Zeynep Atalay

Zeynep Atalay serves as Associate Professor of Sociology in the School of Liberal Arts at St. Mary's College of California, where she has been a faculty member since 2013. Her academic journey includes appointments as Visiting Scholar at Stanford University (2010-2012) and active participation in international sociological associations including the International Sociological Association.

Her educational background features:

• Ph.D. in Sociology, University of Maryland at College Park (2012)
• M.A. in Critical and Cultural Studies, Bogazici University (2004)
• B.A. in Sociology, Bogazici University (2002)

Atalay's research centers on the complex relationship between state and civil society within globalized contexts, with particular focus on transnational activism, neoliberal authoritarianism, and faith-based organizations. Her work examines how conservative civil society actors contribute to authoritarian consolidation, challenging traditional democratization narratives. She investigates second-generation Muslim immigrant activism in the U.S. and state-Islamist NGO partnerships in Turkey's education and welfare sectors, revealing how religious organizations facilitate neoauthoritarian governance through welfare management and cultural production.

Analysis of her 15 most recent publications reveals consistent thematic threads across political sociology, Middle Eastern studies, and globalization theory. Her work demonstrates increasing focus on authoritarian resilience mechanisms, with recurring subfields including civil society co-optation, norm localization, and religious neoliberalism. The publications show methodological diversity spanning comparative case studies, discourse analysis, and transnational network research.

Her scientific recognition includes:

• Shortlisting for the Annual SAGE Current Sociology Best Paper Prize (2023)
• Goldhaber Research Grant from University of Maryland
• C. Wright Mills Fellowship
• Graduate Student Summer Research Fellowship

Atalay's academic service includes departmental leadership as Sociology Department Chair at St. Mary's College. Her teaching portfolio features courses on Sociological Theory, Globalization, Transnational Migration, and Resistance Movements. While specific grant details aren't fully enumerated in the source material, her research on Istanbul's Cultural Heritage Restoration initiatives indicates ongoing funded projects examining public participation in global cities. Her collaborative work with George Ritzer on globalization texts demonstrates significant scholarly partnerships.