Alessandra Santos

Alessandra Santos is an Associate Professor of Latin American Literatures and Cultures at the Department of French, Hispanic and Italian Studies, Faculty of Arts, University of British Columbia. Her work bridges literature, cinema, and media studies with a focus on Brazil and the broader Americas.

Education:

• PhD in Hispanic Languages and Literatures, University of California, Los Angeles (2005)
• MA in Portuguese Studies, University of California, Los Angeles (2003)

Research Interests: Alessandra’s research interrogates the intersections of utopian thought, technology, media, and social justice in Latin American cultural production. She explores postcolonial and decolonial frameworks, gender and racialization, and the politics of embodiment and performance.

Publication Trends: Her recent articles emphasize interdisciplinary methodologies, examining Brazilian modernism, diasporic cultural networks, and the materiality of media. Themes include the utopian impulse as a tool for sociopolitical critique and the role of art in resistance movements.

Scientific Awards:

• Dissertation Year Fellowship (University of California Office of the President, 2004-2005)
• Early Scholar Start-up Research Award (Peter Wall Institute for Advanced Studies, 2013)
• Postdoctoral Teaching Fellow (UBC, 2007-2009)

Advising and Grants: She supervises graduate students in Latin American film, literature, and media studies. Her SSHRC Insight Grant (2019-2023) supports research on African Diaspora literature and technology in Brazil.

Labs and Teams: Alessandra is affiliated with the Mobilities Research Group, Institute for Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice, and the Peter Wall Institute for Advanced Studies. She co-organized interdisciplinary conferences like Performing Utopias (2014) and The Re-emergence of Utopias (2015).