Ali Derafshi is a Ph.D. Candidate in UCSB’s Department of History of Art and Architecture. His dissertation investigates the history and significance of what has been deemed or imagined as Iranian or Persian architecture in California throughout the twentieth century. Informed by migration, exile, and reception theories, his research illustrates how reimagining or appropriating Iran’s architecture has left long-lasting traces on California’s urban scenes and offered various American and Iranian patrons and designers a means for self-fashioning, identity negotiations, cultural resistance, or economic pursuits. Ali has an MA in Architecture from McGill University, a MA in Landscape Architecture, and a BA in Architecture from Iran.