She received her doctorate in Sociology from the University of California, Berkeley and also holds an MA in Energy and Resources from UC Berkeley, as well as a BA in Physics from Princeton University. Pulver’s research investigates organizational responses to environmental challenges. She is an expert in international climate politics, with a particular focus on transnational corporations and environmental NGOs. Before coming to UC Santa Barbara in 2009, Pulver was the Joukowsky Family Assistant Research Professor at Brown University's Watson Institute for International Studies.