I am a PhD candidate in Political Science at Duke University, where I am an incoming Fellow at the Social Science Research Institute, and a Fellow at the Cambodia Development Resource Institute's Center for Governance and Inclusive Societies. 

My research studies the effects of pluralism in local authoritarian institutions, with a particular focus on Cambodia. Drawing on an original survey of elected local leaders, qualitative fieldwork, and novel observational data, I examine how the opposition party's participation in Cambodia's commune councils has shaped local governance, specifically in terms of corruption in procurement and inclusiveness of social service provision.

My research has been supported by the World Bank in Cambodia, the Southeast Asia Research Group (SEAREG), the Center for Khmer Studies, and Duke's Asian/Pacific Studies Institute, among others. In addition to my dissertation research on pluralism and local governance, my research has also looked at civil society and foreign aid in repressive contexts. I have experience carrying out field research, program evaluation, survey design and analysis, and research reporting for development organizations including the World Bank, USAID, the OECD, and UNDP.

Prior to studying at Duke, I worked with the German Marshall Fund of the U.S. in Washington, D.C., Brussels, and Paris, and obtained a B.A. in International Studies at Rhodes College in Memphis. I originally hail from St. Louis, home of the best baseball and best pizza in the country. 

Contact me at: lucille.right@duke.edu