Elena Tugusheva is a Doctor of Design candidate at the College of Communication, Architecture and the Arts at Florida International University (FIU). Before coming to FIU, Elena completed two master’s degrees – a Master of Science in Civil and Industrial Construction Engineering at the Kaliningrad State Technical University, Russia (2003-2008) and Master of Urban Design from the CUNY City College, The Spitzer School of Architecture, NY, United States (2016-2017). Elena currently also works as a Lead Plan Examiner at the Development Hub, New York City Department of Buildings. Prior to that, she worked as a researcher and a designer at the studios of Gaetano Pesce and Michael Sorkin. She is a recipient of numerous awards, including a Union of Architects of the Russian Federation Award, special awards from Shukhov Tower Foundation and lakov Chernikhov International Foundation, Award of Merit from the Society of American Registered Architects. Elena’s research focuses on sustainable material engineering and biomimetic.