Dr. Tuna Ogut

Biography

Tuna Ogut is a PhD candidate in Human Geography and Urban Studies at the London School of Economics and Political Science, where they hold an LSE PhD Studentship. Tuna's doctoral research focuses on the politics of access related to urban social infrastructure through an ethnographic study of trans people's political organizing practices in Istanbul. They organize conferences, workshops, and roundtable events exploring themes in applied ethics, political studies, analytical philosophy, and broader social sciences. Tuna is also a board member of Poedat, an interdisciplinary academic society. They peer-review for journals in geography and urbanism and have collaborated publicly with grassroots groups as well as socially-minded venues and non-governmental organizations. With over five years of experience as a teaching assistant for Urban Geography, Globalisation, and Field Methods classes, Tuna instructs undergraduate students on urban analysis, public building project development, and critical evaluations of the social, political, and economic dimensions of urban development. Their ethnographic research is grounded in years of immersive fieldwork in Istanbul, drawing on feminist, queer, and trans geographical perspectives that explore the role of drag performers in creating urban places for gender expression. Tuna's work has been published in Gender, Place & Culture, and they contribute to Betonart, a magazine focusing on architecture and design.

Research Interests