Haines received her Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin - Madison in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning. Her research and teaching focuses on planning and community development from a natural resources perspective. She recently completed an USDA project focused on the factors that influenced land division in amenity-rich areas of Wisconsin. Her extension work has focused on comprehensive planning and planning implementation tools and techniques, sustainable communities, and property rights issues. She is currently serving as co-chair of the North Central Region Task Force for Sustainable Communities.