I am a PhD Candidate in Political Science at Duke University, where my research looks broadly at political institutions and civil society in authoritarian regimes, with a particular focus on Cambodia. I am especially interested in the implications of pluralism in local political institutions in authoritarian regimes for both economic outcomes, such as infrastructure development and local service delivery, and political outcomes, including party organization and the strength of opposition parties. My most recent project studies the effect of opposition party participation in Cambodia’s commune councils on procurement for local infrastructure projects. Another strain of my research looks at the proliferation of restrictive NGO legislation across the developing world and the effects of such legislation on both NGOs and bilateral donors.
Prior to beginning my graduate degree, I worked for The German Marshall Fund of the United States in Washington D.C., Paris, and Brussels, where I organized intimate convenings for lawmakers in the U.S. and Europe. The daughter of two St. Louis-based artists, in my spare time I like to nurture my creative side through cooking, film photography, and art projects, and occasionally my Midwestern side by arguing vehemently for the superiority of St. Louis-style pizza.
Email: lucille.right@duke.edu