Chase LaSpisa graduated from Oklahoma State University in May 2020 with a BA in Political Science as well as minors in Economics and Russian Language. His primary research interests lie in International Relations and Comparative Politics, specifically non-democracies, conflict, and natural resources. His research seeks to further explore the connection between natural resources and conflict especially at the sub-national level. Additionally, he is interested in non-democratic states, particularly Russia, and the role non-democracies play in the global political order.