Valeria Dueñas

Valeria is a second-year Master of Architecture candidate at MIT. Originally from Ciudad Juárez and raised across the U.S.-Mexico border in El Paso, Texas, she holds a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from Texas Tech University in El Paso. Her work explores the intersection of environmental equity, adaptability, and modular design across borderland regions and other underserved communities. She is particularly interested in flexible and responsive architectural systems that can evolve with changing social and ecological conditions, emphasizing how design can act as both infrastructure and agent of care. She previously served as a Research Assistant at the Project for Operative Spatial Technologies (POST) at Texas Tech University, contributing to research on desertification, urban tree equity, and spatial justice through mapping, and community engagement. At MIT, Valeria co-leads both ArchREFS, supporting graduate student well-being, and Shift+W, a departmental initiative advancing gender equity and inclusion within architectural education and practice.