Professor Vamanu teaches Information and Inquiry, Cultural Heritage, Information Policy & Ethics, and Information Behavior. Among other things, his courses enable students to learn how to base their practice on recent scientific discoveries, theoretical reflections, and a deep understanding of the communities they will serve.

His research interests include cultural heritage (e.g., Indigenous curatorial practices, Mexican-American folk dances, literary heritage tourism, cultural translation); reading practices in various contexts (e.g., religion, Information Ethics education, leisure); and the rhetoric and discourse research of information disorders (e.g., fake news and propaganda, misleading information visualizations). He is working on a grant-funded multi-disciplinary project which aims to understand the actual impact of public libraries on the resilience of vulnerable communities in the Midwest, especially in times of crises, such as the current COVID-19 pandemic.