Alumni Spotlight: Teal Delys, MURP ’19

From the rolling hills of Moses Lake, Washington, to the bustling streets of New York City, Teal Delys has embarked on a remarkable journey that exemplifies the transformative power of urban planning education. As the Eastern Queens Team Leader at the NYC Department of City Planning’s Queens Borough Office (as of summer 2025), Teal brings a unique perspective shaped by both her architectural background and the comprehensive planning education she received at Eastern Washington University.

A Cross-Country Leap of Faith

Teal’s path to becoming a New York City planner required both determination and impeccable timing. “I was itching to go somewhere very different from where I had grown up and gone to university,” says Delys, a native of Moses Lake. “I chose New York because I have always been fascinated by the density, history, and multifaceted cultures of the city, and I was looking for a central location to explore career opportunities in the larger Northeast region.”

After completing her MURP degree in 2019, Teal initially faced challenges breaking into the competitive New York planning market. Undeterred, she moved to the city in the fall after her graduation, took a job in a movie theater bistro, and began attending networking events for professional planners while sharpening her resume. Her persistence paid off, as she landed a job just before the COVID crisis took hold and a hiring freeze was enacted.

From Architecture to Comprehensive Planning

Teal’s educational journey began with a Bachelor of Architectural Studies at Washington State University, which provided her with strong technical skills in design, engineering, and building modeling. However, it was her experience in EWU’s MURP program that fundamentally shifted her perspective on urban development.

“I completed my Bachelor of Architectural Studies at Washington State University before attending the MURP program at EWU,” Teal explains. “This experience taught me skills in the design, engineering, and modeling of buildings, but did not touch on aspects of the public realm, community engagement, and the history and theory behind urban planning and public policy.”

The transformation was profound. “During my time at EWU, my perspective shifted from an artistic and structural focus on the development of individual sites to understanding how physical features, like streets and buildings, and socioeconomic characteristics, like economic sectors, politics, and demographics, fit together to shape neighborhoods and the city as a whole.”

This broader understanding now serves her well in her current role, where she integrates both skill sets. “Today, I use both skill sets as a planner and urban designer to tie together community needs, development interests, and city government goals on planning studies and land use applications.”

Real-World Experience That Translates

One of the most valuable aspects of Teal’s EWU education was her hands-on experience as a Research Assistant on the North Spokane Corridor project. This work provided direct preparation for her current responsibilities in New York. “I worked as a Research Assistant on a grant for the community engagement process for the North Spokane Corridor, in which I helped create materials for public meetings, engaged with Neighborhood Councils, and made many maps analyzing data collected during engagement.”

This experience proved immediately applicable in her NYC role. “This experience directly translated to my first job with NYC DCP, in which I was a liaison for a community board and was responsible for communicating information between the department and the board to demystify planning processes, convey City priorities, and integrate community needs into studies and applications.”

Beyond specific project experience, the foundational knowledge she gained at EWU continues to inform her daily work. “Generally, I feel like my education in the program set me up to understand urban planning principles such as the relationship between housing, jobs, and transit, and issues in sustainability and resiliency that I use on a daily basis when evaluating land use applications and providing guidance to developers.”

The Spokane Learning Laboratory

Teal credits Spokane’s diverse planning environment as providing exceptional educational opportunities that would be difficult to replicate elsewhere. “Spokane offers a variety of neighborhoods that show urban planning trends through the decades, and the city is part of a larger area that includes many Native American tribes and small towns,” she observes.

This diversity creates unique learning opportunities. “I think this context offers an uncommon, if not unique, opportunity to study urban planning broadly or develop specific interests such as housing typology, infill development, transportation, and rural and tribal planning. Additionally, the welcoming and active professional community offers many opportunities to build a network.”

Bridging Coasts Through Professional Networks

Although she lives across the country, Teal maintains an appreciation for the relationships formed during her time at EWU. “Since I’m now located in the Northeast, my professional network is largely made up of local planners, but I’m always happy to hear from contacts in the Pacific Northwest and would feel comfortable reaching out to former professors and classmates should I return.”

Making an Impact in the Nation’s Largest City

As an assistant urban designer in the Queens Borough Office, Delys describes her role as multifaceted: “I am part borough planner and part urban designer. This means I split my time between urban design exercises, interfacing with residents of Queens and community groups, and guiding private development applications through the city land use review process.”

Her work encompasses the full spectrum of urban planning challenges, from community engagement to technical review processes. “I look forward to starting more community-based planning work (think parks, traffic conditions, and zoning) as we return to our offices,” she noted during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As Eastern Queens Team Leader, Teal advanced to a leadership role where she can shape planning decisions that affect one of the world’s most diverse boroughs. Her work contributes to the NYC Department of City Planning’s mission to plan for the strategic growth and development of the city through ground-up planning with communities.

A Model of Persistence and Preparation

Teal’s success story demonstrates how EWU’s MURP program prepares graduates not just with technical skills but with the adaptability and comprehensive understanding needed to succeed in diverse planning contexts. Her journey from Moses Lake to Queens exemplifies how determination, combined with solid educational foundations, can open doors to opportunities in some of the nation’s most competitive planning markets.

As Professor Margo Hill noted, “She did amazing work while she was here at EWU to earn her Master in Urban and Regional Planning,” and Teal’s career trajectory continues to validate the strength of EWU’s planning program in preparing graduates for success on the national stage.

For current students considering their career paths, Teal’s story illustrates that with persistence, preparation, and the comprehensive foundation provided by EWU’s MURP program, even the most ambitious planning career goals are within reach.