Petia Kostadinova is currently the Assistant Program Director for Center for European Studies at University of Florida. She received a Ph.D. in Political Science from Florida State University and her dissertation focused on economic transition in Eastern Europe. Dr. Kostadinova's interests include political economy, development, role of political institutions in the economic transition of the former communist countries, and European Union enlargement. She has taught numerous undergraduate classes both at FSU and UF. Dr. Kostadinova is originally from Varna, Bulgaria.