Tom Lin

Tom Lin is an Assistant Professor in the Department of English at the University of Iowa's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. His research explores the intersection of science fiction, popular culture, and the history of technology, alongside scholarly work on language development and disorders. He authored The Thousand Crimes of Ming Tsu (2021), which won the 2022 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction. Current projects include a new novel (2026) and a study on American nuclear tourism.

His research investigates how technical systems are shaped by cultural narratives, blending literary studies with technological history. He also studies language processing in children, focusing on genetic and neurodevelopmental factors influencing language abilities. His work addresses conditions like developmental language disorder, reading impairments, and the impact of hearing loss on language outcomes.

Tom has contributed to advancements in automated language assessment tools such as the Lingo platform. His research frequently integrates interdisciplinary approaches, combining genetics, neuroscience, and computational methods to understand individual differences in language development.

• Awards: 2022 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction

His scholarly contributions emphasize practical applications of linguistic research, including studies on cochlear implants, early intervention strategies for hearing-impaired children, and the role of handedness in language disorders. He collaborates on large-scale genomic studies to identify genetic markers associated with language abilities.