Magda Oiry

Magda Oiry is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Linguistics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, serving as Undergraduate Advisor and Director of Linguistics Certificate Programs. She holds a PhD from the University of Nantes (2008) and has taught at UMass since 2008, focusing on syntax, first/second language acquisition, and French linguistics. Her research explores child language acquisition of complex question structures, embedded clefts, and factivity in French. Oiry coordinates interdisciplinary initiatives like the Romance Liaison for SLA and leads professional development workshops. She has received fellowships including STRIDE and ADVANCE, and her work appears in journals like Linguistic Analysis. She advises graduate students and teaches courses on syntax, language acquisition, and French linguistics.

Education: PhD in Linguistics, University of Nantes (2008), MA Merit Scholarship (2002-2003).

Research Interests: Bidirectional focus on syntax and acquisition, emphasizing French grammar and its intersections with literature. Key areas include long-distance questions, wh-scope marking, and embedded clefts in child French.

Recent Work: Recent publications analyze scope marking distinctions in child syntax and cleft sentence structures. Her 2019 paper explores typological differences in question production, while earlier work established foundational insights into French L1 syntax-semantics interfaces.

Awards: Honors include French Ministry grants (€61,200 total), UMass fellowships, and distinguished dissertation recognition. Active in equity initiatives, co-founding Gender Equity in Linguistics (2017).