Daniel is a Ph.D. candidate specializing in Comparative Politics and Political Methodology. His primary research interests are pre-modern political systems, autocracy, and state formation.

Prior to joining the political science Ph.D. program at OSU, Daniel worked at the University of Maryland's National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START). He received a B.A. in Foreign Affairs and a M.A. in Comparative Politics from the University of Virginia.