Malcolm Rio is a graphic and architectural designer and thinker living in New York City. He is currently a Ph.D. student at Columbia University where he researches the historical intersections of race, subjectivity and architecture. Rio also holds a Master of Science in Architecture Studies (SMArchS) from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a Master of Architecture (M.Arch) from the Rhode Island School of Design, and a bachelor of science, philosophy and a bachelor of fine arts from Towson University. While at MIT, Rio investigated the urban and architectural relationships between eighties Ballroom culture and New York City’s postmodern development. Simultaneous to his studies, Rio worked as a Leventhal Fellow at the Leventhal Center for Advanced Urbanism researching the racial and classed shortcomings of current-day resiliency design and policy. Rio theoretical and professional contribution to the discipline of architecture recognized by MIT’s Department through awards including the SMArchS Thesis Prize, the MIT Merit Fellowship, and the Arthur Rotch Special Prize.