Tajudeen Mamadou

Tajudeen Mamadou is a Visiting Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Linguistics at the University of Michigan. He holds a Ph.D. from Rutgers University (2023) and specializes in phonetics, phonology, and linguistic fieldwork. His research focuses on the representation and computational modeling of tone and intonation in understudied sub-Saharan African languages such as Ede Chaabe, Baatonum, Dan, and Zarma. He advocates for a unified theoretical framework linking linguistic data with formal models to explain tonal and intonational interactions.

Empirically, his work emphasizes fieldwork-driven methodologies combined with computational approaches to analyze tonal processes. He currently teaches LING 313: Sound Patterns and conducts research at 455A Lorch Hall. Office hours are Monday and Wednesday 1:30-3 PM.

His research bridges computational linguistics with traditional phonological theory, exploring how tonal and intonational systems interact within and across languages. This work has implications for understanding the cognitive mechanisms underlying language processing and the development of formal phonological models.