Isabel Güiza-Gómez is a Ph.D. candidate in Political Science and Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame, affiliated with the Kellogg Institute’s Eliminating Violence Agains Women and Violence and Transitional Justice Labs. Her research focuses on how marginalized actors can promote development and democracy in violent and unequal contexts, particularly in Latin America. In her dissertation project, Isabel explores the strategies of various collective actors, including Indigenous, Afro-descendent, peasant, women activists, and former insurgent groups, in advocating for land redistribution during peace processes in Colombia, El Salvador, and Guatemala.

In collaborative projects, she examines grassroots actors’ connections to leftist political parties, public attitudes towards violence against activists, and conflicts between reparation programs and development projects.

Isabel is a USIP Peace Scholar for 2024-2025 and received a Graduate Women in Science National Fellowship in 2023-2024. She has over a decade experience of working on peacebuilding, transitional justice, and land policies in Colombia.