Unlocking Interdisciplinary Possibilities Part I // Miranda Belarde-Lewis // Temi Odumosu // David Strand

In episode one of this two-part conversation, interdisciplinary scholars Miranda Belarde-Lewis and Temi Odumosu delve into the possibilities that emerge when arts pedagogy is integrated within the STEM-oriented setting of an information school. Belarde-Lewis and Odumosu describe their practices of teaching, curation, and research while discussing insights, methods, and core skills they have developed along the way. Together, they highlight why it's important to move beyond the siloed nature of traditional disciplinary boundaries to seek truly polyvocal contexts and collaborations. The conversation is moderated by David Strand. Miranda Belarde-Lewis (Zuni/Tlingit) is an associate professor of North American Indigenous Knowledge at the iSchool and an independent curator. Indigenous knowledge systems are central to her work as she examines the role of social media and the arts in protecting, documenting and perpetuating Native information and knowledge. Her work highlights and celebrates Native artists, their processes, and the exquisite pieces they create. She has worked with tribal, city, state and federal museums to create Native-focused educational programming, publications and art exhibitions. Belarde-Lewis holds a B.A. in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Arizona, an M.A. in Museology and Ph.D. in Information Science from the University of Washington. Temi Odumosu is assistant professor at the UW Information School and an independent curator and cultural heritage consultant. Drawing on her training in art history and international teaching experience in media, visual communication, and cultural studies, she takes a creative approach to mentoring information professionals. For over two decades she has been interrogating the visual politics and legacies of colonialism, activating collections as sites of memory and conscience, and collaborating with contemporary artists, designers, and curators to communicate unfinished histories more sensitively. Her current research and curatorial work centers wellbeing, considers the ethics of digitization in the age of AI and big data, and engages Black archival histories and possible futures. Odumosu is author of the award-winning book Africans in English Caricature 1769-1819: Black Jokes White Humour (2017). She holds both a Ph.D. and MPhil in Art History from the University of Cambridge (King’s College). David Strand is an editor, curator, and emerging informational professional pursuing his M.A. in Library & Information Science at the University of Washington. He currently works as the graduate research assistant for the Center for Advances in Libraries, Museums, and Archives (CALMA) at the University of Washington Information School. Strand has over a decade of experience working in the arts and museums. He previously worked at the Frye Art Museum as associate curator and prior to that as the manager of exhibitions and publications. Strand holds a B.A. in Visual Art and English-Creative Writing from Seattle University.