She studied Philosophy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Fribourg in Switzerland before joining the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture where she earned her M.Arch. She was the founding chair of the FLWSA Board of Governors where she remains a member. The research for her book, Nesting: Body, Dwelling, Mind (William Stout Publishers, 2011) inspired this symposium. She currently lives in Pavia, Italy.