Ellen Lust
Professor
Contact Information
Ellen Lust’s research examines the role of social institutions and local authorities in governance. She has conducted fieldwork and implemented surveys in Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Kenya, Libya, Malawi, Morocco, Palestine, Syria, Tunisia, and Zambia and authored numerous books, textbooks, and articles including, most recently, Everyday Choices: The Role of Competing Authorities and Social Institutions in Politics and Development (Cambridge University Press, 2022).
Lust is the Founding Director of the Governance and Local Development Institute, which was first established at Yale University (in 2013) and is now based at the University of Gothenburg (from 2015) and Cornell University (from 2024). She also serves as Professor in the Government Department of the College of Arts and Sciences and the Brooks School.
Lust was a founding associate editor of Middle East Law and Governance and has served as an advisor and consultant to organizations including the Carter Center, Freedom House, NDI, UNDEF, UNDP, USAID, and the World Bank.