Fiber Optics Keynote

This is an Archive of a Past Event

Part I: 3:00–4:00 p.m.
Seed Scenius: Re-inventing the history of agricultural innovation

Professor Helen Anne Curry will present a new collective project that examines the varied knowledge, labor, and technologies involved in bringing new crop varieties to the farm and table. Key to this work is the concept of scenius—the genius of the scene—and its challenge to facile accounts of lone innovators and precise moments of creation.

Coffee Break: 4:00–4:30 p.m.

Part II: 4:30–7:30 p.m.
Maíz, Mezcal, Maguey: Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) through Oaxacan food & culture

We will reflect on the importance of Indigenous/traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) and methods of community-engaged research through this interactive workshop with public scholars Fabiola Santiago and Divina López, who will present on maíz, mezcal, and maguey from a lived, embodied perspective followed by a hands-on, interactive demonstration on traditional techniques for preparing tortillas. The workshop will conclude with presenters and participants “breaking (homemade) bread” together.  

Fabiola Santiago Hernandez was born in Oaxaca and raised in California. She is Zapoteca (Dìzàa) from the mezcal-producing community of Santiago Matatlán, often referred to as the “World Capital of Mezcal.” She is the founder and Executive Director of Mi Oaxaca, a nonprofit dedicated to attributing Oaxaca’s cultural and culinary traditions to Indigenous lifeways and Traditional Ecological Knowledge through narrative change and cultural education. She was named to the 2026 Imbibe 75, recognizing individuals dedicated to building a better drinks world. Fabiola brings over fifteen years of experience in public health, community-based research, and narrative change, alongside ten years working in the hospitality industry. Her work has contributed to program, policy, and systems change across immigration, labor, education, housing, transportation, and criminal justice. She holds a BA in Sociology and a Master of Public Health from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Divina Mejía López (Instagram: @divis_oaxaquena, 248k followers; Youtube: @DivisOaxaqueña, 286k subscribers) is a Chatino/Spanish bilingual content creator based in Fresno, California. Originally from Sola de Vega, Oaxaca, she specializes in topics related to Indigenous food and culture as well as Oaxacan diasporic experiences in the United States, including gender, labor, and immigration politics. Her videos and shorts sharing traditional culinary knowledge and strategies for maintaining Indigenous lifeways—including content on how to minimize food waste, creating space for pueblo living, and citizen reporting on ICE demonstrations—have collectively garnered millions of views.