Mary stumbled into a NIA class in 2003, when a shoulder injury made it impossible for her to continue working out with free weights. She was captivated by the music and the varied movement forms and never looked back, even after the shoulder healed. She has been enjoying NIA ever since. She traveled to Portland, Oregon in June 2007 to do her white belt training with Debbie Rosas and Carlos Rosas and returned for her Green Belt in August 2009. In her other life, Mary is a Professor of Economics Emerita at the University of Massachusetts Boston.