Anlı Ataöv is a professor and the associate dean in the Faculty of Architecture at Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey. She holds doctorate degrees in environmental aesthetics from the Ohio State University in the US and in action research from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Norway. She works as a planner, professor, researcher and consultant for private, public, and national/international non-governmental organizations, institutions and commissions such as UNICEF, International Children’s Center, Work Research Insitute (AFI), SUNY Binghamton, City of Columbus, Greater Municipality of Istanbul, Ministry of Environment and Urbanization, Ministry of Culture and Tourism in Turkey, the US, Norway, Denmark, and the UK. Her professional and academic practice and publications mainly focus on participatory planning and design (Ankara, Bursa, Kocaeli, Eskişehir, Nevşehir, Mardin, Binghamton, NY), sustainability and social change (children, youth, women, immigrants, employees), cultural/natural conservation area management (Nemrut-Adıyaman, Sagalassos-Ağlasun, Komana-Tokat, Datça-Bozburun, Ankara Historic Center and Neighborhoods), people and environment, arts and design. She is an activist in healthy and happy living, and in empowering international peace through sports and arts.

Lectures:

• Participatory planning and community design

• Sustainability and conservation

• Experiential Design through arts

Lara completed her education at the Italian High School. In 2005, she studied Industrial Design (Bachelor) at NABA, Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti, Milan. She worked as a workshop assistant in the academy.

Upon her graduation in 2008, she gained internship/work experiences in different design studios. Autoban Architecture, Maybe Design: Erdem Akan studio, Alper Böler design studio, Ron Gilad studio ( Nyc, Tel Aviv ), FABRICA Benetton, Studio Jens Praet, she has worked actively in different studios such as La Bonbonniere Event Design & Management over the years.

In 2014, she participated in the Living & Interior Design MA program at Domus Academy, Milan and completed the program under the supervision of Patricia Urquiola. After MA, she returned to Istanbul in 2015 and continued her freelance design & interior design projects. Lara Karaso, who lived and worked in Tel Aviv, Israel, between 2017- 2021, now continues her freelance projects and works as an instructor at Istinye University, Department of Interior Architecture and Environmental Design. She speaks English, Italian, Hebrew and Turkish.

Natalie was born in New Hampshire, USA and has always been very fond of the outdoor environment, people’s interaction with Earth and its resources. She attended Castleton University earning a Bachelor’s in Biology with a minor in Chemistry in 2007. Natalie became a quality control scientist at a micro-brewery in Vermont where she learned about water quality, wastewater science, food safety and sanitation. Natalie then moved to the desert southwest of the USA to earn her Master’s degree in Environmental Microbiology in 2013 and specialize in Water Quality. Water is a precious resource needed for drinking, agriculture, waste management, recreation and a home and reserve for wildlife. People need to know how to manage and protect our valuable resources to sustain life on this planet. Natalie is now a University of Arizona Cooperative Extension Research & Outreach Scientist who teaches water quality, food safety and waste management classes and performs microbiological research in that area of public health. Natalie works side by side with engineers, water managers and farmers to help manage water quality and teach people how to protect their food and people around them.