Sharon Inkelas

Sharon Inkelas is a Professor of Linguistics at the University of California, Berkeley, within the Department of Linguistics in the College of Letters and Science. She also holds significant administrative roles as Associate Vice Provost for the Faculty and Special Faculty Advisor to the Chancellor on Sexual Violence/Sexual Harassment.

• PhD, Stanford University

Her research focuses on the core areas of phonology and morphology, particularly their interface, with a strong emphasis on theoretical and computational models. She investigates child phonology, tonal systems, affix ordering, and phenomena such as multiple exponence. Her work often employs frameworks like Optimality Theory and Maximum Entropy Grammar, integrating formal analysis with empirical data from diverse languages including Lusoga.

The recent publications reflect a consistent trajectory in formal linguistic theory, especially in understanding how morphological structure conditions phonological patterns. Her research spans theoretical phonology, morphological theory, tonal phonology, and developmental phonology, often bridging computational modeling with linguistic typology.

While no specific awards are listed in the provided text, her sustained publication record in high-level linguistic research indicates scholarly recognition.

She advises students in linguistics, particularly in phonology and morphology, though specific names are not listed. Her research has been supported through university and external grants, though details are not provided. She collaborates widely, including with scholars such as Larry Hyman, Stephanie Shih, and Tara McAllister Byun.

Sharon Inkelas is involved in research groups and theoretical linguistics initiatives at UC Berkeley, contributing to the development of models like the A-map for child phonology and advancing work in Construction Morphology.