Doctoral degree holder (Ph. D) in Geophysics from the Osmania University, Hyderabad after obtaining M.Tech from Osmania University and a Masters's degree holder in Business Administration (MBA) from Delhi. Trained Life Coach in the area of Mastering Life’s Energies.

Maria is a Water Economist and Policy Analyst at OECD for the Water Governance Program. Majority of her work is focused on the governance of water and sanitation services. Among her achievements, she produced a regional survey on water governance in Asia and the Pacific and several reports for different OECD programs, such as Water Security for Sustainable Development in Africa; Water Governance in Cape Town, and Water Governance in African Cities.

Virginia specializes in water security as it relates to WASH. She has worked on a wide range of water issues including food security, irrigation, water resources management, and flood risk management. She holds a PhD from the University of East Anglia, where she explored the topic of agricultural-to-urban water allocation.