Laura Minor is the Director of CHER Academic Programs, and Lecturer, Public Policy and Law; Liberal Arts Action Lab courses and partnerships. She most recently worked with undergraduates at Central Connecticut State University, both as an assistant director of undergraduate advisement and coordinator of its academic minor in Community and Civic Engagement. Through her work in that program, she has overseen student community research and internship projects in the Greater Hartford area, such as with Habitat for Humanity of North Central Connecticut, the Hartford Catholic Worker, Sun Scholars, and REACH (Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health). Her passion is to see young people experience learning in high-impact contexts and have reciprocal learning partnerships with community organizations. Laura has a Master’s of Education in Counseling from the University of Texas at Austin, and a PhD from Clemson University in International Family and Community Studies. Her dissertation research was a quantitative outcomes assessment of academic community engagement programs, and she is working to expand that research to include an assessment of Connecticut’s high school engagement programs as well.
Derin O. Atalay is the Liberal Arts Action Lab Coordinator and Lecturer in Public Policy and Law. They got their doctoral degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Florida State University. Their research focuses on queer spaces and the involvement of LGBTQ communities in the local decision-making processes. Derin’s dissertation is a multi-method study of participation of LGBTQ+ communities in planning processes and inclusive city politics in contemporary urban Turkey and the United States. Their research contributes to a growing body of literature on collaborative city governance, inclusive city politics, the civic engagement, place making and queer critique. Their work on the intersections of Urban Studies and LGBTQ issues has been published on various peer reviewed journals such as Journal of Lesbian Studies, Geography Research Forum and edited books. Derin received their master’s and bachelor’s degrees in urban planning from University at Buffalo, SUNY and Istanbul Technical University, respectively.
Jeffrey Partridge serves as the Action Lab Faculty Director at CT State Community College Capital, where he also is Professor of English and Department Chair of the Humanities. He also directs the Hartford Heritage Project, supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities, to make connections between the CT State courses and Hartford’s rich and diverse cultural institutions, landmarks, and neighborhoods.
Hilary E. Wyss is the Faculty Lead of CHER, and Allan K. Smith and Gwendolyn Miles Smith Professor of English. She specializes in early American women writers, eighteenth-century transatlantic writing, and contemporary Native American literatures. She has authored numerous works on Native American literacy and served in leadership roles in academic journals and societies. Her teaching focuses on exploring underrepresented voices to deepen the understanding of American literature and identity.
Erna Alić is the Program Manager of the Center of Hartford Engagement and Research (CHER). Erna arrived with her family as refugees from Bosnia and Herzgovina in the early 2000s and grew up in Hartford. Since graduating from UConn in 2021 with a Human Rights and Psychology degree she has held leadership positions in human rights focused nonprofits and worked in Hartford organizations like Hartford Promise and the Hartford Public Library. She currently serves as Commissioner and Secretary for the Hartford Commission on Refugee and Immigrant Affairs (CRIA).
Sabin Limbu is a Program Assistant at the Liberal Arts Action Lab. Sabin is an international student from Bhutan double majoring in Economics and Environmental Science with a minor in Asian Studies at Trinity College. Sabin is passionate about community service and is involved in various organizations such as JELLO Community Service, ConnectiKids, Trinity Environmental and Climate Justice, Trin Divest, and Habitat for Humanity.
Mia Rodriguez is a Teaching Assistant at the Liberal Arts Action Lab. She is assisting with both the Research Methods class and the Neighborhood Revitalization Project. Mia is a junior at Trinity College majoring in Educational Studies with a minor in Community Action. She completed the Music Education Project last semester with the Action Lab.
Georgia Fales is a Teacher’s Assistant at the Liberal Arts Action Lab. Georgia is lives in Cohasset, Massachusetts but grew up in Los Angeles. Georgia is a Junior at Trinity College majoring in Public Policy and Law with an Environmental Focus. She is a recent Action Lab alumna where she completed the Recreation Access Project in the 2023 fall semester.
Our team is excited to connect with you! Please contact us for any questions or concerns.