Christopher M. Hammerly

Christopher M. Hammerly is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Linguistics at the University of British Columbia and Director of the Experimental Linguistics and Fieldwork Lab (ELF-Lab). As a descendant of the White Earth Nation in Minnesota, much of his work focuses on documenting, analyzing, and revitalizing Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe) through formal theories, computational models, and experimental methods. His research explores the cognitive foundations of morphosyntax, particularly person, number, and noun classification systems, and their role in linguistic phenomena like movement and agreement.

• Education:
  • PhD in Linguistics (2020), UMass Amherst
  • BA in Linguistics (2014), University of Minnesota
  • BS in Psychology (2014), University of Minnesota

Hammerly’s recent work includes developing speech synthesis systems, machine translation tools, and educational platforms for Ojibwe and other Indigenous languages. He advocates for community-driven language technologies and critical reflection on academic representation and ethics.

Contact: chris.hammerly@ubc.ca