Marlyse Baptista is the President's Distinguished Professor of Linguistics at the University of Pennsylvania, Department of Linguistics. She is affiliated with the School of Arts & Sciences and MindCore initiative. Her research focuses on language contact, creolization processes, bilingualism, and experimental methods in creole studies. Baptista leads the Language Contact and Cognition Lab, previously known as the Cognition, Convergence and Language Emergence (CCLE) group at the University of Michigan. Education includes a PhD in Linguistics (Harvard, 1997), MA degrees from Harvard and the Université de Bordeaux III, and extensive training in multilingual education. Her work bridges generative syntax with experimental approaches, including artificial language learning to study language convergence. Key themes include the cognitive underpinnings of creole formation, bidirectional influences in Cape Verdean Creole, and the role of congruence in language acquisition. Research highlights include studies on Cape Verdean Creole's grammatical properties, genetic-linguistic admixture correlations, and pedagogical resources for creole language education. Recent projects explore experimental validation of creole genesis theories through multilingual acquisition studies. Scientific Awards: President's Distinguished Professorship (University of Pennsylvania) Labs/Teams: Language Contact and Cognition Lab, MindCore Grants/Projects: MULTI Project (creole language educational resources), NSF-funded studies on creole genesis mechanisms Baptista's work emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches, integrating syntax theory, psycholinguistics, and sociolinguistics to address foundational questions in contact linguistics and creolistics.
Salikoko S. Mufwene is the Edward Carson Waller Distinguished Service Professor of Linguistics at the University of Chicago. He holds additional appointments on the Committees on Evolutionary Biology, Conceptual and Historical Studies of Science, and African Studies. His research integrates ecological perspectives into evolutionary linguistics, focusing on language contact, creole genesis, language endangerment, and the impact of colonization and globalization on linguistic diversity. Education: PhD in Linguistics, University of Chicago (1979) Key Themes: Language evolution, creole languages, population structure, decolonial linguistics, language policy Mufwene’s work emphasizes the role of population dynamics in language change, drawing parallels with biological evolution. His recent articles examine topics such as the cultural-artifact nature of language, the ecological drivers of creole hybridization, and the decolonization of linguistic paradigms. He has also contributed extensively to debates on language endangerment and multilingualism in super-diverse societies. Scientific Awards: Fellow, Linguistic Society of America (2018) Fellow, American Philosophical Society (2022) Fellow, American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2023) Collège de France lectures (2003, 2023-24) Summer Institute of the Linguistic Society of America (1999, 2005, 2015, 2017)
Bettina Migge is a Full Professor in the School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics at University College Dublin, where she has been a faculty member since 2004. She previously held academic positions at Goethe University Frankfurt and earned her PhD in Linguistics from The Ohio State University. She served as Head of School from 2016 to 2021 and has held leadership roles in research centers and committees, including the Royal Irish Academy and the Society for Pidgin and Creole Linguistics, of which she is President until 2023. She is Co-Editor of the Journal of Pidgin and Creole Languages and actively contributes to COST Action LITHME, focusing on language and technology. Her educational background includes studies at Universität Hamburg, Université de Cameroun, Freie Universität Berlin, and The Ohio State University, culminating in a PhD focused on African languages in creole genesis, with fieldwork in Suriname and Benin. She is fluent in Dutch, English, French, German, and Ndyuka/Pamaka. Bettina Migge's research centers on sociolinguistics, language contact, and creole languages, with a focus on multilingual contexts undergoing rapid social change such as urbanization and migration. Her work spans French Guiana, Suriname, and Ireland, examining structural and socio-pragmatic aspects of language use, linguistic landscaping, and computer-mediated communication. She has led significant projects like the trilingual DicoNenge(e) dictionary and has explored the role of AI in reshaping language practices. Her recent publications reflect a critical engagement with the impact of AI and machine learning on language, revealing colonial continuities in language technologies and questioning dataist ideologies. She investigates how language is materially produced in both colonial and digital contexts, emphasizing power, authenticity, and control. She has received research funding from the National Science Foundation (USA), IRCHSS, IRC, Ulysses grants, and French research units like SeDyL. Her collaborative projects include work on complementation in creoles, South Dublin English, and language practices in multilingual border zones. Bettina Migge supervises MA and PhD students in sociolinguistics, linguistic landscaping, and World Englishes. She is involved in numerous editorial and professional associations, including the Society for Caribbean Linguistics and The Global Council on Anthropological Linguistics. She has coordinated modules such as World Englishes, Sociolinguistics, and Research in Creole Languages. She leads and participates in public engagement activities, including workshops on AI in linguistics, multilingualism in Ireland, and dictionary launches. Her research team includes collaborators from Europe and beyond, and she is committed to participatory and ethnographically grounded approaches in language documentation and analysis.
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary AnthropologyGermany
Martin Haspelmath is a Senior Research Scientist at the Department of Linguistic and Cultural Evolution at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI-EVA), Leipzig, and an honorary (adjunct) professor at Leipzig University. His research focuses on comparative linguistics, language universals, and typology, particularly in syntactic and morphological systems. He co-edited the World Atlas of Language Structures (2005/2013) and co-founded Language Science Press . Education: PhD in Linguistics, Freie Universität Berlin (1990–1993) MA in Linguistics, University of Cologne and University at Buffalo (1985–1989) Undergraduate studies in Linguistics, University of Vienna (1983–1985) Research Interests: Haspelmath investigates global grammatical diversity, form-function correspondences, and universals in syntax, morphology, and lexical systems. His work emphasizes comparative concepts for cross-linguistic analysis and critiques traditional grammatical categories. Grants & Projects: ERC project leader at Leipzig University (2015–2020) Co-creator of Grambank , an open-access database of grammatical structures Leading initiatives for open-access publication and linguistic data sharing Labs/Teams: Active in the MPI's Department of Linguistic and Cultural Evolution, collaborating on projects like APICS (Atlas of Pidgin and Creole Language Structures) and ValPal (Valency Patterns Leipzig).
James Essegbey is a Professor of African Languages and Linguistics in the Department of Languages, Literatures & Cultures at the University of Florida (Gainesville), affiliated with the Center for African Studies, Center for Latin American Studies, and African American Studies. His research focuses on language endangerment documentation, syntax-semantics interfaces, and West African languages like Ewe, Akan, and Nyangbo. He holds a PhD from Leiden University (1999) and has held postdoctoral fellowships in the Netherlands and Germany. Key research areas include: Documentation of endangered languages (e.g., Nyangbo, Tutrugbu) Syntax of Kwa languages and Atlantic creoles Cultural influences on linguistic structures (e.g., left-hand taboos in Ghana) Creole genesis and trans-Atlantic language contacts Award-winning scholar with over 20 years of grant-funded projects, including: NSF grants for CoLang and documentary linguistics training programs NSEP funding for African languages summer institutes Leadership in language revitalization initiatives Teaching includes courses on Akan language, African elements in the Americas, and methods of language documentation. Active in professional organizations like the African Studies Association and Society for Pidgin and Creole Languages.
Christa de Kleine is a Professor in the School of Education at Notre Dame of Maryland University. She has been a faculty member since 1998 and served as the coordinator of the university’s M.A in TESOL program since its development in the late 1990s. Her teaching encompasses language acquisition and linguistic diversity in both the MA TESOL program and the Ph.D. program for Instructional Leadership for Changing Populations. Education: Ph.D., M.Phil, and M.A. in Linguistics from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York (CUNY); M.A. in English Language and Linguistics from the University of Groningen, the Netherlands. Her research focuses on Creole English speakers in ESL programs, linguistic diversity in education, and the impact of standard language ideology. She has collaborated extensively with Dr. Rachele Lawton on studies of Generation 1.5 students and community college writing instruction. She is principal investigator on a grant-funded project examining English language teaching practices in Panama, informed by its postcolonial context. Notable scientific awards include the 2020 Maryland TESOL Teacher of the Year, multiple Faculty Research and Development Awards from Notre Dame of Maryland University (2016, 2013), NIH grant funding (2007), and Sociological Initiatives Foundation support (2004). She has presented nationally and internationally on topics related to language acquisition and linguistic diversity.
Anna Jon-And is a Researcher and Director of the Center for Cultural Evolution at Stockholm University , affiliated with the Department of Psychology . Her interdisciplinary work bridges linguistics , cognitive science , and cultural evolution , focusing on how sequence representation , language contact , and computational models explain the emergence of human language and its unique properties. Research Interests include: Language evolution through sequence learning and cognitive constraints Contact-induced language change in Portuguese varieties (Angola, Mozambique, Afro-Brazilian communities) Computational modeling of grammatical structure emergence Comparative analysis of pidgins, creoles, and non-contact languages Neurocognitive prerequisites for language and cultural complexity Publications highlight trends in language evolution models , compositional systems , and cross-linguistic complexity cycles . Her work demonstrates how demographic factors and learnability pressures drive linguistic innovation in multilingual settings. The Center for Cultural Evolution at Stockholm University serves as the primary platform for her interdisciplinary research initiatives.
Professor Christian Mair is Chair of English Linguistics at the University of Freiburg, Germany, with a distinguished career spanning decades in linguistic research. He holds a prominent position in the Department of English Linguistics within the Faculty of Humanities and maintains an active research profile with regular publications and supervisory responsibilities. Professor Mair's scholarly work centers on corpus-based approaches to understanding language variation and change, with particular expertise in: World Englishes and their global development Corpus linguistics methodology and application Historical and contemporary grammatical changes in English Sociolinguistic aspects of language contact and variation Pidgin and creole languages in diaspora contexts English as a Lingua Franca in non-traditional English-speaking environments His recent research demonstrates sustained engagement with contemporary linguistic issues, particularly examining English in German-speaking contexts, migration's impact on language variation, and digital methodologies in linguistic analysis. Professor Mair frequently collaborates with international scholars on projects investigating English in diverse sociolinguistic settings across the globe. Professor Mair has received significant academic recognition: Member of the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences Corresponding Member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna He leads multiple research initiatives including the DFG project "West African Englishes on the Move" and research on "New Forms of English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) in Germany." His research team comprises several associates and assistants working on various aspects of English linguistics, with regular visiting scholars from international institutions. Professor Mair maintains active collaborations worldwide, hosting researchers such as Dr. Azizeh Chalak and Dr. Hossein Heidari Tabrizi from Iran. His work bridges theoretical linguistics with practical applications in understanding how English functions in increasingly globalized and multilingual contexts, with particular attention to non-colonial English language environments.
John R. Rickford is the J.E. Wallace Sterling Professor of Linguistics and the Humanities at Stanford University, with courtesy appointments in Education and as a Bass University Fellow in Undergraduate Education. He has been at Stanford since 1980. Rickford holds a BA (highest honors) in Sociolinguistics from UC Santa Cruz (1971) and a PhD in Linguistics from the University of Pennsylvania (1979). His research focuses on sociolinguistics, with expertise in African American Vernacular English (AAVE), creole languages, and language variation. He has authored/co-authored influential books like African American Vernacular English: Features, Evolution, Educational Implications (1999), Spoken Soul: The Story of Black English (2000, American Book Award winner), and Creole Genesis, Attitudes and Discourse (2000). His work bridges linguistic analysis with educational applications, advocating for the recognition of AAVE in teaching Standard English. Rickford has received awards for distinguished teaching, including the Dean’s Award (1984) and Bing Fellowship (1992). He has advised numerous graduate and undergraduate students, many of whom have pursued careers in linguistics, education, and related fields. His advocacy for linguistic equity and scholarship on Ebonics has been pivotal in public and academic discourse. Key contributions include studies on the origins and sociopolitical dimensions of AAVE, creole genesis, and the role of linguistic diversity in education. His interdisciplinary approach integrates sociolinguistics, anthropology, and critical pedagogy, emphasizing the intersection of language and identity.
Dr Gregory Dickson is an Honorary Lecturer at the School of Culture, History & Language, Australian National University. His work centers on Australian Kriol, Pidgin and Creole Languages, and sociolinguistics, with a focus on Indigenous languages and their documentation. PhD (Australian National University) BA (Hons) (University of Queensland) Certified Provisional Interpreter (Kriol-English) (NAATI) Gregory’s research spans language variation, dialectology, and bilingual education, emphasizing Australian Aboriginal Languages and endangered language revitalisation. His recent publications explore sociolinguistic trends, reflexive structures in Kriol, and translation practices within Indigenous communities. A notable project, Stories from the saltwater as told by the old Marra ladies (2010–2011), highlights his commitment to community linguistics. His email contact is Greg.Dickson@anu.edu.au.
K. Maxime Vignon is an Assistant Professor of French in the Department of Modern Languages & Classics at The University of Alabama. He coordinates affairs for African and international graduate students in French while teaching theoretical and sociolinguistic topics in French courses, as well as business and geopolitics courses. PhD in French and Applied Linguistics (University of Alabama, 2020) MA in French Studies (Linguistics & Literature) (Montclair State University, 2017) MBA in Business Management (Mercure Foundation University, Brussels, 2010) Bachelor of Law (University of Abomey-Calavi, Benin, 2005) Dr. Vignon's research focuses on language contact, sociolinguistics, phonetics, and translation within French linguistics, particularly in Francophone Africa. His work explores language identity, colonization, and social justice through a geo-linguistic lens, with a long-term goal of empowering African societies via linguistic analysis. His publications span linguistics, language policy, and cultural studies. Key themes include language standardization, code-switching, trilingualism in Rwanda, and the sociocultural implications of French language evolution in Africa. He is currently finalizing a phonetics-focused monograph and translating his first book. Within the Department of Modern Languages & Classics, Dr. Vignon actively participates in doctoral dissertation committees, diversity initiatives, and faculty governance through the Non-Tenure Track Renewable Contract Committee. He also serves as a peer reviewer for Estudios Románicos .
Maria Mazzoli is an Assistant Professor at the University of Groningen’s Faculty of Arts, specializing in Theoretical and Empirical Linguistics. Her research focuses on sociolinguistics, language contact, creole studies, Algonquian morphology, and language policy. She coordinates courses on language planning, minority languages, and multilingualism. Affiliations: Theoretical and Empirical Linguistics (TEL) department, Faculty of Arts Teaching: Language Development, Minority Languages II, Diversity Management (BA/MA) Grants: VIDI 2021 NWO Grant (SHADES project), Marie Curie Fellowship (2016) Her work addresses decolonization in linguistics, linguistic awareness among migrants, and ethnolinguistic vitality. Recent projects include studying morphological productivity in Indigenous languages and language diversity in urban contexts (e.g., Bremen). Key Awards: Mapudungun Nemülkawe (2023), IMPACT Grant (2021) Labs/Teams: Leads the SHADES project exploring cognitive bases of morphological productivity.
Professor Miriam Meyerhoff is a Senior Research Fellow at All Souls College, University of Oxford since 2020. Her academic career includes professorships at Victoria University of Wellington (2014–2020), University of Auckland (2010–2014), and University of Edinburgh (2001–2010). She holds a PhD from the University of Pennsylvania and degrees from Victoria University of Wellington. Her research focuses on sociolinguistic variation in Pacific languages, particularly Creoles, and the intersection of language with gender and identity. Current projects include documenting the endangered Nkep language in Vanuatu and analyzing language change in multicultural urban settings like Auckland. Education Bachelor's degree, Victoria University of Wellington (1984) Master's and PhD in Linguistics, University of Pennsylvania (1997) Additional postgraduate work at Victoria University of Wellington (1986) Research Interests Meyerhoff explores sociolinguistic constraints on language variation, with a focus on Pacific languages (especially Vanuatu’s Nkep) and Creoles. Her work examines how language reflects social identities (e.g., gender) and adapts to globalization. She emphasizes applied linguistics in community-driven documentation and language policy. Articles Overview Her recent publications address creole continuum dynamics, language accommodation theory, decolonizing linguistic methodologies, and sociolinguistic analysis of child language negotiation. She bridges theoretical inquiry with applied projects like the Auckland Voices Project, documenting urban language evolution. Awards 2019 Research Excellence Award, Victoria University of Wellington 2018 Hudson Medal, Royal Society of New Zealand Grants and Advising Meyerhoff leads major grants including the Nkep language documentation (ELDP, 2011–2014) and studies on language variation in London/Edinburgh (ESRC, 2009–2010). She collaborates with global institutions like the Max Planck Institute and serves on editorial boards for journals like Asia-Pacific Language Variation . Community Engagement Her work prioritizes Indigenous and marginalized communities, particularly in Vanuatu, ensuring language documentation preserves cultural heritage while fostering linguistic autonomy.
Carmel O’Shannessy is a Senior Lecturer at the Australian National University’s School of Literature, Languages and Linguistics and an affiliate of the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Dynamics of Language (CoEDL) . Her work focuses on language contact, mixed languages, and child language acquisition, particularly in Indigenous Australian communities. Education: PhD in Linguistics (University of Sydney, Australia; Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, The Netherlands, 2007) She has documented the development of Light Warlpiri , a new mixed language, since its emergence. Her research explores how children and adults contribute to contact-induced language change, with fieldwork in Central Australia since 1996. Key projects include her ARC Future Fellowship grant for tracking Indigenous children’s language development. Recent publications span topics like typology of Australian contact languages, child-directed speech modifications in Warlpiri, and sociolinguistic dynamics of youth language varieties. Her work appears in journals such as Journal of Pidgin and Creole Languages and Languages , as well as edited volumes like The Oxford Guide to Australian Languages . Scientific Awards: ARC Future Fellowship She has mentored students including Francois-Xavier Faucounau , Annie Kwai , and Zobule . Her interdisciplinary approach combines linguistic analysis, digital tools (e.g., the Little Kids Learning Languages app), and community collaboration. Labs/Teams: ARC Centre of Excellence for the Dynamics of Language (CoEDL)
Ronald Kim is an Associate Professor of Linguistics in the Department of Older Germanic Languages within the Faculty of English at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland. Born and raised in New Jersey, USA, he completed his undergraduate studies at Princeton University in 1996 before earning his Ph.D. in Linguistics from the University of Pennsylvania in 2002. After a postdoctoral fellowship at Cornell University, he taught at several US institutions including Penn, Temple, and Swarthmore before joining Adam Mickiewicz University in 2009 as a Visiting Professor, eventually securing his current position as Associate Professor. Kim's academic credentials include an AB in Astrophysical Sciences from Princeton University (1996), a Ph.D. in Linguistics from the University of Pennsylvania (2002), and a D. Litt. in English Linguistics from Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań (2015). His research spans multiple areas of historical linguistics with particular focus on Indo-European languages including Tocharian, Iranian, Balto-Slavic, Greek, Celtic, and Anatolian, as well as Semitic languages like Aramaic. His work encompasses sociolinguistics, language variation, language contact phenomena, dialect geography, phonology (particularly autosegmental, nonlinear, and prosodic approaches), morphology, and pidgin and creole linguistics with emphasis on English-based contact languages of the Pacific. Analysis of Kim's recent publications reveals a clear trajectory in his scholarly work, with increasing focus on Iranian languages, particularly Ossetic, while maintaining strong connections to broader Indo-European studies. His work demonstrates sophisticated integration of comparative linguistic methods with computational approaches to language evolution, particularly evident in his contributions to phylogenetic studies of Indo-European languages. There's also a consistent thread of interest in suppletion phenomena across multiple language families. His research often bridges theoretical linguistic concerns with historical and geographical contexts, particularly the linguistic landscape of Central Asia and the Silk Road region. Erasmus+ teaching exchange, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, January 2020 Heiwa Nakajima Foundation fellowship, Graduate School of Humanities and Sociology, The University of Tokyo, Spring 2017 AMU research travel grant, Department of Linguistics, University of Pennsylvania, September 2013 Junior Research Grant, Swarthmore College, Spring 2007 Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship in the Humanities, Cornell University, 2002-03 University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Dissertation Fellowship, 2001-02 William Penn Graduate Fellowship, University of Pennsylvania, 1996-2000 Adam Mickiewicz University rector's prize for publications, 2019 Kim serves in multiple editorial capacities, including General Editor of Indo-European Linguistics (with Joseph F. Eska) and Chatreššar: International Journal for Indo-European, Semitic, and Cuneiform Languages (with Petr Zemánek). He also sits on the Editorial Board of Brill's Studies in Indo-European Languages & Linguistics, the Editorial Advisory Board of Lingua Posnaniensis, and serves as a Board of Reviewer for Tocharian and Indo-European Studies and the Academic Journal of Modern Philology. His research has been supported by numerous grants including projects on Ossetic Historical Grammar funded by the National Science Centre Poland (2020-23), The Historical Morphology of the Old Armenian Verb funded by the Czech Science Foundation (2017-19), and participation in the Indo-European Cognate Relationships project at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History (2015-). Kim maintains an active international presence through frequent conference participation and invited lectures at major institutions worldwide including University of Pennsylvania, Princeton University, Harvard University, Kyoto University, and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München. His scholarly network spans multiple continents, reflecting the international nature of Indo-European linguistic research.
