Maya Odim

Maya Odim serves as a Lecturer at the University of Chicago, focusing on the intersection of dance and intellectual thought, where movement training is viewed as embodied research. Odim is currently a Poet in Residence with the Chicago Poetry Center, developing and teaching poetry workshops in both English and Spanish within Chicago Public Schools. Odim's extensive experience includes roles as a Teaching Artist in various capacities, including sustainable agriculture at Whittier Elementary School, poetry exploration with the Oak Park Education Foundation and Changing Worlds, and dancemaking focused on hip hop and Afro-Latinx practices. Odim also coordinated the School Garden & STEM Grow Lab at Carl Schurz High School, emphasizing food access and ritual. Odim holds a Master’s degree in Writing from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and a BA in American Studies from Wesleyan University.