Cary graduated from Dartmouth College in 1984 with a B.A. in Philosophy and Russian Literature. She received an M.Arch. from the Yale School of Architecture in 1988. Cary practiced in New York for 6 years prior to opening her San Francisco office in 1995. Work includes residential, commercial, arts related and health care commissions in California, New York, Moscow, Russia and Taipei, Taiwan. The firm's projects have won numerous design awards and have appeared in local, national and international exhibitions and publications. In addition to a commitment to modern design, the practice maintains the highest standards of professional integrity at all project phases. Cary has taught both the Russian language and jewelry fabrication at Dartmouth College, philosophy at Yale University and architectural design at U.C. Berkeley. She is currently an Adjunct Professor of Architecture at the California College of the Arts and is the former Chair of the SFMOMA A + D Forum. Cary is a member of the 1% Solution, providing a minimum of 1% of her firm's working hours to assist non-profit organizations with their design and planning needs.