John (Jack) Duff is a postdoctoral researcher at Saarland University’s Department of Language Science and Technology, working with Prof. Vera Demberg’s group on the ERC-funded project Individualized Interaction in Discourse since January 1, 2024. He will join UCLA’s Department of Linguistics as an Assistant Professor in Fall 2025. His research spans psycholinguistics, computational modeling, and cross-linguistic studies, particularly focusing on Santiago Laxopa Zapotec. Research Interests Psycholinguistics Computational Linguistics Discourse Analysis Pragmatics Cognitive Science Language Processing His recent publications highlight work on pragmatic reasoning, computational models of cognition, Zapotec language structures, and experimental analyses of comprehension dynamics. He earned his Ph.D. in Linguistics from UC Santa Cruz in 2023, advised by Pranav Anand and Amanda Rysling.
Maria Aloni is an Associate Professor of Logic and Language at the Institute for Logic, Language and Computation (ILLC) and the Department of Philosophy at the University of Amsterdam. She holds dual affiliations with the Formal Semantics & Philosophical Logic (FSPL) research unit as her primary affiliation and the Epistemology & Philosophy of Science (EPS) unit as her secondary affiliation. Her research bridges formal semantics, philosophical logic, and the philosophy of language, with particular expertise in quantification, modality, and the interpretation of indefinite expressions. She currently leads the N∅thing is Logical (NihiL) project, which investigates cognitive tendencies to neglect empty representations and their effects on reasoning and interpretation. Aloni completed her PhD at the University of Amsterdam in 2001 with the thesis "Quantification under Conceptual Covers," which won the prestigious E. W. Beth Dissertation Prize in 2002. Her academic trajectory includes significant research funding: an NWO Veni grant (2004-2007) for "Semantic Structure and Dynamics in Natural Language Interpretation," an NWO Vidi grant (2007-2012) as Principal Investigator for "Indefinites and beyond. Evolutionary pragmatics and typological semantics," and the current NWO Open Competition Grant (since 2023) for the NihiL project. Her research spans formal semantics and pragmatics, with specific expertise in quantification, modals, propositional attitudes, reference, indefinites, disjunction, indexicals, questions, imperatives, and various semantic phenomena including free choice, exhaustification, and presupposition. She employs diverse methodologies including formal modeling, corpus analysis, and experimental approaches to investigate how linguistic meaning is constructed and interpreted across different contexts and languages. Aloni's recent publications demonstrate a consistent focus on the "neglect-zero" hypothesis, examining how cognitive tendencies to ignore empty representations affect interpretation of quantifiers, disjunction, and free choice phenomena. Her work also explores cross-linguistic and diachronic dimensions of indefinites, investigating how pragmatic inferences become conventionalized in language through historical processes. Scientific awards: E. W. Beth Dissertation Prize (2002) for "Quantification under Conceptual Covers" As an educator, Aloni coordinates the MoL Graduation Trajectory for Master of Logic students and teaches courses including "Introduction to Logic" and specialized seminars on semantics and philosophy. She has supervised numerous Master's theses in the Logic program, with recent students exploring topics related to free choice phenomena, perspective shifts, and linguistic semantics. Her research is supported by significant grants from the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) and previously from the European Union. Aloni is a key member of the Formal Semantics & Philosophical Logic research unit at ILLC and collaborates extensively with international researchers. Her current NihiL project brings together interdisciplinary perspectives from linguistics, philosophy, and cognitive science to investigate the cognitive foundations of logical reasoning and its divergence from everyday reasoning patterns.
Professor Michael Haugh is a leading scholar in Linguistics and Applied Linguistics at the University of Queensland , with a focus on pragmatics and its intersections with intercultural communication , corpus linguistics , and digital humanities . He is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Humanities (FAHA) and co-director of the Language Technology and Data Analysis Laboratory (LADAL) . His work examines language use in context , emphasizing naturally occurring interactions and digitally-mediated communication across cultures. His research explores the local flavors of pragmatic phenomena through cross-cultural and interdisciplinary lenses, including the role of language corpora in advancing pragmatic analysis. Current projects include establishing the Language Data Commons of Australia (LDaCA) and the Australian Text Analytics Platform (ATAP) , reflecting his leadership in linguistic data infrastructure . Key Research Areas: Pragmatics and implicature Intercultural (im)politeness Conversational humor and teasing Discourse and morality Corpus-based metapragmatics Language technology applications His 15 most recent articles (2024-2025) address topics such as reproducibility in corpus linguistics , online public shaming , troubles talk , and cross-cultural humor dynamics . These publications highlight trends in digital discourse , ethical communication , and pragmatic theory . Scientific Awards: Fellow of the Australian Academy of Humanities (FAHA) Current Supervision: PhD topics on intercultural communication , conversational humor , and advice-giving in academic settings Labs & Teams: Co-director of LADAL Leadership roles in LDaCA and ATAP Collaborations with international scholars (e.g., Melody Chang, Rosina Márquez Reiter)
Claire Horisk is an Associate Professor in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Missouri, within the College of Arts and Science. Her academic career spans over two decades, including roles at Grinnell College and extensive research in philosophy of language and feminist philosophy. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a B.A. from the University of Oxford. Horisk’s research focuses on truth theory, semantics, and the intersection of language with feminist theory. Key themes include deflationism, truth-conditional semantics, and the pragmatic dimensions of language use. Her work explores how language conveys meaning beyond explicit statements, such as through jokes and derogatory expressions. Her publications span foundational topics in philosophy of language, including articles in Philosophical Studies , Philosophical Quarterly , and Mind & Language . She has received numerous awards, including the 2015 Alumnae Anniversary Award for contributions to women’s education and the 2012 Tribute to Women Honoree for promoting gender equity. Horisk teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on logic, philosophy of language, and gender studies. She has advised numerous students and served on thesis/dissertation committees, contributing to the academic development of future scholars. Her professional service includes roles on departmental committees, grant panels, and mentoring early-career philosophers. Her current projects include a book on the pragmatics of demeaning jokes, exploring how such humor conveys derogatory messages through conversational implicature. This work bridges philosophy of language with ethical and social critique.
Whitney Gegg-Harrison is an Associate Professor in the Writing, Speaking, and Argument Program at the University of Rochester. Her work bridges cognitive science, linguistics, and writing pedagogy, emphasizing how language reflects and shapes thought. She holds a PhD in Brain and Cognitive Sciences from the University of Rochester (2014), with earlier degrees from The Ohio State University (BS in Linguistics/Computer Science and MS in Computational Linguistics). Her teaching spans foundational first-year writing courses exploring language and cognition to advanced seminars on AI and writing. Notable courses include Language as a Window into the Mind (since 2010) and Writing about and with Artificial Intelligence (launched 2023). She designs curricula that integrate critical AI literacy and cognitive science principles. Research interests include cognitive processes in writing, AI's impact on communication, and inclusive pedagogy. She has published widely on reference resolution, discourse processing, and flow in writing. Her 2024 article A Multidisciplinary Exploration into Flow in Writing examines how cognitive states influence writing productivity. In 2023, she received the prestigious Goergen Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching. She is a sought-after speaker, including a 2024 invited seminar at Smith College on generative AI and writing. Her work appears in venues like Taylor and Francis and TextGenEd’s open-access resources. Gegg-Harrison collaborates with faculty across disciplines, offering workshops on AI-informed writing pedagogy and feedback strategies. Her office is in Rush Rhees Library (G121-H), and she emphasizes accessibility and student-centered learning.
Henri LE PRIEULT is a Professor at the University of Toulouse, affiliated with the Center for Anglophone Studies (CAS) and the Department of English-Speaking World Studies. His academic work spans English linguistics, enunciative linguistics, the history of ideas, and the didactics of English. He has held significant editorial and research leadership roles, including serving as the editorial director of the journal Anglophonia and leading interdisciplinary research seminars. Doctorate (1992), University of Toulouse 2-Le Mirail Habilitation to Supervise Research (2006), University of Bordeaux 3 Lecturer (1994), University of Toulouse 2-Le Mirail Professor (2008), University of Toulouse 2-Le Mirail His research interests include enunciative linguistics, the history of English grammar, modalization, discourse strategies, and the sociocultural dimensions of language. He has made significant contributions to the understanding of linguistic accommodation, argumentation, and the digital representation of grammar. His interdisciplinary approach bridges linguistics, history, and pedagogy. The most recent publications reflect a sustained engagement with core themes: the evolution of grammatical thought, pragmatic and discourse-level phenomena, and the social practices of English. His work frequently appears in special issues of Anglophonia , often as editor or co-editor, covering topics such as voice quality, e-grammars, and interdisciplinary argumentation. Editorial director, Anglophonia journal Head of sub-axis (Axis 1), CAS Member of the CAS council Responsible for the “CAS Ling” cross-disciplinary seminar LE PRIEULT has advised and collaborated with numerous scholars and has led multiple collective publications. His work is deeply embedded in the research culture of the Centre for Anglophone Studies, where he continues to shape research agendas and mentor junior researchers through editorial and seminar leadership. He is associated with research groups such as IDEA (Interdisciplinarity in English Studies) and HLLI (Unit for Research on History, Languages, Literatures, and Interculturality), and his publications appear in the Anglophonia and Caliban series, published by Presses Universitaires du Mirail (PUM) and Presses universitaires du Midi.
Eros Corazza is a Professor in the Philosophy and Cognitive Science Departments at Carleton University, specializing in the philosophy of language, mind, and cognitive science. His work examines the semantics/pragmatics interface, anaphoric resolution, minimalism, and indexicality. Educated at the University of Geneva and Indiana University, he held post-doctoral positions at Stanford and faculty roles at the University of Nottingham before joining Carleton in 2005. Doctorat ès lettres (University of Geneva) M.A. (Indiana University) Licence ès lettres (University of Geneva) His research spans: Philosophy of Mind: Simulation theory, mindreading Linguistics: Anaphoric resolution, minimalism/contextualism Philosophy of Language: Reference, pragmatic/semantics Philosophy of Cognitive Science: Evolutionary psychology, language acquisition Recent publications explore metaphorical proper names, cognitive dynamics, and Fregean identity. Awards include the Ikerbasque Fellowship, SSHRC Canada Grant, and numerous Swiss and French research fellowships. He has supervised graduate students including Albert Atkin, Jonathan Gorvett, and Robert Thomson.
Dr. Debra Aarons is a Senior Lecturer in Linguistics within the School of Humanities & Languages at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), specializing in the linguistic analysis of humor and signed language linguistics. With a distinguished academic career spanning decades, she has established herself as a leading researcher at the intersection of language structure, cultural expression, and comedic performance. Her educational background includes: BA (Majors English and Philosophy) from Witwatersrand University (1976) BA Honours (English Literature) from Witwatersrand University (1977) Higher Dip. Ed PG from Witwatersrand University (1979) BA Honours (Applied Linguistics) from Witwatersrand University (1986) PhD (Applied Linguistics) from Boston University (1994) Dr. Aarons' research centers on the linguistic structures of humor , examining both formal grammatical properties and pragmatic dimensions of jokes and comedic performance. She investigates how linguistic play reveals tacit knowledge of language systems and how cultural contexts shape humorous expression. Her work spans multiple domains including standup comedy analysis, Jewish comedy traditions, and language play in both spoken and signed modalities. Earlier in her career, she made significant contributions to South African Sign Language linguistics , examining syntactic structures, sociolinguistic variation, and educational inclusion for deaf communities. Analysis of her publication record reveals a clear evolution from foundational work in sign language linguistics to her current specialization in humor studies, while maintaining connections between these fields through her interest in language structure. Recent publications demonstrate particular focus on socially critical standup comedy, with detailed analyses of performers like Sarah Silverman and examinations of Jewish comedy traditions across historical contexts. Her work consistently bridges theoretical linguistics with cultural analysis, revealing how language structures underpin comedic expression across diverse media and social settings. Her scholarly recognition includes: British Council Scholarship (Lancaster UK, 1986) Fulbright Scholarship (Boston University, 1987) University of Bologna, Senior Visiting Fellowship (2017) Dr. Aarons maintains an active research program with ongoing collaborative projects, particularly with Marc Mierowsky. She is currently co-authoring a monograph titled 'Playing with Food and Language: Eating, Joking and Disgust' with Delia Chiaro for Taylor and Francis. Her research methodology combines rigorous linguistic analysis with cultural context, examining how language structures facilitate humor across different communicative settings. Though specific laboratory structures aren't detailed, her collaborative publication pattern suggests active research partnerships across disciplines. Her work bridges linguistics with cultural studies, performance studies, and cognitive science, creating a multidisciplinary approach to understanding the complex relationship between language structure and humorous expression.
Dr. Anton Benz is a Senior Researcher at Leibniz-Zentrum Allgemeine Sprachwissenschaft specializing in game-theoretic approaches to pragmatics. As principal investigator of the 'Linguistic Meaning and Bayesian Modelling' project, he develops formal models of conversational implicature and question-answer systems. His research combines game theory, experimental methods, and computational modeling to understand how meaning is negotiated in dialogue. He has led multiple DFG-funded projects including SIGames (Experimental Game Theory and Scalar Implicatures) and BAPAGiD (Bayesian Answer Generation).
Dr. Stephanie Solt is a Researcher in the Research Area 4 'Semantics & Pragmatics' at the Leibniz-Zentrum Allgemeine Sprachwissenschaft (ZAS), Berlin. She leads DFG-funded projects such as A05 'Modeling Semantic Register Differences' within the CRC 1412 'Register: Language-Users' Knowledge of Situational-Functional Variation' and DegAtt 'Degree Attenuators'. Her research focuses on semantics/pragmatics of quantity/degree expressions, scale structures, and experimental semantics, particularly investigating polarity elements and register variation. Solt holds a PhD from CUNY (2009) and has extensive experience in academic research since 2001. She has collaborated on studies exploring numerical expression precision, social meaning, and cross-linguistic register phenomena. Education: PhD in Linguistics (2009), City University of New York (CUNY) M.A./B.A. in Linguistics/Mathematics (SUNY New Paltz, 2001) Research Projects: DFG CRC 1412 A05 (2020–present): Analyzes register-driven semantic variation DFG DegAtt (2016–2020): Studies attenuating polarity elements Key Research Areas: Experimental semantics, scalar implicature, pragmatic reasoning about precision, sociopragmatic effects of linguistic choices, and the cognitive modeling of register knowledge. Labs/Teams: Active in the ZAS Research Area 4 and collaborates with interdisciplinary teams in the CRC 1412.
Loukia Lindholm is a researcher at Åbo Akademi University , affiliated with the Faculty of Arts, Psychology and Theology and the Languages department. Her work centers on discourse analysis , pragmatics , and computer-mediated communication , with a focus on online communities and multimodal interaction . Education: PhD in Linguistics (2010) Research interests include response stories in digital advisory practices , moral stance , and temporal expressions in virtual performatives . Her recent work explores reaction GIFs and online peer advice forums for parenting. Publications span topics like online nicknames , authenticity in user-generated reviews , and feedback mechanisms . Key projects: Investigating online communities and practices (2021–2024) and Core financing (2024). She has received the Åbo Akademi Studentkårens rose (2022) for student support. Recent activities include presenting at the II International Conference on Verbal Humour (2024) and organizing workshops on user-generated content . Media coverage highlights her findings on online parenting discourse and authenticity in reviews .
Sabina Tabacaru is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Linguistics at the University of Paris 8. She holds a doctoral degree from the University of Lille (co-supervised with the University of Leuven) and previously served as an Assistant Professor in China. Her research focuses on cognitive linguistics, particularly the analysis of humorous discourse and sarcasm, emphasizing multimodal aspects such as facial expressions and gestures. Key research areas include pragmatics, discourse analysis, and emotion studies. Her academic journey includes a transition to Paris 8 in 2017 as a Lecturer in Linguistics. She has published extensively on sarcasm detection through multimodal cues, with works analyzing presidential debates, television series, and theoretical frameworks in humor studies. Notable contributions include A multimodal study of sarcasm in interaction (2019) and Faces of sarcasm (2020). Her publications span peer-reviewed journals like Pragmatics & Cognition and The European Journal of Humor Research , alongside book chapters and reviews in CADAAD and Linguist List . Her work bridges theoretical linguistics with empirical analysis of humor in both scripted and unscripted contexts.
Maria Aloni is Associate Professor at the Department of Philosophy and Institute for Logic, Language and Computation (ILLC) of the University of Amsterdam. From 2015-2020, she served as programme director of the MSc Logic at ILLC (considered one of the best master's programs in logic globally), and since 2019 has chaired the Logic and Language group at the Department of Philosophy. Her research focuses on: Formal semantics and pragmatics Philosophical logic and philosophy of language Quantification, identity, reference, and anaphora Indefinites, disjunction, modality, and questions Imperatives and conversational implicatures Aloni's scholarly contributions span theoretical frameworks connecting linguistic theory with logical analysis, with particular attention to how meaning is constructed and interpreted in natural language. Her work demonstrates how formal methods can illuminate philosophical questions about language. Her notable achievements include: E. W. Beth Dissertation Prize (2001) NWO Veni grant (200,000 euros, 2004) NWO Vidi grant (600,000 euros, 2007) Maria Aloni maintains active leadership roles in the academic community as associate editor of the Journal of Semantics (since 2009) and editorial board member of Semantics and Pragmatics (since 2007). She organized the Amsterdam Colloquium in 2009, 2011, and 2013, and co-edited the Cambridge Handbook of Formal Semantics (2016) with Paul Dekker.
Raj Singh is an Associate Professor in the Department of Cognitive Science at Carleton University, affiliated with the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. He holds a PhD from MIT and specializes in Semantics, Pragmatics, Psycholinguistics, and Philosophical Logic. His research explores topics such as presupposition accommodation, scalar implicatures, and experimental methods in semantics. Education: PhD in Linguistics, MIT Research interests include formal semantics, the interface between syntax and semantics, and experimental approaches to pragmatic reasoning. Notably, he investigates how contextual factors influence presupposition resolution and implicature computation. His work often employs interdisciplinary methods, combining formal analysis with psycholinguistic experiments. Collaborations with researchers like Roni Katzir, Ida Toivonen, and others highlight his contributions to understanding linguistic structure and cognitive processing. His research has been published in leading journals like Natural Language Semantics , Journal of Semantics , and Frontiers in Psychology . Labs/Teams: While no specific lab is mentioned, his work aligns with the broader activities of Carleton’s Institute of Cognitive Science.
Hai Hu is an Assistant Professor in the Translation Department at Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU), specializing in Computational Linguistics and Natural Language Processing (NLP). He leads the Computational Linguistics (CL) lab at SJTU's School of Foreign Languages, focusing on computational modeling of human language aspects (syntax, semantics, pragmatics), NLP evaluation with linguistically oriented benchmarks, and comparisons between human language acquisition and machine learning. Education: PhD in (Computational) Linguistics from Indiana University Bloomington (IU), advised by Larry Moss and Sandra Kübler. BA in English and MA in English Linguistics from Renmin University of China. Exchange at Universität Tübingen. Research interests include natural language inference, Chinese linguistics, language variation, corpus annotation, and stylistic properties of translations. The CL lab actively recruits students with backgrounds in linguistics, computer science, translation, and cognitive science. Lab members work on projects involving deep learning servers for training state-of-the-art language models. Key contributions include the CoLAC corpus (Chinese linguistic acceptability), ZhoBLiMP (systematic Chinese NLP benchmarks), and MELA (multilingual acceptability evaluation). His work explores cross-lingual transfer learning in models like XLM-R and evaluates language models through linguistically rigorous tests. Awards: Highlight Paper Award at CCL 2024 for work on conversational implicature in Chinese sitcoms. Extensive publication record in top venues like Computational Linguistics, ACL, and COLING.
