Her research, teaching, and practice focus on publicly-engaged design as a vehicle for social empowerment and environmental resilience. Prior to joining the UNC Charlotte faculty, Nadia was a member of the Architecture and Urban Design faculty at Iowa State University (ISU). She co-founded and co-directed the Community Design Lab, an interdisciplinary engaged research practice, as a partnership between ISU Extension and College of Design. Nadia is a licensed architect, practicing in Chicago, Warsaw, and Vienna prior to moving to full-time academic work. She received her Master of Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania and her Bachelor of Arts from Yale University.