Ryan Keith Shosted

Prof. Ryan Keith Shosted is a full-time tenured Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, affiliated with the Department of Linguistics, Spanish and Portuguese, American Indian Studies Program, Beckman Institute, Lemann Center for Brazilian Studies, Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, and Center for African Studies. He serves as Director of the Program in Translation and Interpreting Studies and leads the Chin-Woo Kim Phonetics Laboratory.

Education:

• Ph.D., Linguistics, University of California, Berkeley (2006)
• M.A., Linguistics, University of California, Berkeley (2003)
• B.A., Linguistics, Brigham Young University (2000)

Shosted's research focuses on the intersection of phonetics, phonology, and historical linguistics. He pioneered the application of ultrafast dynamic MRI to study the vocal tract's physiological-acoustic mapping in diverse languages, including Hittite cuneiform, Deseret Alphabet, and endangered languages like Q'anjob'al. His work spans speech production modeling, nasalization mechanisms, and cross-linguistic articulatory analysis.

The 15 most recent publications demonstrate his leadership in dynamic speech imaging, phonetic-aerodynamic modeling, and historical sound change analysis. Key trends include advanced MRI techniques for speech study, phonetic universals, and historical writing systems as tools for linguistic reconstruction.

Scientific Awards:

• Campus Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching (2021)
• Dean's Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching (2021)
• Arnold O. Beckman Award (2009, 2010)
• Jacob K. Javits Fellowship (2001-2005)

Shosted's grant portfolio includes NSF funding for nasalization research (BCS-1651197, BCS-1121780) and NIH collaboration (1R01DE027989-01A1) on cleft palate speech. He has directed 12 graduate students and taught courses ranging from Hittite language to quantitative phonetic methods.

The Chin-Woo Kim Phonetics Laboratory, under his directorship since 2007, expanded in 2010 to include articulatory phonetics facilities with EPG, ultrasound, and MRI analysis capabilities. He continues to lead Beckman Institute collaborations in speech imaging technology.