Mary Elizabeth Rusz is a founding principal of Studio MER, where she consults on planning and design. She was an architect and urban designer at the New York City Housing Authority for over 20 years, where she was responsible for the management of special capital projects, and led multiple initiatives such as the implementation of the HUD Choice Neighborhood Initiative, the “Make Mott Haven” transformation plan. She is also a non-resident artist member at the Salmagundi Club of New York, and the National Association of Women Artists. She holds a Bachelor’s of Architecture from the University of Toronto, and a Master’s degree in Architecture and Urban Design from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation.