She is also chairing an initiative to develop a Sustainability Science Major at Kean. Daniela is the co-Chair of the Institute of Urban Ecosystem Studies (IUES) and of the Sustainability Task Force at Kean University. Her research focuses on the interactions between people and their environment, ranging from Native American land management techniques and plant uses to the spread and control of invasive species in urban ecosystems. She earned her Ph.D. in Ecosystem Science from the University of Washington, Seattle in 2006. Her B.S. (1997) and Master's Degrees (2001) in Environmental and Forest Biology are from the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse, New York.