Mona El Khafif is an accomplished academic in the field of urban design, currently serving as Associate Professor and Director of Urban Design at the University of Virginia. Previously, Mona held the position of Associate Professor at the University of Waterloo School of Architecture and the California College of the Arts. Educational qualifications include a Doctorate in Urban Design (Dr. Techn.) from Technische Universität Wien, obtained between 2003 and 2008, as well as a Dipl. Ing. in Architecture from RWTH Aachen University, completed in June 1995.