Geraldo Neto ’15 Receives Fellowship for Public Policy Program at Princeton

By Michele Tallarita ’12

Geraldo Neto ’15 introduces himself to President Jimmy Carter during Carter’s visit to Lafayette in April 2013.

Geraldo Neto ’15 (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) has already backpacked across Europe—twice—spent a semester studying abroad in Geneva, and traveled throughout the Middle East on his own.

During his travels, he’s seen Athens in the midst of financial crisis, helped build houses for orphans in Haiti, and experienced firsthand the tense refugee camps in Palestine, Israel, and Jordan.

The experiences have developed a determination “to help others live a life of dignity and freedom,” says Neto, an international affairs major.

His adventurous spirit has earned Neto a ticket to further explorations. He is the recipient of the Public Policy and International Affairs Fellowship, which will fund his studies this summer at the Junior Summer Institute at Princeton University.

The intensive academic program is designed to equip students with all of the tools they’ll need for careers in public service. Alongside top students from all over the country, Neto will receive intense training in economics, statistics, policy analysis, writing, and public speaking.

Neto aspires to earn a Ph.D. in international affairs before applying to Brazil’s official diplomatic academy and pursuing a career in the country’s foreign service. He is especially interested in the relationship between Brazil and the Middle East. Advised by Ilan Peleg, Dana Professor of Government and Law, Neto will write his honors thesis on this topic next year, focusing on how Brazil is seeking to extend its diplomacy to Israel and Palestine.

See a list of recent Lafayette recipients of national and international scholarships and fellowships for undergraduate and post-graduate study

For information on applying for scholarships and fellowships, contact Julia A. Goldberg, associate dean of the College, (610) 330-5521.