Academic Staff

Born in Reading-England, she graduated from the Department of Interior Architecture and Environmental Design at Bilkent University in 1997. She worked in various architectural firms after graduation, and received her master’s degree in 2000, and PhD in 2005 from Bilkent University. As a Fulbright scholar, between 2001 and 2002, she worked with Prof. Henry Sanoff on the topics of “learning environments” at North Carolina State University. Her articles have been published in such academic journals as, Journal of Interior Design, Journal of Design History, The Journal of Creative Behavior, Creativity Research Journal, Journal of Academic Librarianship, METU Journal, Procedia – Social And Behavioral Sciences, Journal of Children, Youth and Environments, Arkitekt and Popüler Bilim; and also in literature and film periodicals such as, Geceyarısı Sineması, Düşe-Yazma, Patika, and Koridor. She is on the editorial board of Koridor where she continues to write as well as illustrate. Between 2005-2008, she worked on a World Bank (program for social progress) funded project named, “Child Attraction Center” with colleagues from Bilkent University. She does consulting work for schools, children’s museums and other environments, and works with children as the potential users to the decision-making and design processes. Up until this point in her career, she has taught Basic Design, Art and Design Studio, Human Factors, Drawing and Representation, History of Art and Design, Project Preparation Techniques, Model Making, Applied Workshop in IAED, Graduation Thesis, Environmental Psychology, Design Semiotics, Individual Study (master's), and Seminar (master's) courses. She began working at Izmir University of Economics in 2006 as an Asst. Professor, and became Professor in 2019. She is the coordinator of the second year Design Studio and teaches the PhD courses, Integrated Design Approaches and Environment-Behavior Research. Her research fields include, history of interior design, modern interior design, Turkish modern furniture, and environment-behavior studies. She has given several lectures on history of modern interiors in Turkey and Turkish modern furniture at universities and conferences. She was the head of the Department of Interior Architecture and Environmental Design at İzmir University of Economics, between 2010-2017, where she continues to work. She is one of the two project coordinators of the DATUMM: Documenting and Archiving - Turkish Modern Furniture (datumm.org) project. Through DATUMM, it was possible to create a documentary, a digital working archive, a book in both English and Turkish, a large-scale colloquium with designers, and a large-scale exhibition of modern furniture. She is also one of the founding members of the Docomomo-Turkey, Interior Design Committee (est. 2019), along with Asst. Prof. Dr. Umut Şumnu and Asst. Prof. Dr. Zeynep Tuna Ultav. She is the leader of a scientific research project that focuses on contributing to the interior design history of Turkey, by highlighting three prominent designers, by oral history. The vast amount of interviews will be collected and presented as a documentary, and three books and articles will be other outputs of the project. She is also a member of The Fulbright Alumni, Chamber of Interior Architects of Turkey, EDRA (Environmental Design Research Association), 4T (Turkish Design History Society), TAPLAK Design and Planning Accrediting Association, Bilkent University Alumni, and has been chosen committee member of Docomomo ISC-ID International Specialization Comittee-Interior Design in 2021. She has two children.

She was born in Izmir in 1984. She finished her high school education in Bornova Anatolian High School in 2002. Between 2002 and 2006, she studied Interior Architecture and Environmental Design at Bilkent University with full scholarship. After receiving her undergraduate degree, she has got her Master of Science degree in Product-Service System Design from Milan Polytechnic University (Politecnico di Milano). Then she worked at DEGW Italy, a company specialized in space planning, interior design and architecture of workspaces, in Milan for 9 months. During this period, she participated in the office projects of Deutsche Bank, Roche, British Council, Vodafone Village Italia, SEB, Bouygues Telecom France and Lexmark in Rome and Milan. From the 2011-2012 academic year to 2015-2016 academic year fall semester, she worked as a Research Assistant in the Department of Interior Architecture and Environmental Design at Izmir University of Economics and assisted 4th year design studio. She continues working as a Lecturer from 2015-2016 academic year spring semester. She is currently doing Ph.D. in Industrial Product Design at Istanbul Technical University.

Dr. Turhan graduated from the Izmir University of Economics, Department of Architecture (B.Sc-hons.) in 2014. She completed Master in Advanced Architectural Design (M.Arch.) program in Fall 2016 with a focus on scripting languages in architectural design processes, natural algorithms and interactive cities; and Master of Science in Architecture (M.Sc.) program in Spring 2016 with a focus on time-space compression and its effects on global urban space. She studied Ph.D. in Design Studies with a specific focus on biobased material studies, computational design and digital fabrication. Her current interests also include machine learning (ML), diffusion models (DMs) and large language models (LLMs) for design applications. She has been working as a Research Assistant at the Department of Architecture, Faculty of Fine Arts and Design, Izmir University of Economics since September 2017.

Yasemin Albayrak Kutlay is an interior and spatial designer, a design researcher and PhD candidate. She studied Interior Architecture and Environmental Design at the Izmir University of Economics with a full scholarship. While continuing her bachelor, she worked as a student assistant at the university for two years. Additionally, she carried out one of her internship in Japan with JASSO (Japan Student Services Organization) scholarship. There, as an exchange intern, she worked in a project for ''A Cultural Exchange Centre'' in Chiba University together with Prof. Kaname Yanagisawa Lab. in the summer of 2014. After she graduated in 2016, she moved to Milan in 2017 and got her MSc. degree from Politecnico di Milano in Interior and Spatial Design. During her education, she dealt with contemporary interior spaces, design of urban interiors and ephemeral places, with a particular interest in new technologies. Until 2020 she lived and studied in there and worked as an intern design researcher at PoliMi Desis Lab. Based in the Department of Design of Politecnico di Milano, Polimi Desis Lab is a branch of an international network of Desis Network and she worked with a group of researchers adopting a strategic and systemic approach to design about interior and spatial design, service-system design for sustainability, design for social innovation and co-design strategies. Collaborating with PoliMi Desis Lab., she developed her master thesis about ''Temporary Design Solutions and the new approaches to design''. Currently, she is working as a research assistant at the Izmir University of Economics and assisting 4th year Interior Architecture and Environmental Design Studio.

Born in 1995 in İzmir/Bergama, Hande Yıldız Çekindir completed her undergraduate education at TOBB UET Department of Interior Architecture and Environmental Design in 2018. In 2019, she started her integrated PhD program in Design Studies at Izmir University of Economics and continues her studies in the field of Design Thinking. Since 2019, she has been a researcher and facilitator at Izmir Design Factory, an education, design and research center. Between 2021-2022, she worked as an event and content designer at Originn, a center for creative industries in Izmir and a facilitator at Originnovation, an innovation platform. Since December 2022, she has been working as a research assistant at Izmir University of Economics, Department of Interior Architecture and Environmental Design. She is also a member of Depo Pergamon Association, which continues its activities as a Mediterranean Cultural Lighthouse, and a volunteer for local restoration works.

Emre Ergül, born in Manisa in 1962, completed his high school education at Turkish College of İzmir. In 1985, he was graduated from Mimar Sinan University, Faculty of Architecture, Department of Architecture with masters degree. He has been in military service and worked in various firms and architectural offices until 1990. He started to work at Dokuz Eylül University, Faculty of Architecture, Department of Architecture as a Research Assistant in 1990. After completing his PhD thesis in 1998, he has begun to work at İzmir Institute of Technology, Faculty of Architecture, Department of Architecture as an Assistant Professor. Starting from October 2007, he is now working in İzmir University of Economics, Faculty of Fine Arts and Design, Department of Interior Architecture and Environmental Design as an Assistant Professor. Ergül, whose major research area is Ottoman House in Urban Pattern, has written articles and proceedings of which mostly in this field after his PhD thesis titled The Mechanism of Homogenization of Ottoman House in Anatolian Cities. Besides, he has some studies in two different topics, one is Computer Aided Design and the other is Transformable Structural Systems. Special award in Bandırma Cinçukuru City Center Competition, 3. prize in Kadıköy Harem Haydarpaşa Near Environment Urban Design Competition, Honorable Mention in Earthquake Conscious Settlements and 2. Honorable Mention in Eskişehir Tepebaşı Municipality Building Competition are the awards given to the projects by Ergül in his ongoing design practicing. İzmir Ekonomi Üniversitesi Sakarya Caddesi No:156, 35330 Balçova - İZMİR +90 23

Born in Denizli in 1982. Received her bachelor degree in Architecture from İZTECH in 2006; her M.Des degree in Design Studies from İUE in 2009 and completed her thesis process in Scotland, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design. She received her Ph.D degree in Architecture from İZTECH in 2016 and completed her PhD thesis process in Lisbon. Between the years 2006-2011, she worked as a research assistant at IUE Department of IAED, between the years 2011-2017 she worked as an instructor and until 2017 and she has been working as Assistant Professor at the same department. She teaches "Future Interior Architecture Studies", "Graduation Project", "Graduation Thesis" and "Collective Act-Social Responsibility Project". "Cognitive design" and "non-visual aspects of spatial knowledge" are among her research interests.

Deniz Avci is an Associate Professor of Architectural History (2025). Cultural heritage preservation specialist, interior architect and environmental designer (MSc, METU; BSc, Baskent University) and architectural historian (PhD, METU) Associate Professor Dr. Deniz Avci (Izmir University of Economics, IAED) specializes on the architectural historiography and conservation of the twentieth-century Modern Movement architecture/interiors/furniture in Turkey by the assessment of different building typologies, especially housing and healthcare architecture, and utilizes films as archives in her research. Her PhD dissertation (2018) titled ‘Housing the modern nation: The transformation of residential architecture in Ankara during the 1920s’ contributed to the missing gap in the literature of the 1920s’ housing in Ankara. Researcher in the projects titled ‘Architects who left their marks in Ankara’ and ‘DATUMM – Documenting and Archiving Modern Turkish Furniture’, and committee member in ‘docomomo_turkey Interior Design’, she is currently co-leading two projects, one titled ‘Architecture of Convalescence: Mapping the Sanatorium Heritage of Turkey’ supported by the Turkish Architects’ Association-1927 with Modern Architecture Research Award and the other titled ‘Between Medicine and Architecture in Mid-Century Turkey: Ankara’s Atatürk (Keçiören) Sanatorium’ supported by VEKAM with Ankara Research Awards. Avci is an editorial assistant in the International Journal of Islamic Architecture (Intellect - IJIA).

Born in İzmir in 1984. She completed her high school education in Bornova Anatolian High School in 2002. Between 2002 and 2007, studied Landscape Architecture and Urban Design in Bilkent University. After completing her undergraduate studies, got her masters degree in Urban Design from City College of New York. Then worked in Lee Weintraub Landscape Architecture in New York for 2 years. During these 2 years, she particapeted in various scaled public and private projects in States of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. In 2016 she finished her Phd in İzmir Institute of Technology City Planning Department where she studied with Tübitak scholarship. Between 2010-2014 she worked as a research assistant in the Department of Interior Architecture and Environmental Design in İzmir University of Economics and starting from 2014 she is working as an instructor in the same department.

Born in 1965 in Germany, Markus Wilsıng recieved his architectural degree in 1995 from the Facolta' di Architettura, Dipartimento di Processi e Metodi atthe Università degli Studi di Firenze, in Italy. In 1994, he started his academic career at the same University as the assistant of Prof.Dott.Arch.Paolo Iannone in the Dipartimento di Progettazione Architettonica. In 1996, he began to work as a Visiting Assistant Professor at Bilkent University, Department of Interior Architecture and Environmental Design, Ankara, Turkey. In this university, he taught ‘Introduction to Art and Culture I & II’ (1996-2003), ‘Interior Architecture Studio III & IV’ and 'Visionary and Future Interior Architecture Studies’ (2001-2003). He also executed several thesis. In 1998, he became a full time Assistant Professor at the same university and the coordinator of the University course "Introduction to Art and Culture I & II". In 2003, he joined Izmir University of Economics, Faculty of Fine Arts and Design. Here he established and became the coordinator of the 'Interior Architecture and Environmental Design Department' in 2003. From 2004 until 2010 and from 2017 until 2022 he was assigned as the head of the same department. Starting from 2007, he integrated 'Interior Yacht Design Studies' in the Interior Architectural and Environmental Design curriculum, which also initiated the idea of establishing a 'Master of Yacht Design' program at IEU in 2010. Furthermore, he was responsible in the establishment studies for the "Department of Architecture" in 2004. He is also carrying out research in the field of "Architectural and Design Education", "Visionary and Future Design" and "Design Philosophy". In relation to these subjects, he organized several exhibitions, gave lectures and presentations, presented conference papers and published articles in international journals. Furthermore, he executed and developed several international and national interior and architectural projects and participated in several design competitions.

Tom Keogh comes from an architectural and fine art background. Through his work as an independent curator he seeks to explore the overlaps between differing geographic subjectivities, political economies and art. Born in Ireland he initially graduated from the Architectural Department of Bolton street College of Technology in Dublin in 1987 and worked in various architectural firms in Ireland, The UK and Australia before returning to complete a degree inFine Art and the history of Irish Art at the National College of Art and Design in Dublin. Since then he has completed an MA in Art Curatorial practice at Goldsmiths College, New Cross, London. He has also Curated a number of Art exhibitions at the Project Art Centre, Temple Bar, Dublin, Arthouse, Temple Bar, Dublin, Galeria dels Angels, Barcelona, and Whitechapel Project Space, Whitechapel, London. He also initiated and managed an Art project space called Meals & SUVs in London from 2005 to 2008. He has been involved in presenting Art workshops at Camden Art Centre and Goldsmiths College London and Platform Garanti Istanbul and has presented a talk at Manchester Art Gallery. He moved to Izmir Turkey 7 years ago and teaches The History of Art and Design, Landscape Architecture, Architectural Restoration, and the History of Turkish Art at İzmir Ekonomi Univeritesi. He is actively involved with independent Art curation projects including an artists' residence project called Maquis Projects in the old part of Izmir city.

İdil Bakır Küçükkaya was born in 1988 in İzmir. She completed her undergraduate degree in Industrial Product Design at Yeditepe University in 2011. In 2011, she studied scientific preparation for a master's degree in Interior Architecture and Environmental Design at Yaşar University for 3 semesters and completed Interior Architecture and Environmental Design undergraduate courses. In 2015, he completed his master's thesis on lighting and sustainability in office buildings. She started her Phd at Izmir University of Economics in 2017 and has been working as a research assistant at Izmir University of Economics Department of Interior Architecture and Environmental Design since January 2018. She has a child.

Ali Aslankan received his bachelors degree (2005), masters degree (2008) and doctorate degree (2014) in architecture from the Middle East Technical University (METU). He completed two years of doctorate research (2011-2013) in the Department of Architecture, Penn State University (PSU) as a visiting researcher with Fulbright Program and as a visiting scholar under PSU sponsorship. His area of interest includes architectural space, housing and urbanism, social and cultural processes in architecture, and design education. His PhD dissertation is entitled as “Mixed-Use High-Rise [Residential] Complexes: A New Urban Form(ation) in İstanbul.” He worked as a research/teaching assistant between 2008-2011 in the department of Architecture, IUE; and between the years 2014-2016 he worked as a part-time instructor in the same department. He is working as Assistant Professor in the department of Interior Architecture and Environmental Design since 2016. Being the coordinator of the "Art and Design Studio I-II", he also teaches "Introduction to Housing Studies" and "Spatial Practices" courses.