Geoffrey Schwartz

Geoffrey Schwartz is a full Professor at the Faculty of English, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland. He holds the title of University Professor, awarded in December 2021, and has been a central figure in the linguistics community at AMU since the mid-1990s. His work bridges theoretical and applied phonology, with strong emphasis on second language acquisition and Slavic linguistics.

Education:

• BA in Slavic Languages and Linguistics, University of Toronto, 1991
• MA in Slavic Linguistics, University of Washington, 1993
• PhD in Slavic Linguistics, University of Washington, Seattle, 2000
• D. Litt. in English Linguistics, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, 2010

His research focuses on the phonetics–phonology interface, speech perception, historical phonology, and second language acquisition, particularly in the context of Polish learners of English. He investigates vowel dynamics, consonant synchronicity, and laryngeal feature modulation, combining experimental and theoretical approaches. His work is deeply informed by both Slavic and general phonological theory.

The recent publications and conference presentations reflect a sustained engagement with core issues in phonological theory, including laryngeal representation, prosodic structure, and recursion in phonology. His research increasingly emphasizes cross-linguistic and second-language phonetic phenomena, with a strong experimental component evident in lab-based studies and acoustic analysis.

Scientific Awards:

• Adam Mickiewicz University Rector's prize for publications (2016, 2013)
• Finalist for Excellence in Teaching Award, University of Washington (1999–2000)
• Teaching Prize, University of Washington Slavic Dept. (1999–2000)
• Polish Home Language prize, University of Washington (1995–96)
• Willie Ann Luckett Prize, University of Toronto (1991)
• Slavic Linguistics Prize, University of Toronto (1990)

Geoffrey Schwartz has secured multiple competitive research grants from the Polish National Science Centre (NCN) as Principal Investigator, including projects on Sandhi in Second Language Speech, Vowel dynamics in the speech of Polish learners of English, Modulation in laryngeal features, Consonant synchronicity in Polish and English, and Phonation in L1 and L2 speech. These grants demonstrate sustained research leadership and funding success. He has supervised numerous students and early-career researchers, though specific names are not listed in the source text. He has organized key conference sessions and delivered invited talks at leading institutions including MIT, UCL, Boston University, and McGill.

He is actively involved in the academic community through conference organization, including sessions at the Poznań Linguistic Meeting on topics such as Interfaces, Dynamic Phonology, and Beyond VOT. His research is conducted within a collaborative framework, often with colleagues such as Anna Balas and Arkadiusz Rojczyk, and is disseminated through international venues like LabPhon, GLOW, and the Manchester Phonology Meeting.