Art historian Kathy O'Dell is Associate Professor of Visual Arts at UMBC, where she also serves as Special Assistant to the Dean for Education & Arts Partnerships. She is a former MSAC Councilor and currently a member of MSAC advisory committees. She chairs the Higher Education in the Arts Task Force (HEAT Force) of the Arts Education in Maryland Schools Alliance (AEMS) and co-chairs the Equity & Inclusion Committee for the Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance (GBCA).