Ms. Kharchi received her BFA from the Corcoran College of Art + Design. She developed one of the first in-house desktop computer layout and typesetting departments in Washington at the design studio Wickham & Associates. She has taught computer applications for graphic design at the Corcoran since 1987, and greatly expanded the scope of the Computer Graphics curriculum as department chair from 1997 through 2003. As the owner of 11x17 Design, Ms. Kharchi's recent work includes projects for Sterling Publishing, The New York Times, National Geographic, and The Washington Post's Spanish language weekly publication El Tiempo Latino. During her frequent travels to the Himalayas, she actively supports several educational projects through volunteer work and through her photography and books.