She is interested in how ideas about nature are formed, the social conflicts they produce, and how they are deployed to influence the built environment. She is currently preparing a book manuscript on the history of urban "greening" in Germany's Ruhr region, and is at work on two new projects: one on infrastructure and sociology, and the other on issues of democracy and equity in sustainability planning. Hillary received her Ph.D. in Sociology from New York University and holds a B.A. from Vassar College. Before returning to graduate school, she worked for five years with the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, primarily on issues of participatory design, immigration, and public space use.