Derin O. 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.
Jeffrey Partridge (on Sabbatical Leave) 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.
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