The Beauty of Being an Interdisciplinary Scholar

One of the best pieces of advice I received during my PhD days came from a mentor who told me, “Don’t be a one-trick pony.” That advice has stayed with me and shaped the trajectory of my academic career. As a sociologist by training within a critical disability studies program, I could have easily fallen into the trap of focusing on just one narrow aspect of my field. Instead, I embraced the beauty—and the challenge—of interdisciplinarity. Today, I’m proud to call myself an interdisciplinary scholar.

For me, interdisciplinarity is more than just dabbling in different fields—it’s about creating real, meaningful connections between disciplines that don’t always “talk” to each other. This way of working opens up new avenues for research, and the results often break new ground. The freedom to work across boundaries allows me to question the assumptions of one field using the tools and insights from another. And while that requires constantly learning and adapting, it’s also what keeps my academic life so exciting and creative.

The Freedom to Explore New Ground

Being an interdisciplinary scholar has given me the freedom to explore intersections I might never have considered if I had stayed within the confines of one discipline. For example, I’ve been collaborating with a colleague in critical animal studies—a field that, on the surface, might seem unrelated to my work in critical disability studies. But as we dove deeper, we realized there were fascinating intersections between how we think about disability and the treatment of disabled non-human animals. Together, we’ve been exploring this unique overlap, asking questions about the social and ethical implications of how animals with disabilities are viewed and treated in society. Our collaboration has been so productive that we guest co-edited a special issue on this very intersection. It’s opened up a whole new dimension of research that neither of us would have pursued alone.

Breaking Down Boundaries with Students

Interdisciplinarity isn’t just something I practice with colleagues—I bring it into my work with students as well. Right now, my students and I are working on a project that bridges critical disability studies and cuteness studies. Yes, cuteness studies. While this might seem like an unexpected pairing, it’s precisely these kinds of “side projects” that break new ground and offer fresh insights. We’re exploring how ideas of cuteness intersect with societal views on disability, complicating the ways we think about vulnerability, innocence, and care. These types of projects challenge the conventional boundaries of academia and show that meaningful, rigorous research can come from unexpected places.

Expanding the Possibilities for Collaboration

One of the biggest joys of interdisciplinary work is the collaboration. It brings together scholars from different fields, each with their own expertise, methods, and perspectives. These collaborations enrich my own understanding and push me to think differently about my work. I’ve found that interdisciplinary projects often lead to unexpected insights that strengthen both fields. It’s in those moments—when you’re sitting across from someone who sees the world through a completely different lens—that true academic magic happens. You spark new ideas together, come up with new research questions, and suddenly, what felt like a narrow project becomes something much bigger.

Interdisciplinary work also offers a chance to build a more inclusive and reflective scholarship. When we’re willing to look beyond our own disciplinary walls, we start to see the limitations of our field’s assumptions and biases. For me, interdisciplinarity is about being open to those critical insights and allowing them to transform how I approach research. It’s not about doing it all, but about connecting with others in ways that expand the possibilities for knowledge production.

The Challenge and Reward of Thinking Outside the Box

Of course, working across disciplines isn’t always easy. It requires constantly learning new methodologies, familiarizing yourself with different theoretical frameworks, and translating your work so that it speaks to diverse academic communities. At times, it can feel overwhelming—like you’re never quite an expert in any one field. But that’s part of the beauty of it. The challenge of interdisciplinarity keeps me engaged and pushes me to grow as a scholar. It forces me to stay curious, to ask new questions, and to stretch beyond my comfort zone.

And the rewards are immense. When we embrace interdisciplinarity, we move beyond the “one-trick pony” mindset and open ourselves up to new, transformative ways of thinking. We contribute to scholarship in ways that not only advance our own research but also help reframe larger conversations across academia.

Creating a Future of Possibilities

In a world where specialization is often encouraged, I’ve found that being interdisciplinary allows me to stay true to the spirit of curiosity and exploration that drew me into academia in the first place. It’s a way of resisting the push to narrow our focus and instead, embracing the richness that comes from thinking across boundaries.

These interdisciplinary projects aren’t just side ventures; they’re central to the way I approach scholarship. Whether it’s blending critical disability studies with cuteness studies or collaborating with colleagues in critical animal studies, each project opens up new possibilities, not just for me, but for the field as a whole.

Interdisciplinarity has shown me that the most exciting ideas often live at the intersection of different fields. It’s where the unexpected happens, where new theories are born, and where fresh perspectives breathe new life into academic work. So, when people ask why I chose to be an interdisciplinary scholar, my answer is simple: because it keeps me curious, connected, and constantly learning. And really, that’s what makes this career so beautiful.