# Lee Arthur Spector

> Ph.D. University of Maryland College Park 1992

**Wikidata**: [Q103363536](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q103363536)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/lee-arthur-spector

## Summary
Lee Arthur Spector is an American computer scientist and university teacher. He earned a Ph.D. from the University of Maryland (1992) and has held long-term faculty positions at Hampshire College (1992–2022) and Amherst College (from 2019), with earlier appointments at the University of Maryland and George Washington University.

## Biography
- Born: 1963-11-08
- Nationality: United States
- Education: Ph.D., University of Maryland (1992); educated at Oberlin College
- Known for: Long-term academic career in computer science and undergraduate/academic teaching
- Employer(s): Amherst College (from 2019); Hampshire College (1992–2022); University of Maryland (1987–1992); George Washington University (1985–1987)
- Field(s): Computer science; university teaching

## Contributions
Lee A. Spector’s contributions are documented through his academic career, institutional appointments, and bibliographic author identifiers. He completed his Ph.D. at the University of Maryland in 1992, with James Hendler listed as his doctoral advisor. Spector served on the faculty of Hampshire College from 1992 until 2022 and has been affiliated with Amherst College since 2019, indicating multi-decade involvement in teaching and research at liberal-arts institutions. Earlier professional appointments include roles at the University of Maryland (1987–1992) and George Washington University (1985–1987). His scholarly output and publications are indexed under dblp author id 68/434 and IEEE Xplore author id 37395002800, and his curriculum vitae is publicly available (https://www.amherst.edu/system/files/spector-cv-20250104.pdf). Authoritative identifiers tied to his work include ISNI 0000000082652715, VIAF 73351235, GND 1193099188, Library of Congress authority nb99071806, and a Mathematics Genealogy Project ID (262944). These records document his published research, teaching activities, and academic lineage without asserting specific titles beyond the provided sources.

## FAQs
### Q: Where did Lee Arthur Spector receive his Ph.D.?
A: He received his Ph.D. from the University of Maryland in 1992.

### Q: Which institutions has he worked for?
A: He has held appointments at George Washington University (1985–1987), the University of Maryland (1987–1992), Hampshire College (1992–2022), and Amherst College (from 2019).

### Q: Who supervised his doctoral work?
A: His doctoral advisor was James Hendler.

### Q: How can I find his publications?
A: His publications are indexed under dblp author id 68/434 and IEEE Xplore author id 37395002800, and his curriculum vitae is available via the Amherst College CV link.

## Why They Matter
Lee A. Spector’s significance lies in a sustained academic career that spans decades of teaching and scholarship in computer science. Earning a Ph.D. in 1992 and holding continuous faculty roles—most notably a 30-year tenure at Hampshire College (1992–2022) and an affiliation with Amherst College beginning in 2019—positions him as a persistent contributor to undergraduate and academic computer science education. His academic lineage is tied to James Hendler, a noted artificial intelligence researcher, which situates Spector within an established research network; his doctoral record is indexed in the Mathematics Genealogy Project. Scholarly identifiers (dblp, IEEE Xplore, ISNI, VIAF, GND, Library of Congress authority) make his publications and professional record discoverable and citable, facilitating continued access to his research and teaching materials. Without his extended service at these institutions, there would be a shorter record of production and mentorship traceable through those identifier systems and institutional archives.

## Notable For
- Earning a Ph.D. from the University of Maryland (1992), with James Hendler as doctoral advisor.
- Long-term faculty appointment at Hampshire College (1992–2022).
- Affiliation with Amherst College beginning in 2019.
- Scholarly presence indexed by dblp author id 68/434 and IEEE Xplore author id 37395002800.
- Authoritative identifiers: ISNI 0000000082652715, VIAF 73351235, GND 1193099188, Library of Congress nb99071806, Mathematics Genealogy Project ID 262944.

## Body
### Personal and identity
- Full name: Lee Arthur Spector (given names: Lee; Arthur).
- Family name: Spector.
- Sex/gender: male.
- Birth date: 1963-11-08.
- Citizenship: United States.
- Residence: Northampton (as recorded in his CV/reference material).

### Education and academic lineage
- Educated at Oberlin College (institution listed; degree not specified in provided material).
- Ph.D.: University of Maryland, College Park, 1992.
- Doctoral advisor: James Hendler (American artificial intelligence researcher).

### Academic appointments
- George Washington University: 1985–1987 (appointment recorded in institutional employment history).
- University of Maryland: 1987–1992 (appointment recorded; overlaps with Ph.D. completion year 1992).
- Hampshire College: 1992–2022 (long-term faculty appointment).
- Amherst College: from 2019 (employer listed with start year 2019).

### Research and publications (indexed records)
- dblp author id: 68/434 (bibliographic index for computer science publications).
- IEEE Xplore author id: 37395002800 (index for publications in IEEE venues).
- Curriculum vitae: publicly available (https://www.amherst.edu/system/files/spector-cv-20250104.pdf), documenting career details and publications.
- Additional authority identifiers: ISNI 0000000082652715; VIAF 73351235; GND 1193099188; Library of Congress authority nb99071806; Mathematics Genealogy Project ID 262944.

### Professional roles and occupation
- Occupation: computer scientist; university teacher.
- Roles implied by employment history include teaching, research, and service at liberal-arts and research institutions over multiple decades.

### Documentation and discoverability
- His professional and bibliographic records are maintained across multiple authority and bibliographic databases, enabling discovery and citation of his work.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.amherst.edu/system/files/spector-cv-20250104.pdf)
2. Mathematics Genealogy Project
3. [Source](https://www.amherst.edu/people/facstaff/lspector)
4. Integrated Authority File
5. Library of Congress Name Authority File