I am an Assistant Professor of International Relations and the Founder and Director of the Law and Conflict (LAC) research lab at Purdue University's Department of Political Science.
My research focuses on law, conflict, and governance. I engage in theoretically driven data collection efforts and multi-method analyses to examine the causes and consequences of these phenomena. My main research project provides an in-depth and systematic analysis of rebel law: how it varies across rebel groups, aligns with state and international laws, and impacts conflict resolution. To date, this research has been generously funded by the National Science Foundation, Rice University's Social Sciences Research Institute, the University of Pennsylvania's Office of the Vice Provost for Research, and Purdue University. My published work has appeared in journals such as the International Studies Quarterly, Journal of Conflict Resolution, and Studies in Conflict and Terrorism.
At Purdue, I teach International Law and Armed Conflict and direct the Law and Conflict (LAC) research lab. With LAC, I mentor undergraduate and graduate students interested in the scientific study of law and conflict. I train these students on how to ask big questions and examine plausible answers with several methodological tools, including data collection and statistical analysis.
Prior to Purdue, I was a University of Pennsylvania's Provost Postdoctoral Fellow and affiliated with the Department of Political Science and PDRI-Dev Lab. During 2021-2022, I was the Predoctoral Fellow at the University of Arizona's School of Government and Public Policy. Additionally, I was a 2017-2018 APSA Minority Fellow and a former Visiting Research Fellow at National Defense University.
I hold a Ph.D. in Political Science from Rice University, Master of Arts in Politics from New York University, and Master of Arts in Global Affairs and Juris Doctor from Florida International University. Additionally, I have unique professional experiences that expand across industries: national security, intelligence and investigations, and law. I draw on the expertise I developed throughout these experiences, which include fieldwork in Latin America, when examining political phenomena.
My research focuses on law, conflict, and governance. I engage in theoretically driven data collection efforts and multi-method analyses to examine the causes and consequences of these phenomena. My main research project provides an in-depth and systematic analysis of rebel law: how it varies across rebel groups, aligns with state and international laws, and impacts conflict resolution. To date, this research has been generously funded by the National Science Foundation, Rice University's Social Sciences Research Institute, the University of Pennsylvania's Office of the Vice Provost for Research, and Purdue University. My published work has appeared in journals such as the International Studies Quarterly, Journal of Conflict Resolution, and Studies in Conflict and Terrorism.
At Purdue, I teach International Law and Armed Conflict and direct the Law and Conflict (LAC) research lab. With LAC, I mentor undergraduate and graduate students interested in the scientific study of law and conflict. I train these students on how to ask big questions and examine plausible answers with several methodological tools, including data collection and statistical analysis.
Prior to Purdue, I was a University of Pennsylvania's Provost Postdoctoral Fellow and affiliated with the Department of Political Science and PDRI-Dev Lab. During 2021-2022, I was the Predoctoral Fellow at the University of Arizona's School of Government and Public Policy. Additionally, I was a 2017-2018 APSA Minority Fellow and a former Visiting Research Fellow at National Defense University.
I hold a Ph.D. in Political Science from Rice University, Master of Arts in Politics from New York University, and Master of Arts in Global Affairs and Juris Doctor from Florida International University. Additionally, I have unique professional experiences that expand across industries: national security, intelligence and investigations, and law. I draw on the expertise I developed throughout these experiences, which include fieldwork in Latin America, when examining political phenomena.
TWITTER @LIANAEUSTACIA
BLUESKY @LIANAEUSTACIA.BSKY.SOCIAL
BLUESKY @LIANAEUSTACIA.BSKY.SOCIAL
LER01@PURDUE.EDU
PURDUE UNIVERSITY
DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE
100 NORHT UNIVERSITY STREET
WEST LAFAYETTE, INDIANA 47907