She received her Ph.D. from the California Institute of Technology in Mechanical Engineering in 2011 with Professor John F. Brady, specializing in the theory of colloidal hydrodynamics and suspension mechanics, where she developed a novel non-equilibrium equation of state for colloidal dispersions. Zia subsequently conducted post-doctoral research in the study of colloidal gels via theory and large-scale dynamic simulation at Princeton University, in collaboration with Professor William B. Russel. Between undergraduate studies (University of Missouri, BSME) and graduate studies at Caltech she worked as a mechanical engineer in the automotive industry in Detroit, specializing in the design of mechanisms and pyrotechnically actuated devices for occupant restraints; during this time she earned an M-Eng degree at the University of Michigan.