معرفی
Robert Henderson is a Professor of Linguistics at the University of Arizona, with appointments in Cognitive Science and Second Language Acquisition and Teaching. His research focuses on formal semantics, particularly in indigenous languages of Mesoamerica, including Mayan languages and their sign languages. He leads and collaborates on projects such as documenting village sign languages in Mesoamerica, analyzing morphosemantics of plurality in languages like Hiaki and Seri, and developing NLP tools for Mesoamerican languages through the MesoUD initiative. His work emphasizes documentation, revitalization, and computational modeling of endangered languages.
Key research areas include pluractionality, sign language documentation, and the intersection of phonetics/phonology with morphosyntax. He has secured NSF and CNRS grants for projects on Mesoamerican languages, including collaborations with institutions like Indiana University and CNRS. His methodologies integrate fieldwork, computational linguistics, and theoretical frameworks in semantics and syntax.
Henderson’s recent publications address topics like incremental plurality in Hualapai, vowel deletion in Uspanteko, and the sociolinguistics of dogwhistle communication. His work bridges theoretical linguistics with applied challenges in language documentation and revitalization, particularly for endangered Indigenous languages.
