Daniela Jones

Dr. Jones develops large-scale, heterogeneous, and geo-temporal data-intensive models to better understand and enhance the sustainability of intensifying agricultural systems. She focuses particularly on analyzing the feasibility of harvesting, pre-processing, storing, and delivering agricultural waste for conversion to energy, aiming to reduce anthropogenic impacts on the environment. Additionally, she collaborates with industry to process data collected from various sources, including gene expression, management practices, ground-based sensors (such as soil moisture sensors), drone imagery, weather stations, and satellite sensors. This data spans the stages of planting, growing, harvesting, and packing, enabling her to identify factors that affect produce yield in terms of both quantity and quality.

Dr. Jones earned her PhD in Biological and Agricultural Engineering with a concentration in energy systems from Texas A&M University, where she was an Alfred P. Sloan Scholar and obtained a certificate in Business Management. She holds a Master’s and a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering with an emphasis on operations research and a Minor in Mathematics from Mississippi State University. During her studies, she interned at Idaho National Laboratory and collaborated with multidisciplinary teams at Oak Ridge National Laboratory on biofuels and renewable energy projects. Prior to her current role, Dr. Jones was a postdoctoral associate at Duke University, where she conducted quantitative and qualitative research on student interventions and supported programming for educational, career development workshops, and community development events for underrepresented undergraduate and graduate students in the biosciences.