Daniela Baroffio received her PhD from USC Annenberg in 2006 and now serves as a clinical professor of communication, teaching foundational theory courses in the undergraduate program and research methods in the graduate programs. As faculty in the undergraduate program, Baroffio teaches courses that examine the politics of gender in the media, interpretations of popular culture, and the politics of social change and advocacy in the political economy of the entertainment industry. As director of the Digital Social Media (MS) program, Baroffio guides digital social media students in their studies, assisting and guiding students in the research design, collection of data, and analysis of data for their own original research. At the administrative level, she also serves as the faculty advisor for all progressive BA/MA students.

Baroffio has published an essay on sports and gender in the Handbook of Sports and Media, and her current research and teaching interests examine the potential for social change and advocacy in entertainment, media and marketing, with a focus on the possibilities and limitations posed by the current political economy. Baroffio is passionate about teaching and assisting her students in their academic and professional growth.