2016-2017 Luce Scholar

Former Trustee of The Asia Foundation
Program Manager, Code For America



Dustin Palmer served on The Asia Foundation’s board of trustees from 2019 to 2022. He is currently a program manager at Code for America, a national nonprofit that uses technology to improve government services. As a 2016-2017 Luce Scholar in Yangon, Myanmar, Dustin worked for MyJustice, a €20 million initiative to improve access to justice in Myanmar. Dustin supported the program’s policy and evaluation efforts, including technical advice to the Myanmar Attorney General’s office and developing the first national survey on justice issues.

He was previously a senior associate at Third Sector, a nonprofit advisory firm that supports governments in using data and innovative financing structures to improve outcomes in social services. He also worked for three years on legislative strengthening programs at the National Democratic Institute, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that supports democratic institutions worldwide. Dustin holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and American Culture Studies from Washington University in St. Louis and an MPA from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School. During graduate school, Dustin interned with KontraS, a legal aid organization in Jakarta, Indonesia, and served as an advisor to the New York City Mayor’s Office on Criminal Justice. In his spare time, Dustin volunteers with Crisis Text Line, a free, 24/7 support service for people in crisis.