Dr. Desirée Valadares

Biography

Desirée Valadares is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography at the University of British Columbia. She holds a PhD from UC Berkeley, a Master of Architecture from McGill University, a Master of Landscape Architecture from the University of Guelph, and a Bachelor of Arts and Science from McMaster University. Her research focuses on cultural memory and infrastructural imaginaries, particularly relating to World War influences in Western Canada and U.S. territories. Valadares is currently engaged in a book project theorizing repair in the context of Pacific redress movements that intersect with themes of preservation and stewardship concerning wartime confinement landscapes in regions like Hawai’i, Alaska, and British Columbia. She employs various methodologies, including place-based research, architectural drawing, photography, and participant-engaged methods to contribute to discussions surrounding heritage preservation, war memory, land dispossession, and Indigenous relations. Valadares is professionally affiliated with the Canadian Association Heritage Professionals and the British Columbia Society Landscape Architects. She is passionate about supervising graduate research focused on material, infrastructural, and cultural geographies, and supports students pursuing innovative research outputs. Her notable publications include works in the Radical History Review and the Journal of Architectural Education.

Research Interests