Luke Condra

Luke Condra is an Associate Professor of International Affairs and Associate Dean at the University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA), with a courtesy appointment in the Department of Political Science. His research focuses on the politics of violence in conflict-ridden democracies, examining how governments and insurgents use violence to achieve political goals. He holds a PhD from Stanford University (2010) and an A.B. from Duke University, both in political science.

• Education: PhD, Stanford University (2010); A.B., Duke University (Political Science)
• Research Interests: Political violence, state-building, public goods provision, electoral politics, and experimental methods in post-conflict societies

Condra’s work has been published in top journals including the American Economic Review, American Journal of Political Science, and British Journal of Political Science. His experimental research in Afghanistan explores ethnic bias, religious authority’s impact on public goods, and corruption’s role in development. He co-authored a prize-winning paper on clerical influence in Afghanistan (2019 Kellogg/Notre Dame Award).

His research also examines counterinsurgency dynamics, including how civilian harm affects wartime cooperation and the strategic implications of collateral damage. He has conducted fieldwork in conflict zones, designing experiments to study governance and social behavior.

• Awards: Kellogg/Notre Dame Award for Best Comparative Politics Paper (2019)

Condra advises students on conflict studies, political violence, and experimental methods. His current projects include studies on police shootings’ impact on citizen cooperation and corruption’s effects on political mobilization.