Colin Phillips

Colin Phillips is a Professor in the Department of Linguistics at the University of Maryland. His research focuses on syntax, psycholinguistics, and neurolinguistics, particularly examining sentence production, parsing mechanisms, and the interface between syntax and processing. He is a Distinguished Scholar-Teacher and affiliated with the Maryland Language Science Center. His work combines experimental methods with theoretical syntax, investigating topics like syntactic category effects in lexical access, anaphora resolution, and the role of memory in language processing.

Key contributions include studies on filler-gap dependencies, negative polarity illusions, and the structural sensitivity of memory access in Mandarin Chinese. Phillips has collaborated with researchers such as Shota Momma, Matthew Wagers, and Brian Dillon. His lab utilizes ERP and behavioral experiments to explore real-time language processing. Grants include NSF support for projects in semantics, syntax, and computational linguistics.

Awards include the Distinguished Scholar-Teacher title at UMD. His teaching and research span linguistic theory, experimental methods, and interdisciplinary language science. Phillips is actively involved in graduate training and has advised numerous students in the PhD program.