Her research focuses upon the urban governance challenges of waterfront planning and sustainable development, specifically the production and use of political power, and its relationship to the social and ecological health of urban space. An interdisciplinary scholar, she publishes and presents in the fields of urban affairs, planning, and public policy. She earned a PhD in social ecology (University of California, Irvine), a masters degree in government administration (University of Pennsylvania), and a bachelors degree in English and French literature (University of Virginia).