Andrew Kehler

Andrew Kehler is a Professor in the Department of Linguistics at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). He directs the Computational Linguistics Lab, focusing on interdisciplinary research in pragmatics, discourse interpretation, and computational linguistics. His work bridges theoretical linguistics, psycholinguistics, and computational models. Kehler has advised multiple graduate students, including current student Penny Pan and recent graduate Joshua Wampler. His research spans topics like ellipsis, pronoun interpretation, Bayesian models of discourse, and the Question Under Discussion (QUD) framework. He has taught courses such as 'Making and Breaking Codes' and 'Pragmatics,' and holds editorial roles in journals like PLOS ONE and Frontiers in Language Sciences. Kehler earned his Ph.D. in Computer Science from Harvard University and has held positions at SRI International and Xerox PARC. His lab, located in AP&M 2442, actively explores discourse coherence, referential processes, and language processing mechanisms.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Computer Science, Harvard University (1995)
• S.M. in Computer Science, Harvard University (1994)
• B.S.E. in Computer Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania (1988)

Research Interests:

Kehler’s work centers on discourse coherence, anaphora resolution, and the interplay between syntax, semantics, and pragmatics. He develops computational models of pronoun interpretation and ellipsis, emphasizing Bayesian approaches and experimental validation. His recent studies explore how large language models (LLMs) handle pragmatic enrichments like elicitures, and how discourse context influences linguistic processing. Key themes include coherence-driven explanations, QUD-based licensing of ellipsis, and cross-linguistic studies of pronoun systems.

Recent Contributions:

Recent articles address sluicing with nominal antecedents, Bayesian approaches to German pronouns, and conversational elicitures. His work often combines formal theory with psycholinguistic experiments, bridging computational and empirical methods. Kehler’s lab collaborates across disciplines to advance understanding of discourse structure and language processing mechanisms.

Service and Leadership:

He served as Chair of UCSD’s Linguistics Department (2009–2014) and Director of Graduate Studies (2016–2018). He actively participates in conference organization (e.g., ACL, SemDial) and editorial boards, promoting discourse and computational linguistics research. His contributions include over 100 publications and invited talks at institutions worldwide.

Labs/Teams:

As lab director, Kehler oversees interdisciplinary projects integrating theoretical and computational linguistics. His team investigates discourse models, coreference resolution, and pragmatic inference, with applications in NLP and cognitive science.