Dr. Daniels’ research interests focus on the intersection of social safety net policy design and implementation and the barriers that affect program access and economic security, particularly emphasizing the racial and social inequities faced by low-income communities. Her extensive real-world experience as a counselor and program evaluator has shaped her research agenda. She employs a person-centered research perspective to critically examine the structural, institutional, and individual barriers to access, focusing on the opportunities for discretionary decision-making and the experiences of marginalized populations often deemed undeserving of policy benefits. Her goal for this research is to inform strategies for better supporting low-income individuals through the safety net, ensuring they can achieve economic security even as their ability to work diminishes with age.

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