Her research focuses on comparative political economy and development in post-Soviet Eurasia and she teaches courses on comparative political economy, energy politics, economic development, and Central Eurasian politics. Her work has been published in Problems of Post-Communism and Post-Soviet Affairs, in addition to two edited volumes. Spector holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley, and a M.A. in International Policy Studies and a B.A. in International Relations from Stanford University. She has previously lectured at Smith College and held a Title VIII Research Fellowship at the Kennan Institute?s Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, D.C.