Barbara Blankenship

Barbara Blankenship is a researcher and faculty member in the Department of Linguistics at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). She holds a Ph.D. in linguistics from UCLA and has conducted extensive research in phonetics, morphology, and historical linguistics. Her work focuses on sound systems of languages, particularly vowel perception in second language acquisition and the analysis of endangered language phonetics.

Dr. Blankenship has taught courses including 'History and Structure of English Words' and 'Science of the Singing Voice.' Her teaching philosophy emphasizes student autonomy and the practical relevance of linguistic concepts. Beyond academia, she has co-led a National Science Foundation-funded project to digitize UCLA's phonetics lab recordings, making them accessible for global research through The UCLA Phonetics Lab Archive.

Her research interests span phonetics fieldwork, morphological analysis, and language change. Notable contributions include studies on epenthetic segments in English, vocal production in nonmodal phonation, and documentation of endangered languages like Cherokee and Mazatec. She collaborates with institutions such as Tellme Networks for phonetic transcription and contributes to language education via the UCLA Language Materials Project.

In her career outside linguistics, she worked as a programmer, systems analyst, and technical writer, with expertise in library systems and database design. A lifelong learner with diverse passions, she also trained as an opera singer and maintains interests in geology, music composition, and fiber arts.