regional Planning from Florida State University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Action Lab before joining the Trinity faculty.

Derin’s research focuses on civic participation in urban planning and local decision-making processes, with comparative attention to urban contexts in Turkey and the United States. At the Action Lab, Derin leads collaborative, community-engaged research projects with students, faculty, and local organizations on topics such as housing justice and environmental equity. Derin has participated in co-teaching opportunities with community partners to integrate public scholarship and shared knowledge production into the classroom.

In teaching, Derin encourages students to view course content as a lens to understand cities and their roles within them. Drawing on a background in urban planning, real estate, and international experience, Derin supports students in developing critical thinking skills and a nuanced understanding of urban issues.

Derin earned a master’s and bachelor’s degree in urban planning from the University at Buffalo (SUNY) and Istanbul Technical University, respectively, and holds a Ph.D. in Urban and Regional Planning from Florida State University.

curriculum vitae

Peer reviewed journal articles:

• Atalay, O., & Doan, P. L. (2020). Making lesbian space at the edge of Europe: Queer spaces in Istanbul. Journal of Lesbian Studies, 24(3), 255-271. https://doi.org/10.1080/10894160.2019.1683700
• Atalay, O., & Doan, P. L. (2019). Reading LGBT Movement through its Spatiality in Istanbul, Turkey. Geography Research Forum, 39(1), 106-126.
  

Peer reviewed book chapters:

• Doan, P. L., & Atalay, O. (2021). After the life of LGBTQ spaces: Learning from Atlanta and Istanbul. In A. Bitterman & D. B. Hess (Eds.), The life and afterlife of gay neighborhoods: Resurgence and renaissance. Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-66073-4
• Doan, P. L., & Atalay, O. (2023). Queer Perspectives on planning and power. In M. Gunter, K.Grange, T.Winkler, (Eds.), The Handbook of planning and power. Edward Elgar Publishing.
  

Conference Presentations:

• Atalay, O. (2020). Queer spaces in Istanbul: an exploration of conflicting forces. Presented at the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning Virtual Conference.
• Atalay, O., & Doan, P. L. (2019). Making lesbian space at the edge of Europe: Queer spaces in Istanbul. Presented at the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning Conference, Greenville, SC.
• Atalay, O., Doan, P.L. (2018). In Pursuit of (Inclusive) Queer Spaces: The Case of Middle East. Presented at the American Association of Geographers Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA.
• Kubat, S., Atalay, O., Ozdemir, O. (2013). Centrality in Beyazit Square, Istanbul. Presented at 9th International Space Syntax Symposium, Seoul, South Korea.
  

• Co-PI, "Understanding Barriers to Full Civic Participation by the LGBTQ+ Community: The Case of Atlanta," Civic Engagement and Political Participation Research Grant Program, Institute of Politics, Florida State University, $19,750, 2020.
• PI, "Inclusive City Politics?: Analyzing LGBTI+ Inclusion in Municipal Decision Making Processes through a Queer Lens, Istanbul," IJURR Foundation Studentship, 2020.
• Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award Nomination, The Program for Instructional Excellence at the Graduate School of Florida State University, 2020-2021.