Katherine Chia earned her Master of Architecture degree from M.I.T. and received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Amherst College. Prior to founding Desai Chia Architecture, she worked for Maya Lin on numerous art and architecture commissions. Chia is a registered architect in New York and Connecticut. She has also been a faculty member in the architecture department at Parsons The New School of Design and a fellow of the Institute NY. She is a co-chair of the Van Alen Institute’s Program Leadership Council and the chair of the AIA NY Finance Committee. She has served on the boards of trustees of Amherst College and the United Nations International School, chairing the buildings & grounds committee for both institutions during her tenure.