David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies

Bridging Latin America and Harvard to drive change and foster innovation, equity, and sustainable development through collaborative research, transformative student experiences, and impactful programs.

Leadership

Steven Levitsky to Serve Third Term as Faculty Director

Following six years of steady leadership during a period of disruption and renewal, Steven Levitsky has been reappointed for a third and final term. This next chapter will focus on expanding collaborative research, increasing student opportunities in the region, and advancing work on Latin American diasporas.

“We’ve done the hard work of adapting and rethinking how we operate. This next chapter is about deepening our impact—supporting bold research, creating transformative student experiences, and strengthening Harvard’s engagement with Latin America and the Caribbean in ways that are both sustainable and ambitious.”

—Steven Levitsky

Applications Now Open

2027-2028 DRCLAS Visiting Scholars and Fellows Program

Applications are now open. DRCLAS invites distinguished academics and practitioners whose work focuses on Latin America and the Caribbean to pursue independent research at Harvard. Join a dynamic intellectual community and engage with leading faculty, students, and peers from across the region and beyond.

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30th Anniversary

Celebrating 30 Years of DRCLAS

As we mark three decades of deepening Harvard’s engagement with Latin America, explore the moments that shaped our past and the conversations driving our future. From symposium highlights and keynote reflections to a visual timeline and photo gallery, discover how DRCLAS continues to make impossible conversations possible.

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News and Updates

New Research Directions on Faith, Politics, and the Future of Democracy

August 27, 2026

What happens when religious faith enters the political arena? For Raúl Zegarra, Assistant Professor of Roman Catholic Theological Studies at Harvard Divinity School, the answer is more complicated than conventional narratives about religion and politics...

Mexico, the land of my ancestors

August 10, 2026

In returning to the land that cared for me in my youth, I’ve learned that change is the only constant. The land, along with my community, evolves- she changes, transforms, and metamorphosizes. Life is not stagnant, but imbued with dynamic movement. We...

Learning to Do Research: One Sample at a Time

August 10, 2026

Every DNA sample tells a story. That was one of the first lessons I learned during my summer at the Instituto Nacional de Cardiología Ignacio Chávez in Mexico City. I arrived expecting to master laboratory techniques, but I left with a much deeper...

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Upcoming Events

2026 Spotlight on Brazil: Faculty Flash Talks & Community Networking

September 11, 2026

4:00PM - 6:00PM EDT

Harvard University, CGIS S010, Tsai Auditorium

In Person

Join us for a two-part event – half flash talks, half social gathering – to celebrate the beginning of the academic year. To begin, a few Harvard faculty will deliver short presentations on their research and ongoing initiatives related to Brazil. Then...

2026 DRCLAS Open House

September 16, 2026

5:30PM - 7:30PM EDT

Harvard University, CGIS South Building Cambridge, MA

In Person

The David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies (DRCLAS) invites you to our annual Open House on September 16, 2026. Join us for an evening of conversation and connection with faculty, students, and members of the Harvard community interested in...

Anti-Incumbent or Pro-Right? Colombia's 2026 Election and the Road Ahead

September 22, 2026

12:00PM - 1:30PM EDT

CGIS South, Room S216

In Person

Colombia elected a new right-wing president, Abelardo de la Espriella, by a razor-thin margin in the June 2026 runoff. De la Espriella ran as an outsider against the political establishment and against Iván Cepeda, the left-wing governing coalition's...