Jessi Grieser

Jessi Grieser is an Associate Professor of Linguistics at the University of Michigan, specifically within the Department of Linguistics in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts. Her research focuses on African American Language (AAL), exploring its role in shaping identities related to race, class, and place. She employs methods like sociophonetics, discourse analysis, and quantitative variationist studies to analyze how AAL functions in both offline and digital contexts. Grieser’s work emphasizes the sociocultural implications of language use, particularly in marginalized communities.

Her academic background includes a Ph.D. from Georgetown University and prior faculty roles at the University of Tennessee. She has contributed significantly to linguistic justice through inclusive pedagogy, advocating for equity in language education. Her book, The Black Side of the River: Language, Race and Belonging in Washington, D.C., examines how language practices reflect and construct community belonging in urban settings.

Recent media engagements include a featured consultation in a Smithsonian Magazine article on U.S. dialectal diversity, highlighting her expertise in sociolinguistic phenomena like the California Vowel Shift and African American Englishes.

Grieser teaches courses such as LING 103 (First Year Seminar) and LING 302 (Humanities Topics in Linguistics), integrating her research into undergraduate education. Her work bridges theoretical linguistics, social justice, and applied methodologies, making her a key figure in contemporary sociolinguistics.