Nicholas Evans is Distinguished Professor of Linguistics and Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Dynamics of Language (CoEDL) at the Australian National University’s School of Culture, History & Language. His work bridges fieldwork-based language documentation with theoretical questions in typology, cultural evolution, and social cognition. Focus on endangered Australian and Papuan languages Director of ARC Laureate Project on 'The Wellsprings of Linguistic Diversity' Co-leader of SCOPIC (Social Cognition Parallax Corpus) study Collaborator in global linguistic diversity initiatives His research explores how micro-level community multilingualism shapes macro-level linguistic diversity, with fieldwork spanning seven years in remote Indigenous communities. Recent projects include PARABANK (paradigm syncretism analysis) and Southern New Guinea language studies, particularly Nen and Yam family languages. Scientific recognition includes the Ken Hale Award (Linguistic Society of America), Anneliese Maier Forschungspreis, and fellowships in the Australian Academy of Humanities, Australian Social Sciences Academy, and the British Academy.
Elaine Francis is a Professor of English and Linguistics at Purdue University's College of Liberal Arts, where she serves as Associate Head of the Department of English and directs the Experimental Linguistics Lab. She holds additional affiliations as an Affiliate Faculty Member in the Department of Linguistics and a Courtesy Faculty Member in the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences. Ph.D. in Linguistics, University of Chicago (1999) B.A. in Linguistics, College of William and Mary (1993) MA in Linguistics, University of Chicago (1995) Former Assistant Professor at the University of Hong Kong (1999-2002) Professor Francis's research focuses on syntax and its interfaces with semantics, discourse information structure, and language processing in production and comprehension. She employs experimental methods to investigate syntactic, semantic, discourse-pragmatic, and cognitive factors underlying complex sentence structures. Her primary research areas include word order alternations, filler-gap dependencies, resumptive pronouns, and grammatical acceptability. She examines how various factors contribute to grammatical alternations in language use and explores how processing pressures in production and comprehension contribute to grammatical conventions. Her recent publication record shows consistent output across multiple linguistic subfields, with a strong emphasis on experimental syntax and psycholinguistics. Her 2022 book, Gradient Acceptability and Linguistic Theory , represents a significant contribution to understanding acceptability judgment tasks in relation to syntactic theory. Her work spans theoretical syntax, experimental linguistics, second language acquisition, and cross-linguistic comparison, often bridging the gap between theoretical frameworks and empirical evidence. Regularly teaches short courses at Linguistic Society of America Linguistic Institutes Member of Linguistic Society of America Ethics Committee Editorial board member of Glossa Psycholinguistics Co-editor of Polymorphous Linguistics: Jim McCawley's Legacy (2005) Co-editor of Mismatch: Form-Function Incongruity and the Architecture of Grammar (2003) Professor Francis actively supervises graduate students in linguistics, though she has indicated she will be unable to take on new graduate students for the 2025-2026 academic year. She has received research support for her experimental work, particularly for investigating syntactic phenomena through controlled experiments and corpus analysis. Her collaborative work extends across multiple institutions and disciplines, including collaborations with researchers in computational linguistics, cognitive science, and clinical linguistics. She directs the Experimental Linguistics Lab at Purdue University, which conducts research on syntactic processing using various experimental methodologies. The lab investigates how speakers produce and comprehend complex sentence structures, with particular attention to how grammatical knowledge interacts with processing constraints. Current projects include research on relative clauses, syntactic islands, and acceptability gradient phenomena across multiple languages.
Jiayi Lu is a PostDoc Researcher at the University of Pennsylvania School of Arts & Sciences, working under the supervision of Dr. Julie Anne Legate. Her research focuses on syntax, psycholinguistics, and Chinese linguistics, with a particular emphasis on grammaticality judgments, satiation effects, and island phenomena. She has contributed to understanding how sentence processing and discourse factors influence syntactic structures. Her research interests encompass syntax, psycholinguistics, and formal semantics, with a focus on exploring grammaticality illusions, the role of discourse in syntactic constraints, and cross-linguistic variations in Chinese. Key areas include the study of extraction islands, coordination effects, and the cognitive mechanisms underlying sentence processing. Her recent work (2020-2024) demonstrates a strong focus on syntactic satiation, island effects, and experimental methods in syntax. Publications analyze both English and Chinese data, investigating how linguistic structures are processed and judged by speakers. Trends include exploring the generalizability of satiation across island types and the interplay between discourse and syntactic constraints. Dr. Lu has not listed any scientific awards or grants in the provided information. Dr. Lu has not listed any advisees or grants in the provided information.
Miloje Despic is an Associate Professor in the Department of Linguistics at Cornell University , affiliated with the College of Arts and Sciences . His research spans theoretical syntax , morphology , and semantics , focusing on cross-linguistic variation and the syntax-morphology interface. Research Focus : Cross-linguistic variation in functional elements (e.g., articles), syntax-morphology interactions (e.g., hybrid agreement, clitic-affix distinction). Languages Studied : Slavic (Serbian, BCMS), Turkic, Algonquian (Cheyenne). Publication Trends : Recent work addresses reflexive possessive agreement in Mongolian, nominal ellipsis in Serbian, cyclic and multiple agreement in Cheyenne, markedness in Algonquian theme signs, and non-intersective adjectives. His research intersects syntactic theory , morphological anomalies , and semantic interpretation .
Leigh Oakes is Professor of French and Linguistics in the Department of Modern Languages and Cultures within the School of Languages, Linguistics and Film at Queen Mary University of London. He has held progressive academic positions at the institution since 2000, advancing from Lecturer to his current professorship. His international academic background includes a PhD from the University of Melbourne and research at Stockholm University's Centre for Research on Bilingualism. His educational qualifications include a PhD (2001) and BA (Hons) (1996), both from the University of Melbourne. Oakes specializes in language policy and planning, with particular focus on language and national identity in France, Quebec, and Sweden. His research has expanded into linguistic justice debates in political theory, advocating for normative and interdisciplinary approaches to language policy. Oakes' publication trends reveal a consistent focus on ethical dimensions of language policy, with increasing emphasis on pluricentric justice and linguistic integration since 2016. His work bridges sociolinguistics and political philosophy, demonstrating strong interdisciplinary connections between language attitudes, national identity construction, and policy implementation across Francophone contexts. The 2018 co-authored monograph 'Normative Language Policy' represents a significant theoretical contribution to the field. 2008 Pierre Savard Prize for 'Language, Citizenship and Identity in Quebec' Leverhulme Trust Research Project Grant for 'The Ethics of Linguistic Integration' project Co-editor-in-chief of Sociolinguistica: European Journal of Sociolinguistics Co-editor of Multilingual Matters book series Member of editorial boards for Language Policy and Modern Languages Open Oakes actively supervises PhD candidates in sociolinguistic topics, with current research focusing on linguistic integration in Quebec and adaptation among mobile French speakers. His major Leverhulme-funded project 'The Ethics of Linguistic Integration' examines moral implications of language requirements for immigrants across England, Quebec, and Wales. He serves on several international academic committees including the Association internationale des études québécoises and the British Association of Canadian Studies. He leads the interdisciplinary 'Ethics of Linguistic Integration' research team, which combines expertise from applied linguistics, sociolinguistics, and political theory to investigate language integration policies. His work connects with broader university initiatives through Queen Mary's research highways in social justice and global challenges.
Anna Berge is a Professor of Linguistics at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, directing the Alaska Native Language Archive. She holds a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley (1997), specializing in the documentation, description, and historical analysis of Eskimo-Aleut languages, particularly Unangam Tunuu (Aleut). Her research integrates linguistics with archaeology, genetics, and environmental studies to explore prehistoric language contact and divergence patterns along the North Pacific Coast. Her work focuses on morphosyntax, discourse analysis, and language revitalization for highly endangered languages. She teaches courses in Morphology, Field Methods, Community Language Documentation, and Eskimo-Aleut Linguistics, emphasizing practical skills for language preservation. Berge's multidisciplinary approach addresses Aleut language divergence from Eskimoan branches, leveraging data from multiple disciplines to reconstruct linguistic prehistory. She actively collaborates with Indigenous communities in Russia, Alaska, Canada, and Greenland to archive linguistic materials and support language maintenance initiatives.
Takuya Tsunoda serves as Assistant Professor of Japanese Film and Media in the Department of East Asian Languages & Cultures at Columbia University, with prior teaching appointments at Colgate University and the University of Chicago. Currently on leave for spring 2022, he maintains his office in 416 Kent Hall (contact: (212) 854-5040, tt2101@columbia.edu). His academic credentials include: BA: Waseda University (2002), Columbia University (2005) MA: Columbia University (2008) PhD: Yale University (2015) Dr. Tsunoda's research centers on institutional-media interplay through historical and theoretical lenses, examining how technologies shape socio-cultural practices and knowledge formations. His seminal work investigates Iwanami Productions' evolution from educational/science film provider to New Cinema pioneer, arguing that Japan's 1960s cinematic revolution originated in institutionalized audio-visual pedagogy rather than political radicalism. Current explorations extend to media reflexivity, alpine photography, insect ecology, children's media engagement, and diegesis in contemporary visual culture. Teaching : Courses include East Asian Cinema, Japanese Contemporary Media Culture, Japanese New Wave Modernism, Documentary Film Studies, and Critical Approaches to East Asian Theory. His publication trajectory (2018-2022) reveals consistent focus on postwar Japanese media archaeology, connecting educational film, industrial cinema, and New Wave movements through archival analysis. Key themes include cross-medial academicism, mediascape transformations, and the socio-political dimensions of visual pedagogy in reconstructing cinematic modernism. Active research trajectories include transnational New Wave parameters, television documentary studies, and ecological media representations, with ongoing book project examining Iwanami Productions' institutional legacy.
Prof. Eleni Chatzi is a Full Professor and Chair of Structural Mechanics at ETH Zurich's Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering. She holds a PhD from Columbia University (2010) and has held roles from Assistant to Full Professor at ETH since 2010. Her research focuses on intelligent structural monitoring and data-driven asset management, emphasizing nonlinear dynamics and sensor integration. Affiliations : Institute of Structural Engineering, European Academy of Wind Energy (EAWE President), Swiss Community for Computational Methods (SWICCOMAS Chair) Research interests include Structural Health Monitoring (SHM), system identification, and advanced simulation tools. She pioneered work on data-driven diagnostics and self-aware infrastructure, supported by grants like the ERC Starting Grant (2015). Awards include the 2020 Walter L. Huber Prize and 2024 SHM Person of the Year Award. Her work spans wind energy infrastructure, metamaterials for vibration control, and AI-driven structural analytics. Over 600 publications and 200k+ citations highlight her impact. She teaches computational science and structural dynamics in ETH's programs and collaborates globally on sustainable infrastructure projects.
Laura Maria Lojo Rodriguez is a Professor in the Department of English and German Philology at the University of Santiago de Compostela , specializing in British literature and modernist/postmodernist fiction. She leads the Discourse and Identity research group (GI DI-1924), focusing on English language, literature, and culture through interdisciplinary frameworks. Her work intersects with the Humanities Research Institute (iHUS) . Her research spans: Gender and identity in Woolfian studies Migration narratives in contemporary short fiction Postcolonial themes in British-Irish literature Ecocritical and posthuman anxieties in Johnson's works Recent publications examine border politics, maternal discourses, and cross-cultural literary bonds. She has also contributed to translation studies, particularly Woolf's Spanish reception. Her academic output bridges literary theory with socio-political analysis.
Elaine J. Francis is a Professor of English and Linguistics at Purdue University, where she also serves as the Associate Head of the Department of English. She holds affiliate appointments in the Department of Linguistics and the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences. At Purdue, she directs the Experimental Linguistics Lab and teaches linguistics courses at both graduate and undergraduate levels. Francis completed her B.A. in Linguistics at the College of William and Mary in 1993, followed by her M.A. (1995) and Ph.D. (1999) in Linguistics at the University of Chicago under the direction of Salikoko Mufwene. Her dissertation examined variation among members of the same lexical category in English using Sadock's Autolexical Grammar framework. Prior to joining Purdue in 2003, she served as an Assistant Professor at the University of Hong Kong from 1999 to 2002, where she collaborated with Stephen Matthews on research concerning syntactic categories and relative clauses in Cantonese. Her research focuses on syntax and its interfaces with semantics, discourse information structure, and language processing in production and comprehension. Francis employs experimental methods to investigate syntactic, semantic, discourse-pragmatic, and cognitive factors underlying the grammar and usage of complex sentence structures. Her specific interests include word order alternations, filler-gap dependencies, resumptive pronouns, relative clauses, grammatical categories, and syntactic alternations. She has published extensively in top linguistics journals including Language and Cognition, Glossa Psycholinguistics, Linguistics, Lingua, Cognitive Linguistics, and the Journal of Psycholinguistic Research. Analyzing her recent publications reveals a consistent focus on experimental approaches to syntactic phenomena. Her work demonstrates a strong interest in gradient acceptability, syntactic priming, cross-linguistic comparison (particularly involving English and Cantonese), and the relationship between grammatical theory and language processing. Her 2022 book Gradient Acceptability and Linguistic Theory represents a major contribution that synthesizes experimental findings with theoretical linguistics frameworks. Francis plays an active role in the broader linguistics community. She regularly teaches short courses at the Linguistic Society of America Linguistic Institutes, serves on the LSA Ethics Committee, and is on the editorial board of Glossa Psycholinguistics. She has also edited several books and special journal issues, including Mismatch: Form-Function Incongruity and the Architecture of Grammar (2003) and Polymorphous Linguistics: Jim McCawley's Legacy (2005). As an educator and administrator, Francis has supervised numerous graduate students and currently serves as Associate Head of the Department of English at Purdue. Her Experimental Linguistics Lab provides research opportunities for students interested in the intersection of theoretical syntax and experimental methodology. While she recently announced she will not be accepting new graduate students for the 2025-2026 cycle, her established mentorship record demonstrates her commitment to training the next generation of linguists. The Experimental Linguistics Lab, which she directs, serves as a hub for research combining theoretical linguistics with experimental methods. Her collaborative work extends across disciplines, including collaborations with researchers in speech-language pathology, cognitive science, and computational linguistics, reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of modern linguistic research.
Cristina Bacchilega is a retired Professor and former Graduate Director in the Department of English at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, affiliated with the College of Languages, Linguistics, and Literature. Her research focuses on fairy tales, folklore, and their intersections with gender, colonialism, and translation. She co-edited journals like Marvels & Tales and held roles such as Department Chair (2001-2007) and Acting Graduate Program Director. Her work includes books like Legendary Hawaiʻi and the Politics of Place and Postmodern Fairy Tales: Gender and Narrative Strategies . Education: BA, University of Rome (Italy); MA and PhD, State University of New York at Binghamton. Her research interests span fairy-tale studies, folklore, gender studies, and decolonial narratives. Recent projects explore Hawaiian mo‘olelo in translation and the cognitive potential of wonder in contemporary adaptations. She co-organized international conferences on storytelling in conflict zones and co-edited special journal issues on these topics. Awards: Fulbright Fellowship (2016) IAFA Distinguished Scholarship Award (2016) Guggenheim Fellowship (2001) Her advising and grants include SSHRC postdoctoral fellowship reviews and Fulbright applications. She collaborates on projects like An Ocean of Wonder (2024) and a forthcoming book on fairy tales and justice (2025). She also engages in Hawaiian language revitalization efforts.
Angela Reyes is Professor in the Department of English at Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY), and Doctoral Faculty in Anthropology at the CUNY Graduate Center. She teaches courses on English linguistic structures, discourse theory, and linguistic anthropology, while serving on advisory boards for Hunter College's Asian American Studies Program and Mellon-Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program. Education: PhD, University of Pennsylvania (2003) Her research focuses on semiotics, racialization, and coloniality, particularly examining language-personhood relationships in the U.S. and Philippines through three major ethnographic studies: Southeast Asian American youth videomaking (Philadelphia), Korean American fifth graders in a "cram school" (NYC), and Filipino college communities (Manila). She analyzes how elite linguistic registers and mixed-race discourses reflect colonial anxieties and modern aspirations. Key publications include Discourse Analysis Beyond the Speech Event (2021, awarded Edward Sapir Book Prize) and work in The Oxford Handbook of Language and Race (2020). Awards include Advanced Research Collaborative Distinguished Fellowship (2016), Spencer Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship (2009-2010), Woodrow Wilson Career Enhancement Fellowship (2006-2007), and Ford Foundation Dissertation Fellowship (2002-2003). Scientific Awards: Advanced Research Collaborative Distinguished Fellowship (2016) Spencer Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship (2009-2010) Woodrow Wilson Career Enhancement Fellowship (2006-2007) Ford Foundation Dissertation Fellowship (2002-2003) Edward Sapir Book Prize (2016) Her work bridges linguistic anthropology with English studies, focusing on how language mediates colonial histories, social media dynamics, and academic institutions. She employs ethnographic, archival, and new media methodologies to trace discursive patterns across time and space.
Eric J Klaus is Professor of German Area Studies and Chair of the German Area Studies program at Hobart and William Smith Colleges (HWS), where he has been a faculty member since 2001. He holds a Ph.D. in German Studies from Brown University, an M.A. in Germanic Studies from the University of Maryland College Park, and a B.A. in German with a minor in History from Dickinson College. His academic home is within the Faculty of Humanities, focusing on German literature and intellectual history. Ph.D., German Studies, Brown University M.A., Germanic Studies, University of Maryland College Park B.A., German (minor in History), Dickinson College His research and teaching focus on modern German literature and intellectual history, with particular emphasis on modernism , the Bildungsroman , the uncanny , esotericism , and vanitas and dance of death motifs . He explores the evolution of selfhood, allegory, and humanism in literary texts, especially in Goethe and Gorky. His dissertation, Engineering Souls: Humanism, Allegory, and Specularity in Goethe's Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre and Gorky's Mother , reflects this deep engagement with identity and narrative form. The available publication information indicates ongoing scholarly work on Gustav Meyrink and forthcoming articles on the uncanny and the Bildungsroman, suggesting a continued contribution to the understanding of psychological and metaphysical dimensions in modern German literature. These works fall within broader disciplines of literature, philosophy, and cultural studies, with subfields including symbolic interpretation, narrative theory, and intellectual history. Professional Affiliations: Modern Language Association (MLA) American Association of Teachers of German (AATG) ACTFL MACLA Europäischer Totentanz-Vereinigung Klaus integrates his research into the classroom, teaching courses such as Beginning through Intermediate German , Madness and Mayhem in Modernity , and Haunting Memories – revealing the uncanny . He values the teacher-scholar model, emphasizing student engagement in exploring complex literary and philosophical themes. There is no indication of grant funding in the provided text, but his pedagogical philosophy highlights mentorship and collaborative inquiry. He has taught previously at Brown University, the University of Rhode Island, and the University of Maryland College Park. Klaus leads the German Area Studies program as its Chair, shaping curriculum and academic direction. While no formal lab or research team is mentioned, his leadership role and active scholarship suggest a guiding presence in the department’s intellectual life.
Benjamin Born serves as Professor of Macroeconomics at Frankfurt School of Finance & Management and Research Director at the ifo Institute. He is a Research Fellow at CEPR and CESifo, advises the European Commission's DG ECFIN, serves on the European Parliament's Expert Group on Monetary Policy, and sits on the CEPR–EABCN Euro Area Business Cycle Dating Committee. Starting in September 2025, he will join the University of Bonn as Professor of Macroeconomics. Education PhD in Economics, 2011, University of Bonn, Germany MSc in Econometrics and Economics, 2007, University of York, UK BA/MA in Economics, 2006, University of Siegen, Germany Professor Born's research focuses on business cycles, fiscal and monetary policy, heterogeneous agent models, and empirical methods in macroeconomics. His work bridges theoretical modeling with empirical analysis, often using innovative data sources including firm surveys and social media data. He has made significant contributions to understanding how monetary policy affects different segments of the economy, how fiscal policy transmits through various channels, and how firms form expectations about the future. His recent publications reveal a strong trend toward analyzing heterogeneous effects in macroeconomics, particularly examining how different groups (firms, workers, consumers) respond differently to economic shocks and policies. His work increasingly incorporates social media data and novel survey methodologies to capture real-time economic behavior. A significant portion of his research addresses policy responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, including fiscal stimulus packages and lockdown effects. Professor Born is actively involved in the academic community, serving on the editorial boards of the Journal of Monetary Economics and the European Economic Review. He regularly organizes major academic conferences including the BASEforHANK Winterschool and the ifo Conference on Macroeconomics and Survey Data. Teaching and Supervision Currently teaches Macroeconomics II (first-year Ph.D. course at BGSE) Has taught Macroeconomics and Econometrics at all levels Supervises theses in macroeconomics and applied econometrics
Timo Kaartinen serves as Professor of Social and Cultural Anthropology and Vice Dean for Research and Doctoral Education at the University of Helsinki 's Faculty of Political Science . Since 1992, he has conducted extensive research in Southeast Asia with a focus on Indonesia, exploring communicative practices, narratives, and cultural responses to uncertainty. His teaching spans social change in bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs, covering environmental anthropology, political anthropology, cosmologies, religions, and linguistic anthropology. PhD in Anthropology, University of Chicago (2001) Docent (Adjunct Professor), University of Helsinki (2011) Research interests center on ethical discourse in Indonesian Islamic universities, resource politics in oil palm estates, and linguistic anthropology with emphasis on storytelling, folk poetry, and minority language revitalization. His work combines ethnographic focus on Southeast Asia with theoretical contributions to frontier studies and postcolonial anthropology. Recent publications examine frontier temporalities (2020-2025), Islamic transformations (2019), and oral narrative structures (2017-2013). Key projects include ARCTIC Research Centre (2025-2029), Diversity in Society and Life (DIVSOL) (2025-2030), and Religious Movements in Ethical Life (2019-2023). Grants from the Academy of Finland and University Profiling Funding support these initiatives. Academic activities include keynote speeches at international conferences (e.g., Empowering Local Wisdom 2014, Labor Migration in Asia-Pacific 2013) and editorial roles. He has conducted fieldwork in Indonesia since 1992, focusing on Bandanese cultural heritage and Maluku religious dynamics . His methodological approach combines ethnographic fieldwork with historical document analysis .
