Joanna Spear

Dr. Joanna Spear is a Research Professor of International Affairs and Full-time Faculty at the Elliott School of International Affairs, George Washington University. She currently serves as Director of the FAO Regional Skill Sustainment Initiative and previously led the Security Policy Studies Program and National Security Studies Program at the Elliott School. Prior roles include Senior Lecturer in War Studies at King’s College London. Her expertise spans international arms trade history, US/UK arms export controls, DDR processes, and the intersection of security and development. She is a Senior Associate Fellow at RUSI and sits on editorial boards for the RUSI Journal and National Defense University’s PRISM.

Education: PhD from the University of Southampton (UK). Research includes a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship project on biotech/pharma firms’ strategies during the Covid-19 pandemic. Notable publications include The Business of Armaments (2023), a landmark study on historical arms manufacturing, and edited volumes on security and development.

Key fellowships include the Belfer Center (Harvard), Brookings Institution, and Chatham House. Grants and collaborative projects have focused on defense economics, arms control regimes, and post-conflict reconstruction. She advises on global security policy and frequently publishes in journals like Arms Control Today and Security Studies.

• Labs/Teams: FAO Initiative leadership, RUSI editorial board, PRISM advisory role
• Grants: Wilson Center Fellowship (2023-24), multiple institutional research grants