Hayriye Esbah-Tunçay is Professor and Chair of Landscape Architecture at Istanbul Technical University and a former Fulbright Scholar at Harvard University's Graduate School of Design. Recognized for her pioneering research in landscape ecology and its effective integration into design, she is a leading figure in the design of sustainable cities in the face of the challenges of climate change. Emphasizing the essential connection between human well-being and ecological harmony, her vision encompasses urban, rural, natural, historic, and cultural landscapes.

Her illustrious career has been honored with numerous publications and research grants, including the Turkish Higher Education Council Fellowship, the prestigious Fulbright Research Fellowship, and various European Union research grants. As the founding director of HET (Habitat-Ecology-Technology), an Istanbul-based landscape architecture and urban design firm, she has led innovative projects that promote climate sustainability and resilience and have received numerous national and international awards and recognitions, including the National Landscape Architecture and Urban Design Awards (eight times). Esbah-Tunçay holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Design and Planning from Arizona State University and a Master's in Landscape Architecture from the University of Arizona. She is a registered landscape architect with the Turkish Chamber of Landscape Architects and a member of ICOMOS.