Dayra Lascano

Ph.D. Candidate 

Cornell University

Welcome! I am a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Government at Cornell University, where I specialize in international relations with a minor in comparative politics.

My research examines how geoeconomic rivalry reshapes regional organizations, and how those institutions change when outside powers compete for influence. I study the politics of electoral monitoring, competition among donors in regional development banks, and the conditions under which regional organizations intervene in domestic conflicts. My work combines original data collection with survey research and case evidence, drawing on Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Africa.

I am a 2026 Kohut Research Scholar at the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research and a graduate research assistant in the Gender and Security Sector Lab at Cornell. I have held graduate fellowships at the Judith Reppy Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies, the Latin American and Caribbean Studies program at the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies, and the Brooks School Center for Democracy.

Before beginning my doctoral studies, I received a Master of Public Policy from the University of California, San Diego and an M.A. in International Relations from the University of Essex. I served as a political analyst and speechwriter to Ecuador's Foreign Minister, interned with the Organization of American States, and advised on political communication at Ecuador's National Assembly.

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