Neider Devia, 2026-2027 PhD Fellow

April 15, 2026

The LAII offers competitive PhD Fellowship awards to support doctoral students conducting dissertation research and writing related to Latin America and Iberia. 

Meet PhD fellow, Neider Devia. Neider is a PhD student in the Latin American Studies department. Neider’s project is titled: Restistance, adaptation, and reconstruction of identity: the history and contemporary challenges of the Pijao indigenoius people in Colombia. Neider expresses, “My research is inspired by my lived experience as a member of a Pijao Indigenous community in Natagaima, southern Tolima. Growing up in my territory and later engaging in academic training in Colombia and Brazil has strengthened my identity and deepened my commitment to my people. These experiences have shaped my desire to critically examine how Indigenous identity is understood and reconstructed today. I am to contribute to the development of more effective public policies that support Indigenous peoples across Colombia. This fellowship will allow me to continue this journey by advancing research that is both academically rigorous and grounded in community needs.”