Welcome! I am an Assistant Professor at the KDI School of Public Policy and Management (Sejong City, South Korea).

dlee@kdis.ac.kr · [CV] · [ORCID] · [Google Scholar] · [Twitter/X]

I study the political economy of development, focusing on how formal institutions and informal incentives shape political behavior, representation, and state capacity in sub-Saharan Africa. My work uses surveys, administrative records, and other original data to inform policies that strengthen state capacity, promote inclusion, and improve governance. My work has been published or is forthcoming in the Journal of Politics, Studies in Comparative International Development, and World Development. 

I earned my Ph.D. in Political Science from New York University (NYU) in 2022. Since then, I have co-organized the KDI School--World Bank DIME Development Impact conference (2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025). I also co-founded the Global Strategy & Political Economy Lab in 2024 and organized its inaugural annual workshop in 2025.