Dr Isobelle Clarke is a Lecturer in Security and Protection Science at the School of Social Sciences, Lancaster University. Her work bridges corpus linguistics, forensic linguistics, and sociolinguistics with a focus on media and social media discourses. Research Overview Current projects: Leverhulme-funded investigation of anti-science discourses (anti-vaccination, climate denialism, anti-GMO) Core Methodologies: Corpus analysis, discourse analysis, authorship attribution Her recent publications explore: Climate change denialism across conspiracy platforms Vaccine conspiracy theories on social media Representation of religion in press Spoken language patterns in American English She supervises PhD student Xinran Wang and contributes to academic activities like the FACTOR Summer School and Lancashire Cyber Education Week. Her work integrates computational methods with critical discourse analysis.
Benoît Sagot is a Senior Researcher in Natural Language Processing and Computational Linguistics at Inria , currently holding the 2023-2024 Informatics and Digital Sciences Annual Chair at Collège de France. He directs the ALMAnaCH research team and contributes to the PRAIRIE Institute for AI research. Research Focus: His work spans neural language models, machine translation, text simplification, multimodal NLP, and lexical resource development for French and low-resource languages. He explores computational morphology, etymology, and historical linguistics, with applications in opinion mining and computational oenology. Recent Articles emphasize language model interpretability, cross-lingual transfer, and multimodal integration (speech, image). Tools & Resources: He has developed morphological lexicons (Le fff, Alexina), corpora (OSCAR, CAMEMBERT), and parsing pipelines (SxPipe). Projects: Involved in initiatives like ANR BASNUM (Furetière's dictionary digitization) and 3IA PRAIRIE (AI research). His career combines foundational work in syntactic analysis with evolving deep learning approaches.
Dr Rebecca Mitchell is an Affiliated Lecturer in the French Section of the Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages and Linguistics at the University of Cambridge, based at the Raised Faculty Building on Sidgwick Avenue. Her academic journey includes undergraduate studies in Modern and Medieval Languages at Cambridge, an MA in Translation and Interpreting from the University of Kent, and a PhD from Cambridge focused on syntactic variation in Gabonese French. Her educational background comprises: PhD in Linguistics (University of Cambridge) MA in Translation and Interpreting (University of Kent) Undergraduate degree in Modern and Medieval Languages (University of Cambridge) Dr Mitchell's research centers on the sociolinguistics of sub-Saharan Africa, examining language attitudes, endangerment, policy, planning, and healthcare communication. She also investigates traditional belief systems through Sub-Saharan African anthropology, emphasizing the intersection of language, culture, and power structures in Central and West African contexts. Her work consistently addresses decolonization themes and linguistic justice. Analysis of her publications reveals a dual trajectory: recent works (2023-2025) prioritize public engagement through initiatives like National Linguistics Day and educational advocacy, while earlier research (2004-2019) establishes foundational contributions to African linguistics, particularly Gabonese French syntax, language policy, and endangerment in Central Africa. No scientific awards are documented in the provided materials. She has supervised undergraduate courses since 2012 including Fr1 (Introduction to French Literature, Linguistics, Film and Thought), Fr2 (Structures and Varieties of French), Li14 (History of the French Language), and Li12 (History of Ideas about Language). Dr Mitchell currently cannot accept new doctoral students but maintains active engagement through curriculum development and public lectures. Her public engagement initiatives, notably National Linguistics Day launched in 2024, constitute a significant platform for promoting linguistic science through school talks, Civil Service workshops, and national events like the Language Show, positioning her as a key bridge between academic linguistics and public understanding.
Professor Devyani Sharma is a Professor of Linguistics at Queen Mary University of London, affiliated with the Department of Linguistics within the School of Languages, Linguistics and Film. She holds a PhD from Stanford University. Her research focuses on sociolinguistics, style variation, migration, bilingualism, new varieties of English, syntax, typology, and accent bias. She has conducted extensive studies on diasporic communities, particularly Punjabi Londoners, examining dialect development and social change through projects like 'Generations of London English' and 'Accent Bias in Britain.' Her work integrates quantitative and qualitative methods, including sociolinguistic interviews, acoustic analysis, and discourse analysis. Notable contributions include studies on the role of social networks in language variation, the concept of 'lectal focusing,' and the impact of accent biases in professional contexts. She has authored/co-authored books such as From Deficit to Dialect: The Evolution of English in India and Singapore (2023) and edited volumes including English in the Indian Diaspora (2014). Professor Sharma collaborates on public engagement initiatives like Teach Real English! and Multilingual Capital , aiming to improve linguistic education and address accent bias in society. Her research has been funded by grants from the ESRC and other UK organizations, totaling over £412,000 for major projects. She serves as Associate Editor for the Journal of Sociolinguistics and contributes to international conferences and workshops.
Freda Shi is an Assistant Professor at the David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science, University of Waterloo, and a Faculty Member at the Vector Institute. She holds a Canada CIFAR AI Chair. Her research focuses on computational linguistics, natural language processing (NLP), and grounded language learning, with emphasis on multilingualism and spatial reasoning in vision-language systems. She earned her Ph.D. in Computer Science from the Toyota Technological Institute at Chicago (2024), advised by Karen Livescu and Kevin Gimpel, supported by a Google Ph.D. Fellowship. Her undergraduate degree is from Peking University (2018), with a minor in Sociology. Her academic career includes affiliations with the CompLING Lab at Waterloo and contributions to major conferences like ACL and NAACL. She has organized tutorials on NLP grounding and is actively involved in research on model robustness and cognitive insights. Awards include the Google Ph.D. Fellowship and Best Paper Nominations at ACL 2024 and EMNLP 2021, alongside her Thesis of Distinction. She teaches courses such as CS 784 (Computational Linguistics) and CS 486/686 (Artificial Intelligence), emphasizing both theoretical and applied aspects of NLP. Research trends in her articles highlight advancements in vision-language spatial reasoning, multilingualism, and model interpretability. Her work bridges cognitive science and computational methods, exploring how human language mechanisms inform the design of more trustworthy AI systems. Scientific Awards: Google Ph.D. Fellowship Best Paper Nominee (ACL 2024) Best Paper Nominee (EMNLP 2021) Thesis of Distinction (2024) Advising and Grants: As an advisor, she encourages prospective students to review her guidelines. Her grants include support from the Canada CIFAR AI Chair program and the Vector Institute. She collaborates in labs such as CompLING at Waterloo and co-organizes events at NAACL and ICLR. Labs/Teams: She leads the CompLING Lab at the University of Waterloo, affiliated with the Vector Institute. Her work integrates interdisciplinary teams focusing on grounded learning and multilingual NLP challenges.
Viktor Golinets is a Professor of Hebrew Linguistics at the Heidelberg University of Jewish Studies , where he has held the Chair of Hebrew Linguistics since 2018. Previously, he served as a Junior Professor at the same institution from 2012 to 2018. His academic journey includes a PhD in Ancient Near Eastern Studies from the University of Munich (2010) and a Magister degree in Semitics from Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (2004). Education: PhD (Altorientalistik, LMU Munich, 2010), Magister (Semitics, LMU Munich, 1997-2004) Professional Roles: Professor (Heidelberg University of Jewish Studies, since 2018), Junior Professor (Heidelberg University of Jewish Studies, 2012-2018), Scientific Assistant (University of Basel, 2007-2012) Golinets’ research focuses on the linguistic and textual history of the Hebrew Bible , ancient Bible translations , and historical grammar of Hebrew . He specializes in Masoretic studies, Semitic epigraphy, and comparative analysis of Northwest Semitic languages like Amorite, Aramaic, and Ugaritic. His work addresses textual criticism, biblical hermeneutics, and the evolution of Hebrew from Masoretic to modern usage. His publications and articles reveal a strong emphasis on Hebrew onomastics , epigraphic analysis , and the role of language in Jewish cultural identity . He has contributed to international colloquia on textual criticism and Semitic philology. Memberships: German Oriental Society, European Association of Biblical Studies, International Association for Comparative Semitics, Association of Judaists in Germany, and others Golinets serves as Deputy Rector at Heidelberg University of Jewish Studies and has collaborated on projects like the Hebrew-Greek Text-Critical Synopsis of the Book of Jeremiah and the Biblia Hebraica Transkripta. His expertise in Hebrew manuscripts and Semitic languages informs both his teaching and research.
Dr. Ava Fatah gen. Schieck is a Professor of Media Architecture and Urban Digital Interaction at The Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London (UCL) , where she has been affiliated since 2001. She teaches in the MSc Architectural Computation program, focusing on embodied interactions and urban digital experiences. Education: ATQ03 - Recognised by the HEA as a Fellow (UCL, 2008) Certificate in Learning and Teaching (UCL, 2007) Master of Science (UCL, 2001) Her research explores the intersection of architecture, digital media, and urban spaces. Key themes include: Mediated spatial experiences in museums and public environments Embodied interactions through dance, movement, and performative design Urban screens and community-centered digital installations Smart city critiques focusing on marginalized communities Pervasive computing's impact on social dynamics Her publication corpus (149+ outputs) predominantly addresses media architecture, HCI, museum technology, and sensory interactions , with recent work emphasizing olfactory interfaces, pandemic urbanism, and heritage digitization. Awards & Honors: Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA, 2023) Projects & Grants: As Principal Investigator for the EPSRC-funded 'Screens in the Wild' , she examines networked urban screens for community engagement. She previously led the 'SCREAM' project (UrbanBuzz program) and contributed to EPSRC's 'Urban Design and Pervasive Systems'. She reviews grants for EPSRC, UKRI, SNSF, and other international bodies. She directs research through UCL's Space Research Group and VR Centre for the Built Environment , collaborating globally. As program chair for the Media Architecture Biennale (2012-2020), she fosters interdisciplinary dialogue across architecture, HCI, and interaction design.
Eliese-Sophia Lincke is a Junior Professor at the Department of History and Cultural Studies, Freie Universität Berlin, since May 2022. Her work bridges computational methods with Egyptology, focusing on digital tools for studying ancient texts. Bachelor's and Master's in Egyptology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (2007) PhD in "The Conception of Spaces in Language" (TOPOI Cluster, 2012) Research interests include: Digital Humanities : Developing machine learning models for Hieroglyphic, Demotic, and Coptic text processing Linguistic Typology : Analyzing classifier systems in Ancient Egyptian and Sign Languages Spatial Linguistics : Investigating prepositions and spatial adverbs in Egyptian-Coptic Recent publications focus on Neural Lemmatization , OCR for Coptic , and Classifier Semantics , demonstrating her commitment to computational Egyptology. Scientific awards include the Humboldt-Preis 2008 for best Master's thesis and the Prize for Good Teaching 2014 . She has co-organized workshops like "Wege zum Ägyptischen" and served as Co-Editor for Lingua Aegyptia . Her teaching contributes to the Digital Studies of Ancient Texts Master's program.
Dr. Salwa El-Awa is a Senior Lecturer in Arabic and Islamic Studies at Swansea University's School of Culture and Communication. She previously held positions at the University of Birmingham (2001-2010) and Ain Shams University in Cairo (2010-2015). Her academic roles include teaching Arabic linguistics, Qur’anic studies, and Hadith analysis, alongside supervising PhD students in translation and religious studies. Her research focuses on Qur’anic textuality, discourse markers, and Islamic movements. Key areas include textual coherence in the Qur’an, Arabic linguistic analysis, and the intersection of religion and counter-terrorism policy. Recent projects explore governance strategies engaging moderate Islamic groups to combat jihadism. El-Awa has published extensively on Qur’anic linguistics, including monographs like Textual Relations in the Qur'an (2005) and Al-Wujuh Wa al-Naza’ir (1998). Her work bridges religious studies, linguistics, and security studies, with notable contributions to Yale’s Dictionary of the Qur'an (2024) and interdisciplinary journals like International Journal of Law, Crime and Justice . She has secured £20,000 for the International Qur’anic Text Linguistics Conference (2020-2021) and served as an External Examiner for Westminster University’s Translation program (2019–2022). Her teaching includes advanced translation, healthcare interpreting, and world cinema studies.
Steven L. McKenzie is Professor of Religious Studies and Spence L. Wilson Senior Research Fellow at Rhodes College, specializing in Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) studies, biblical archaeology, and the Dead Sea Scrolls. His academic career spans decades of influential scholarship and editorial leadership. His educational background includes: Th.D. from Harvard University B.A. and M.Div. from Abilene Christian University McKenzie's research focuses on the history of ancient Israel, Hebrew Bible literature, Hebrew language and grammar, biblical interpretation methods, and the intersection of archaeology with biblical studies. He pioneered work on the Deuteronomistic History and Chronicler's literature, establishing foundational frameworks still referenced today. His interdisciplinary approach bridges textual analysis with historical context, making complex scholarship accessible to broader audiences. His publication trajectory reveals consistent engagement with biblical historiography and interpretation, evolving from technical studies like The Chronicler's Use of the Deuteronomistic History (1985) to accessible works such as How to Read the Bible (2005), and culminating in major reference works including the Oxford Encyclopedia of Biblical Interpretation (2013). Recent projects focus on editorial leadership for the Oxford Bible Commentary series. Key honors include: Spence L. Wilson Senior Research Fellowship McKenzie's academic service demonstrates exceptional commitment: founding the Deuteronomistic History Section at the Society of Biblical Literature, serving as associate editor of Vetus Testamentum (2010-2019), and contributing to editorial boards of Journal of Biblical Literature and Catholic Biblical Quarterly . His decade-long leadership of academic tours through the Middle East and Greece with the Middle East Travel Seminar extended his scholarship into experiential education, while media appearances on Discovery and History channels brought biblical scholarship to public audiences.
PD Dr. Lutz Rzehak is an academic staff member at the Institute for Asian and African Studies (IAAW) within the Faculty of Humanities at Humboldt University of Berlin, serving as a Teacher for special tasks specializing in Modern Iranian languages and the ethnography and cultural history of Afghanistan and Central Asia. His educational background includes: Oriental Studies/History from the State University of Leningrad (1985) Doctorate in Iranian Studies, Humboldt University of Berlin (1991) Habilitation in Central Asian Studies / Iranian Studies, Humboldt University of Berlin (2001) Dr. Rzehak's research spans Central Asian Studies , Iranian Studies , Ethnography , and Linguistics , with fieldwork focusing on Baloch, Pashtun, and Tajik communities. His work examines language evolution, social structures, and cultural practices through historical and contemporary lenses, particularly regarding Soviet influence and post-Taliban Afghanistan. Key contributions include grammatical analyses of Iranian languages and ethnographic studies of religious rituals and tribal systems. His recent publications (2016-2021) reveal consistent focus on Iranian language dynamics (especially Dari and Pashto), ethnic identity politics in Afghanistan, and cultural history of Central Asia. These works address language change mechanisms, ethnic consolidation strategies, and the interplay between tradition and modernity, often utilizing comparative linguistic and ethnographic methodologies. His scientific awards include: Heisenberg Fellow of the German Research Foundation Dr. Rzehak has held significant research positions including Research Associate in the Crossroads Asia Competence Network (2011-2016) and Heisenberg Fellow (2002-2011). While his CV does not list formal PhD advisees, his language lecturing and research supervision have mentored numerous students in Central Asian and Iranian studies through course instruction and fieldwork guidance. He has been actively involved in the Crossroads Asia Competence Network, a major interdisciplinary research initiative examining transregional connections and historical trajectories across Central, South, and West Asia.
Rita Finkbeiner is a Professor of German Linguistics at Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, where she has held a W3 professorship since April 2020 and served as managing director of the German Institute from 2022-2023. Previously, she was a W2 Professor at Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf (2018-2020) and has been affiliated with Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz since 2010. Her research focuses on the critical interface between grammatical structures and pragmatic functions in language use. Her academic background includes: Magistra Artium in German Linguistics and European Ethnology from Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (2000) Ph.D. in German Linguistics from Stockholm University (2009) Habilitation at Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz (2016) Professor Finkbeiner's research examines how linguistic constructions operate at the grammar-pragmatics interface, with particular attention to speech acts, implicit meaning, and expressivity in German. She investigates phenomena such as wh-headlines in newspapers, reduplicative constructions, expressive morphology, and the pragmatics of social media commenting. Her work bridges theoretical linguistics with practical applications in language teaching and media discourse, demonstrating how linguistic form and communicative function interact systematically. Analysis of her recent publications reveals a consistent focus on construction grammar and pragmatics, with increasing attention to digital communication patterns while maintaining strong theoretical foundations. Key trends include exploration of wh-headlines across discourse types, expressive morphology in German word formation, and the pragmatics of social media commenting, demonstrating both theoretical depth and practical relevance to contemporary communication contexts. Professor Finkbeiner actively supervises doctoral and master's students, with numerous successful completions including Julian Stawecki (2024) and Robert Külpmann (2019). She has led significant research projects including the DFG-funded "W-Überschriften im Deutschen" (2018-2022) on German wh-headlines, and is coordinating the development of a German linguistics textbook. She collaborates closely with researchers including Dr. Robert Külpmann, Dr. Paul Reszke, and Charlotte Eisenrauch. She leads a research team at Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz that investigates construction grammar and pragmatics across various discourse contexts, with particular attention to digital communication and educational applications. Her work environment provides a strong interdisciplinary context connecting theoretical linguistics with language education and media studies.
John W. Du Bois is a Professor in the Department of Linguistics at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), within the College of Letters and Science. His work focuses on the interplay between discourse, grammar, and sociocultural contexts. Specializing in dialogic syntax, he explores how linguistic structures emerge from interactional dynamics, particularly in conversational coherence and stance-taking mechanisms. His research integrates corpus linguistics, computational methods, and ethnographic approaches to study languages like Mayan and Kazakh. Key research areas include: Discourse and grammar integration Dialogic resonance and affective alignment Corpus design and analysis Ritual language and cognitive models Mayan linguistic systems Recent studies emphasize computational tools like Rezonator for dialogue coherence visualization and remote corpus development methodologies. His work bridges theoretical linguistics with applied research in language documentation and education. Du Bois has contributed to foundational texts on discourse transcription standards and maintains active involvement in the Santa Barbara Corpus of Spoken American English project. His publications span over four decades, reflecting sustained engagement with linguistic complexity across multiple levels—from micro-level syntactic interactions to macro-level sociocultural frameworks. Current projects investigate dialogic syntax in autism and the evolutionary niche of language within social interaction.
Yaşar Fatih AKBAŞ is an Associate Professor at Kafkas University, Faculty of Theology, Department of Basic Islamic Sciences. He specializes in Arabic Language and Rhetoric, focusing on grammatical structures, semantic analysis, and classical Arabic texts. Education: PhD in Fundamental Islamic Sciences, Atatürk University (2016-2020) Master's in Arabic Language and Rhetoric, Atatürk University (2014-2016) BA in Theology, Atatürk University (1997-2002) Research Interests: Arabic Grammar Rhetoric and Stylistics Semantics and Syntax Quranic Exegesis Historical Linguistics Scientific Contributions: He has published 11 articles, focusing on topics like particle analysis, syntactic flexibility, and stylistic features in classical Arabic texts. His work spans journals such as Şırnak University Theology Faculty Journal and Sakarya University Theology Faculty Journal. Awards: Aylıkla Ödüllendirme (2010) Academic Collaborations: He has co-authored works with Yakup Kızılkaya (2024) and advised Master's theses for Adem Ağbaba (2025) and Fırat Çeledir (2023).
Prof. Dr. Gisela Zifonun is a retired University Professor of German Linguistics at the University of Mannheim and former Head of the Grammar Department at the Institut für Deutsche Sprache (IDS) until July 2011. She holds a doctorate (1971) and habilitation (1994) in German Linguistics. Her career includes roles as a scientific employee at the IDS (1973–1995), Head of the Grammar Department (1986–1995), and professorships at the Free University of Berlin (1995–1998) and the University of Mannheim (1998–2011). Her research focuses on grammar theory, German syntax/semantics/morphology, language typology, and comparative linguistics. Key projects include the Grammar of German in European Comparison (GDE-N) and the EuroGr@mm initiative. She has authored/co-authored over 130 works, including monographs and edited volumes on German linguistics. Notable publications include Das Deutsche als europäische Sprache (2021) and Grammatik des Deutschen im europäischen Vergleich (2017). Her work emphasizes cross-linguistic analysis and corpus-driven research. Research interests span syntax, morphology, and typological comparisons across German, Romance, and Slavic languages. Recent contributions address gender-inclusive language reform and corpus-based studies. She has supervised numerous academic projects and serves as a key figure in German linguistic infrastructure, including IDS initiatives. No explicit awards are listed, but her extensive bibliography reflects significant scholarly impact. Professional roles include managing the IDS’s Grammar Department and coordinating international collaborations. Her work bridges theoretical linguistics with applied research, contributing to both academic discourse and language policy discussions.
