Craig Thorburn

Craig Thorburn is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin, working with Lori Holt and Fred Dick. Starting Fall 2025, he will join the University of Chicago as an Assistant Instructional Professor in Linguistics. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Maryland (Department of Linguistics) and a B.A. from MIT in Linguistics and Brain and Cognitive Science. His research focuses on computational cognitive modeling of speech sound category learning, neuroscience of language processing, and second language acquisition. He also leads innovative K-12 outreach programs adapting scientific communication for virtual learning environments.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Linguistics, University of Maryland (CLIP Lab, Language Science Center)
• Bachelor's in Linguistics & Brain and Cognitive Science, MIT (2018)

Research Interests: Craig explores how humans learn and process speech sounds through computational models, investigating the interplay between neural mechanisms, phonological systems, and second language learning. He examines plasticity in speech perception, particularly in non-native speakers using MEG recordings. His work also includes developing unsupervised learning models to explain infant language familiarity effects without prior linguistic knowledge.

Outreach & Labs:

• CLIP Lab (Computational Linguistics and Information Processing Lab)
• Language Science Center (University of Maryland)
• Virtual outreach initiatives via @TheLanguageScientists Instagram, creating interactive science demonstrations for K-12 students

Future Work: Transitioning to the University of Chicago to focus on computational linguistics education and advancing interdisciplinary research on speech perception.