Kate Mooney

Kate Mooney is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Linguistics at the University of Maryland, College Park. She is also a member of the Maryland Language Science Center. Her research focuses on core phonological mechanisms, including processes like metathesis, consonant epenthesis, infixation, and phonological copying, with a particular emphasis on defining the boundaries between syntax and phonology. She conducts fieldwork on Uab Meto, an understudied Austronesian language in Eastern Indonesia.

Dr. Mooney earned her PhD from New York University (2023) under advisor Maria Gouskova, and her BA from the University of Chicago (advisor: Karlos Arregi). Her work bridges theoretical phonology, morphosyntax, and typological analysis, addressing questions about phonological transposition, morpheme ordering, and segmental processes in understudied languages.

Recent research trends in her publications (2021–2023) emphasize phonological reordering constraints, the typology of infixation patterns, and cross-linguistic evidence for phonological limitations in transposition. These studies utilize both formal theoretical frameworks and empirical fieldwork data to challenge traditional assumptions about phonological computation.

In advising and professional engagement, Dr. Mooney is actively involved in mentoring students through the Department of Linguistics and collaborates with interdisciplinary teams at the Maryland Language Science Center. She maintains an open-door policy for discussions about phonology and welcomes inquiries via kemooney@umd.edu.