Felicity Meakins

Professor Felicity Meakins is a leading linguist specializing in Australian Indigenous languages, holding a professorship at the University of Queensland's School of Languages and Cultures. She is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences Australia and the Australian Academy of Humanities, and a Fulbright Senior Scholar for 2025-2026.

Education:

• Bachelor (Honours) of Arts, University of Queensland (1995-2001)
• Doctor of Philosophy, University of Melbourne (2008)

Research Interests:

Professor Meakins's research spans language documentation, sociolinguistics, morphology, and language contact. She focuses on Australian languages like Gurindji, Bilinarra, Ngarinyman, and Mudburra, exploring language ecologies, endangerment, and shift. Her work delves into mixed languages, creole languages, code-switching, and language convergence.

Recent Research Trends:

Her recent publications highlight interdisciplinary approaches to understanding language evolution and contact processes. She explores the role of gender in language change, the dynamics of bilingual communities, and the intersection of Indigenous Knowledges and Western Science. Her work on canine words in northern Australia ('Dingo Lingo') exemplifies this integrative approach.

Scientific Awards:

• Eureka Award for Interdisciplinary Scientific Research (2021)
• Kenneth L Hale Award for linguistic fieldwork (2021)
• Prime Minister's Literary Award for Children's Literature (2024)
• Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences Australia (ASSA)
• Fellow of the Australian Academy of Humanities (AAH)
• Australian Fulbright Senior Scholar (2025-2026)

Advising and Grants:

Professor Meakins is actively involved in supervising postgraduate students, including PhD and Master's candidates, on topics ranging from language revitalization to grammatical descriptions of Indigenous languages. She has secured significant funding from the Australian Research Council (ARC) for projects like 'Dingo Lingo' and 'Amplifying Indigenous Ecological Knowledge in Western Science with Language'.

Collaborations and Outreach:

Her work is deeply collaborative, involving Indigenous communities, artists, and scientists. She has co-authored dictionaries, grammars, and ethnobiologies, and produced multimedia resources like films and posters to support language preservation and education.