Stefon Flego is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Department of English within the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences at Virginia Tech. His research focuses on phonetics, phonology, and computational modeling of sound systems in diverse languages including Icelandic, Hakha Lai, and Dinka-Nuer. Research Interests: Phonetic and phonological analysis of cross-linguistic sound systems Agent-based simulations for sound change modeling Temporal dynamics in speech production and coarticulation Vocal tract length estimation and acoustic inversion Documentation of Tibeto-Burman and Nilo-Saharan languages Information-theoretic approaches to phonological constraints Recent Publication Trends: His work combines empirical data from speech production tasks with computational models, examining vowel quality mutation mechanisms, sonorant phonation, and articulatory-acoustic relationships across Germanic, African, and Southeast Asian languages.
Paula Orzechowska is a University Professor at the Faculty of English, Adam Mickiewicz University (UAM) in Poznań, Poland. She is affiliated with the Department of English Linguistics and has held international academic positions, including at the University of Potsdam, Germany. Her research integrates theoretical and experimental approaches to phonology, with a focus on morphonotactics, contrastive phonotactics, and neuro- and psycholinguistic methods. Her educational background includes a B.A. and M.A. in English (2003, 2004), a Ph.D. in English Linguistics (2009), and a D.Litt. (2020), all from Poznań. She has been awarded fellowships from the Humboldt Foundation and the Kosciuszko Foundation, and has conducted research at institutions in Germany, the USA, and Austria. Her research interests span phonology, morphonotactics, phonological acquisition, and experimental linguistics. She employs EEG, ultrasound imaging, and behavioral experiments to study phonological processing and learnability across languages such as English, Polish, German, and Russian. Her work bridges formal linguistic theory with cognitive and neural mechanisms of language. The most recent articles reflect a strong trend in experimental phonology, combining theoretical frameworks with empirical data from neuroimaging and psycholinguistic tasks. Topics include stress patterns, consonant cluster processing, feature-based phonotactics, and cross-linguistic comparisons, particularly between Slavic and Germanic languages. Scientific awards include: Rector of UAM reward for outstanding research results (2018) Award for best conference poster, Lublin (2016) She has supervised academic programs such as the M.A. program 'Language, Mind, Technology' and served as Acting Head of the Neuroscience of Language Laboratory (2019–2021). She has received multiple research grants from the National Science Centre (Poland), Austrian Science Fund, DFG, and DAAD. Her service includes peer reviewing for major journals and organizing international conferences such as the 21st International Congress of Linguists (2024). She is actively involved in laboratory research, particularly through the Neuroscience of Language Laboratory at UAM, and collaborates with international teams on projects involving phonological processing, brain plasticity, and language acquisition.
Geoffrey Schwartz is a full Professor at the Faculty of English, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland. He holds the title of University Professor, awarded in December 2021, and has been a central figure in the linguistics community at AMU since the mid-1990s. His work bridges theoretical and applied phonology, with strong emphasis on second language acquisition and Slavic linguistics. Education: BA in Slavic Languages and Linguistics, University of Toronto, 1991 MA in Slavic Linguistics, University of Washington, 1993 PhD in Slavic Linguistics, University of Washington, Seattle, 2000 D. Litt. in English Linguistics, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, 2010 His research focuses on the phonetics–phonology interface , speech perception , historical phonology , and second language acquisition , particularly in the context of Polish learners of English. He investigates vowel dynamics, consonant synchronicity, and laryngeal feature modulation, combining experimental and theoretical approaches. His work is deeply informed by both Slavic and general phonological theory. The recent publications and conference presentations reflect a sustained engagement with core issues in phonological theory, including laryngeal representation, prosodic structure, and recursion in phonology. His research increasingly emphasizes cross-linguistic and second-language phonetic phenomena, with a strong experimental component evident in lab-based studies and acoustic analysis. Scientific Awards: Adam Mickiewicz University Rector's prize for publications (2016, 2013) Finalist for Excellence in Teaching Award, University of Washington (1999–2000) Teaching Prize, University of Washington Slavic Dept. (1999–2000) Polish Home Language prize, University of Washington (1995–96) Willie Ann Luckett Prize, University of Toronto (1991) Slavic Linguistics Prize, University of Toronto (1990) Geoffrey Schwartz has secured multiple competitive research grants from the Polish National Science Centre (NCN) as Principal Investigator, including projects on Sandhi in Second Language Speech , Vowel dynamics in the speech of Polish learners of English , Modulation in laryngeal features , Consonant synchronicity in Polish and English , and Phonation in L1 and L2 speech . These grants demonstrate sustained research leadership and funding success. He has supervised numerous students and early-career researchers, though specific names are not listed in the source text. He has organized key conference sessions and delivered invited talks at leading institutions including MIT, UCL, Boston University, and McGill. He is actively involved in the academic community through conference organization, including sessions at the Poznań Linguistic Meeting on topics such as Interfaces , Dynamic Phonology , and Beyond VOT . His research is conducted within a collaborative framework, often with colleagues such as Anna Balas and Arkadiusz Rojczyk, and is disseminated through international venues like LabPhon, GLOW, and the Manchester Phonology Meeting.
Ewelina Wojtkowiak is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of English at Adam Mickiewicz University (UAM) in Poznań, Poland. She holds a PhD in English Linguistics (summa cum laude, 2022) and has been actively involved in research, teaching, and academic service within the field of phonetics and phonology. Education: PhD in English Linguistics, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, 2022 (summa cum laude) MA in English, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, 2016 BA in English, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, 2014 Her research centers on the interface between phonetics and phonology, with a focus on theoretical models such as the Onset Prominence representational model, feature theory, and feature geometry. She employs experimental and acoustic methods to investigate phonetic variation in both native and non-native speech, particularly in Polish and English. Her work often explores prosodically-conditioned variation, laryngeal features, and cross-linguistic influences in second language acquisition. The recent publications and conference presentations reflect a consistent trajectory in laboratory phonology, with strong emphasis on empirical validation of phonological theories, L2 speech learning, and voice studies. Her collaborative work, especially with Geoffrey Schwartz, spans multiple high-impact venues including ICPhS, OCP, and mfm, indicating a robust research profile in experimental and theoretical phonology. Scientific Awards and Honors: AMU Rector’s Prize for Teaching Excellence – 2024 Adam Mickiewicz University Vice-Chancellor's scholarship for outstanding PhD students: 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 Multiple Vice-Chancellor's scholarships for being among the top 30% of PhD students (2016–2021) She has supervised and mentored students through teaching roles and workshops, particularly in phonetics and transcription. She has contributed to funded research projects from the National Science Centre, focusing on laryngeal features, consonant synchronicity, and phonation in L1 and L2 speech. Her academic service includes editorial roles for the Poznań Linguistic Meeting yearbooks and Poznań Studies in Contemporary Linguistics , as well as organizing major conferences such as PLM and ICL. She is an active member of the Polish Phonetic Association, serving on the Main Control Board from 2023 to 2027. She is involved in a vibrant research environment, participating in lab- and fieldwork-oriented projects, and promoting experimental methods in linguistics. Her work contributes significantly to the understanding of phonetic detail in phonological representation and second language speech learning.
Daniel Francisco Recasens Vives is a Professor in the Department of Catalan Studies at the University of Barcelona, with an h-index of 25 and 1,778 citations. His research spans over 40 years with 207 publications and leadership in 11 major research projects funded by Spain's Ministry of Science. His educational background includes dual PhDs in Romance Philology from Universitat de Barcelona (1985) and Linguistics from University of Connecticut (1983), preceded by corresponding undergraduate degrees from the same institutions. Earlier career positions included research assistant at Haskins Laboratories (1981-1984) and teaching roles at Yale and Connecticut universities (1980-1982). Research focuses on articulatory phonetics , particularly coarticulation phenomena, sound change mechanisms, and vowel-consonant interactions in Romance languages. His lab employs ultrasound imaging to study tongue movements in Catalan speech production, examining stop-liquid sequences, fricative assimilation, and vowel modification processes. Recent work extends to Romanian vowel systems and historical evolution of Romance consonant clusters. Analysis of recent publications reveals consistent specialization in experimental phonetics methodology, with increasing emphasis on ultrasound technology since 2010. His research demonstrates strong continuity from early work on Catalan VCV sequences (1983) to current studies on Romance language evolution, maintaining core focus on articulatory constraints in phonological processes. He has supervised 6 graduate theses and mentored junior researchers including F. Sánchez Miret and M.D.M. Massanell Messalles. Current projects investigate phonetic variation in contrastive vowels (2019-2022) and ultrasound analysis of coarticulation (2014-2017). His research group collaborates internationally with institutions including Haskins Laboratories and researchers in Germany (M. Zygis), Poland, and Italy (G. Abete). The team maintains strong ties with Catalan linguistic communities while contributing to broader Romance and theoretical phonetics frameworks.
Simone Falk is a Full Professor in the Department of Linguistics and Translation at the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, University of Montreal. She holds the prestigious Canada Research Chair in Interdisciplinary Studies on Rhythm and Language Acquisition and is a member of BRAMS (International Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research) and the Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music (CRBLM). Her research focuses on the interface between language and music, with particular emphasis on rhythmic phenomena in communication, language acquisition, and speech pathology. Drawing from experimental linguistics, neuroscience (including EEG), cognitive science, and movement sciences, her work examines how rhythmic and temporal predictions influence language processing. Key research areas include characterizing developmental speech and language deficits, understanding verbal and motor coordination between speakers, and developing music-based interventions for speech pathology. Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong focus on the neural and cognitive mechanisms underlying speech rhythm, with particular attention to stuttering, infant language development, and the therapeutic potential of musical training. Her work spans multiple disciplines, connecting linguistics, neuroscience, and clinical applications, with a growing emphasis on translational research that bridges basic science with clinical practice in speech-language pathology. Scientific Awards: Canada Research Chair in Interdisciplinary Studies on Rhythm and Language Acquisition Professor Falk actively supervises graduate students, with recent master's theses focusing on topics such as adjective agreement processing in adolescents, rhythmic coordination during alternating reading tasks, and music-speech transfer effects. Her extensive grant portfolio includes multiple major projects funded by Canadian and Quebec research agencies (CRSNG, CRSH, FRQSC, FRQNT), with a current focus on rhythm's role in speech perception and production (2021-2027), group singing for communication disorders (2023-2025), and stuttering choir interventions (2020-2024). She leads research within the BRAMS laboratory and CRBLM, collaborating with speech-language pathologists and clinicians to develop novel intervention approaches for communication disorders based on musical training, singing, and rhythmic interaction. Her work has significant implications for understanding the fundamental connections between rhythm, language, and movement in both typical development and clinical populations.
Dr. Imme Kuchenbrandt is a Research Associate specializing in French and Spanish Linguistics at Goethe University Frankfurt's Institute for Romance Languages and Literatures . She holds examination responsibilities for L2/L3 Spanish and French programs and offers consultation services for students. Her academic role includes teaching courses such as Einführung in die Morphologie des Portugiesischen und Spanischen and phonology courses in French/Spanish. Research Focus Kuchenbrandt's research spans Romance linguistics, with emphases on Spanish and French. Key areas include: Phonology and prosody in historical texts Syntax and clitic systems in Old/Modern Spanish Cross-linguistic analysis (Spanish-German/French-English) Bilingual language acquisition and grammatical gender Corpus-based approaches to linguistic diversity Projects and Grants She co-leads the project Building Blocks of Grammar: A Multimedia Bridging Course (funded by the eLearning Fund 2014) and is developing a habilitation on Sentence structures in language comparison . She also coordinates outreach initiatives like the Introductory project on contrastive linguistics at Rivius-Gymnasium Attendorn. Publication Trends Her 15 recent articles (2019–2005) reflect a strong focus on historical Romance linguistics, particularly Spanish phonology and syntax. Recurring themes include prosodic evolution, clitic placement, bilingual acquisition, and corpus-driven comparisons between Spanish, French, and German. Methodologically, she prioritizes empirical analysis of historical texts and multilingual corpora. Awards and Advising No scientific awards are mentioned. Similarly, no supervised students or additional grants are documented.
Chris Wen-Chao Li is Professor of Linguistics at the Department of Modern Languages & Literatures, San Francisco State University since 2000. He has also held academic positions at National Taiwan Normal University , University of Minnesota, and Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey. His career spans multiple roles including Coordinator of Chinese Program (2012-2018) and Director of Pacific Asian Studies Minor (2015-present). Education: D.Phil. and M.Phil. in Linguistics from Oxford University Research Focus: Sound change , diglossia , phonological translation , and Chinese romanization systems His 2016 paper on diasporic nostalgia explores linguistic standard imposition by mainland refugees in Taiwan, while 2017 encyclopedia entries cover Mandarin tone development and diglossia. The 2007 Target journal article investigates cross-linguistic name transfer mechanisms. Despite extensive publications, no direct scientific awards are mentioned in provided texts.
Owen Rambow is a Professor at Stony Brook University's AI Innovation Institute, specializing in natural language processing and computational linguistics with a focus on formal linguistic analysis. Education and Career: Ph.D. in Computer and Information Sciences, University of Pennsylvania 15-year tenure as Research Scientist at Columbia University Industry experience at AT&T Labs—Research and Elemental Cognition LLC Research Focus: Rambow's work centers on morphology, syntax, and semantics within Tree Adjoining Grammar (TAG) frameworks, bridging phrase structure and dependency representations. His research spans natural language generation/understanding, discourse analysis of belief/sentiment signaling in email/Twitter communications, and sociolinguistic studies of power/gender dynamics in written conversations across Arabic, English, German, and Hindi. Publication Trends: Recent work (2024-2025) heavily explores large language model capabilities in multi-dimensional writing assessment, emotion recognition, theory of mind validation, and morphophonological processing. Key themes include zero-shot learning limitations, cross-dialectal analysis, and pragmatic marker recognition in specialized domains like roadrunner cartoon dialogues.
Sarah Jagemann is a Junior Professor (W1) of Primary School Education with a focus on German Didactics at Freie Universität Berlin, affiliated with the Department of Education and Psychology. She joined the university in September 2022 and leads research in linguistic and cultural education. Her academic background includes a Dr. phil. from Leuphana Universität Lüneburg (2018) and prior positions at Universität Kassel and Bergische Universität Wuppertal. Research Interests: Jagemann investigates literacy acquisition, teacher professionalism in language education, inclusive writing instruction, spelling didactics, and multilingual learning environments. Her work emphasizes adaptive teaching strategies, self-efficacy in educators, and inclusive pedagogical frameworks for linguistically diverse classrooms. Publication Trends: Her recent articles (2020-2023) predominantly explore inclusive literacy education, teacher-student dialogues about writing systems, spelling development in secondary education, and diagnostic methodologies. Earlier works (2015-2019) focus on orthographic knowledge in preservice teachers and theoretical modeling of language pedagogy. Projects & Grants: She leads multiple research initiatives including CAPABLE (individual learning concepts), SeaLiS (self-efficacy in inclusive writing instruction), and KoKonS (collaborative literacy development). She also collaborates on the BMBF-funded Londi project for children with learning disorders. Teaching & Advising: She teaches courses like "Current Research Questions in German Didactics" and mentors student assistants. No formal PhD/Master's advisees are listed.
Niamh Kelly is a Lecturer in Phonetics and Phonology at the School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics, Newcastle University (UK). Her research integrates phonetics, psycholinguistics, and theoretical phonology with a focus on understudied language varieties and bilingual speech patterns. Education: PhD in Linguistics (focus on Norwegian pitch accent and intonation) Current Research: Tonal alignment, vowel length, syllable structure in Lebanese Arabic; L2 intonation in Welsh English; sound system interaction in bilingual speakers Prior Positions: Visiting Assistant Professor (VAP) at UT El Paso (2021-22), postdoctoral researcher at University of Graz (2015-16), research at American University of Beirut Publications: 11+ peer-reviewed articles in journals like Journal of the International Phonetic Association , Glossa , and Frontiers in Psychology Teaching: Courses on phonetics, phonology, laboratory phonology, and advanced topics in phonology Her work examines acoustic correlates of stress, cross-dialectal phonetic variation, and perceptual distinctions in stops and tonal systems. She employs both production and perception experimental methodologies. Scientific Collaborations & Grants: Collaborators: Scott Seyfarth (co-author on Armenian study), R. Smiljanic (co-author on Norwegian studies), I. Mennen (co-author on Welsh English research) Projects: Bilingual /l/ production in El Paso, lexical stress in Welsh English, Norwegian pitch accent perception, Zapotec rhythmic grouping Her laboratory phonology approach combines phonetic data with theoretical phonology, focusing on non-canonical language varieties including Irish English, Palestinian Arabic, and Western Armenian. She also investigates sociolinguistic factors like language dominance and typological influences.
Stefano CANALIS serves as a Professor and Erasmus Incoming Coordinator at Boğaziçi University's Department of Linguistics. His academic career spans Italian and Turkish phonological systems with expertise in historical sound change and vowel harmony phenomena. PhD in Linguistics, University of Padua (2008) MA in Communication Sciences, University of Turin (2002) His research centers on phonological representations, feature theory, stress systems, vowel length, and vowel harmony across Romance and Turkic languages. Specializing in historical phonology, he investigates irregular sound change mechanisms in Old Tuscan while extending his research to Turkish phonological processes including vowel shortening and palatalization. His work bridges phonetics-phonology interactions with historical linguistics. Recent publications reveal a clear trajectory from Italian dialectology toward Turkish phonology, with increasing focus on vowel harmony systems across language families. His 2020-2023 work demonstrates sophisticated analysis of Turkish front glides and palatalized consonants within broader phonological frameworks. As an active researcher, he leads BAP project 16021 on syllable phonology since 2020 and previously held postdoctoral positions at Padua University studying Romance vowel harmony and sound change irregularity. Professor CANALIS teaches core linguistics courses including Phonology (LING 201), Advanced Phonology (LING 320), Historical Linguistics (LING 324), and graduate-level Aspects of Phonology (LING 501), maintaining a consistent teaching schedule from 2018-2022 across undergraduate and graduate levels.
Dr. Markus Tönjes is a Researcher at the Department of German Philology, University of Göttingen, where he has served as Head of Department Administration since 2020. His career spans roles as an Analyst/Linguist in IT, Research Assistant in psycholinguistics, and contributor to DFG-funded projects on language acquisition in hearing-impaired children and language in dementia. PhD (2012) in German Linguistics, focusing on reference in dementia patients. Magister Artium (2006) in German Language and Literature, Communications Research, and Phonetics. His research integrates Linguistics with Artificial Intelligence , emphasizing formal semantics and NLP . He explores phonology , morphology , and syntax in hearing-impaired children, language and dementia , and empirical methods . His publications and lectures highlight interdisciplinary work with Star Trek linguistics and forensic authorship analysis . Recent publications and presentations focus on phonological processes , orthographic norms , language in aging , and cross-linguistic syntax . He supervises BA and MA theses on topics like Kiezdeutsch , orthographic competence , and aphasia , reflecting his broad methodology in empirical linguistics. Key supervised works: Lara Meyer (2023): "Prototypical Sprecher des Kurzdeutschen?" Laura Gleixner (2023): "Bilingualism and Cognitive Reserve" Anna Katharina Baumgartl (2024): "Aphasie: Schweigen oder Leben"
Leonardo Contreras Roa is an Associate Professor in English Phonology at the University of Picardy Jules Verne, where he is affiliated with the CORPUS research unit (UR UPJV 4295) and the LIDILE research group (Linguistics, Engineering, Language Teaching). His academic career spans multiple French institutions including University of Rennes 2, University of Lille, Sorbonne Nouvelle Paris 3, and research positions at IRIT and CNRS. Originally trained in translation in Chile, his academic journey evolved toward linguistics, phonetics, and language teaching, reflecting his interest in how ideas move between languages and what is gained or lost in the process. Dr. Contreras Roa's research interests center on the phonetics and phonology of second language acquisition, particularly examining interlanguage prosody of English learners with Spanish or French as their first language. His work spans acoustic phonetics, corpus linguistics, and the didactics of oral English. He investigates how rhythmic priming affects speech production in both typical speakers and those with Parkinson's disease, and explores the role of gesture in pronunciation learning. His research also extends to linguistic typology, reported speech strategies across diverse languages including West African and Turkic languages, and pathological discourse analysis. His publication record demonstrates consistent productivity with multiple articles per year across diverse venues. His work shows a clear trajectory from foundational research on interlanguage prosody toward increasingly sophisticated investigations of rhythmic priming, gesture-speech interface, and clinical applications. The research employs both corpus-based and experimental methodologies, with growing emphasis on multimodal approaches to speech production and perception. Dr. Contreras Roa teaches courses in oral English, phonetics, and English phonology at the undergraduate level, integrating his research expertise into his pedagogy. He has developed interactive scripts and tools for phonology instruction and explores innovative approaches to pronunciation teaching that incorporate rhythmic elements and gesture. His teaching philosophy appears informed by his research on affective factors in language learning, as evidenced by his work on promoting pleasure in language classrooms. His current research involves multiple collaborative projects examining speech production mechanisms, cross-linguistic influences in pronunciation, and applications of rhythmic priming in both typical and pathological speech contexts. He maintains active collaborations across multiple institutions and disciplines, reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of his work at the intersection of linguistics, cognitive science, and language pedagogy.
Sabine Arndt-Lappe is a Professor of English Linguistics at the University of Trier , Germany. She previously held research positions at the Universities of Marburg, Siegen, and Düsseldorf. As a structural linguist, her work bridges empirical and theoretical approaches to morphology and phonology. Research Focus : Variation and productivity in English lexicon, formal and semantic aspects of word-formation, prosodic morphology, analogy-based and usage-based grammatical models, computational analogical modeling, and Optimality Theory. Projects : Leads the DFG-funded AdvAnTheMorph project (2025–2028) and co-leads the DFG-ANR ERSaF project (2022–2025). Spokesperson for the Trier Center for Language and Communication research group on Patterns/Musterhaftigkeit (2020–2023). Publications span topics like name blending, stress assignment in English verbs, clipping mechanisms, affix rivalry, and cross-linguistic morphological analysis. Her work employs computational models (e.g., Naive Discriminative Learning) and corpus-based methodologies. Editorial Contributions : Editor-in-Chief of Morphology (2022–present), former Editor of Journal of Linguistics (2017–2021), and editorial board member for multiple journals including English Language and Linguistics and Journal of Linguistics . Teaching includes courses like LING 101: Introduction to Linguistic Studies , LING 801: Words in the Mind , and LING 804: Statistics for Linguists . She also mentors doctoral candidates and supervises software development for morphological research (e.g., M2E - Morph2Excel ).
