Satoshi Tomioka is a Professor in the Department of Linguistics and Cognitive Science at the University of Delaware, affiliated with the College of Arts & Sciences. He holds a B.A. from International Christian University (Tokyo) and a Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. His expertise spans semantics, pragmatics, syntax, and prosody, with a focus on Japanese and comparative East Asian linguistics. Education: B.A. in Liberal Arts (1987), International Christian University; Ph.D. in Linguistics (1997), University of Massachusetts Amherst. Research interests include ellipsis, anaphora, wh-interrogatives, distributivity, and contrastiveness. He investigates how prosody interacts with syntax and semantics in Japanese, exploring topics like focus marking, intervention effects, and scalar implicatures. Recent work examines associative plurals and pragmatic disambiguation in embedded questions. Publications analyze theoretical and empirical questions in linguistic interfaces, such as Bare quotatives as embedded speech acts (2024) and Focus without pitch boost (2022). His work bridges formal semantics and experimental approaches, addressing challenges in cross-linguistic typology and cognitive aspects of language processing.
Elaine J. Francis is a Professor of English and Linguistics at Purdue University, where she also serves as the Associate Head of the Department of English. She holds affiliate appointments in the Department of Linguistics and the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences. At Purdue, she directs the Experimental Linguistics Lab and teaches linguistics courses at both graduate and undergraduate levels. Francis completed her B.A. in Linguistics at the College of William and Mary in 1993, followed by her M.A. (1995) and Ph.D. (1999) in Linguistics at the University of Chicago under the direction of Salikoko Mufwene. Her dissertation examined variation among members of the same lexical category in English using Sadock's Autolexical Grammar framework. Prior to joining Purdue in 2003, she served as an Assistant Professor at the University of Hong Kong from 1999 to 2002, where she collaborated with Stephen Matthews on research concerning syntactic categories and relative clauses in Cantonese. Her research focuses on syntax and its interfaces with semantics, discourse information structure, and language processing in production and comprehension. Francis employs experimental methods to investigate syntactic, semantic, discourse-pragmatic, and cognitive factors underlying the grammar and usage of complex sentence structures. Her specific interests include word order alternations, filler-gap dependencies, resumptive pronouns, relative clauses, grammatical categories, and syntactic alternations. She has published extensively in top linguistics journals including Language and Cognition, Glossa Psycholinguistics, Linguistics, Lingua, Cognitive Linguistics, and the Journal of Psycholinguistic Research. Analyzing her recent publications reveals a consistent focus on experimental approaches to syntactic phenomena. Her work demonstrates a strong interest in gradient acceptability, syntactic priming, cross-linguistic comparison (particularly involving English and Cantonese), and the relationship between grammatical theory and language processing. Her 2022 book Gradient Acceptability and Linguistic Theory represents a major contribution that synthesizes experimental findings with theoretical linguistics frameworks. Francis plays an active role in the broader linguistics community. She regularly teaches short courses at the Linguistic Society of America Linguistic Institutes, serves on the LSA Ethics Committee, and is on the editorial board of Glossa Psycholinguistics. She has also edited several books and special journal issues, including Mismatch: Form-Function Incongruity and the Architecture of Grammar (2003) and Polymorphous Linguistics: Jim McCawley's Legacy (2005). As an educator and administrator, Francis has supervised numerous graduate students and currently serves as Associate Head of the Department of English at Purdue. Her Experimental Linguistics Lab provides research opportunities for students interested in the intersection of theoretical syntax and experimental methodology. While she recently announced she will not be accepting new graduate students for the 2025-2026 cycle, her established mentorship record demonstrates her commitment to training the next generation of linguists. The Experimental Linguistics Lab, which she directs, serves as a hub for research combining theoretical linguistics with experimental methods. Her collaborative work extends across disciplines, including collaborations with researchers in speech-language pathology, cognitive science, and computational linguistics, reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of modern linguistic research.
Kyle Johnson is a Professor and Curriculum Committee Chair in the Department of Linguistics at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, located in Integrative Learning Center N440. He holds a BA in Psychology from the University of California-Irvine (1981) and a PhD in Linguistics from MIT (1985). His research focuses on formal syntactic theory, particularly the interaction between syntax and prosody/semantics, with attention to real-time sentence processing evidence. He has taught at multiple institutions including UC-Irvine, UCLA, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and McGill University before joining UMass. Current courses include LING 301 (Introduction to Syntax) and LING 601 (Transformational Grammar). His work emphasizes syntactic derivations, linearization, ellipsis phenomena (gapping, stripping), and the empirical adequacy of formal syntactic theories. Selected recent contributions include analyses of Principle B derivation, prosodic spell-out mechanisms, and theta-role theory. He maintains an active publication schedule with over three decades of work in top journals like Linguistic Inquiry and Nordlyd , addressing topics ranging from adjunct islands to multidominant movement theories. His research combines theoretical innovation with experimental plausibility, often challenging traditional assumptions in generative syntax. Teaching responsibilities include both undergraduate and graduate syntax courses, with supplementary materials like Transformational Grammar lecture notes and a comprehensive bib file for researchers. Office hours are scheduled via his online calendar with a preference for in-person meetings.
Jonathan David Bobaljik is a leading linguist whose research spans formal syntax, phonology, and the documentation of endangered languages, particularly Itelmen. He is actively involved in multiple international research collaborations and regularly presents at major linguistic conferences across Europe and North America. His work is published in top journals such as Natural Language and Linguistic Theory and Language . His research interests lie at the intersection of theoretical and descriptive linguistics. He investigates universal patterns in morphology and syntax, including suppletion, vowel harmony, ergativity, and control structures, often using data from understudied languages like Itelmen. His work combines rigorous formal analysis with deep empirical grounding in language documentation. The recent publications reflect a strong trend toward integrating typological diversity with formal theory. Key areas include morphosyntactic universals (e.g., suppletion in pronouns), information structure in verb-final languages, and the phonology of ejective consonants. There is also a growing emphasis on sociolinguistic and community-based aspects, as seen in collaborative work on language revitalization and the social life of the Itelmen language. He has received recognition through numerous scholarly publications and invited talks, though specific awards are not listed in the provided text. His collaborative projects suggest active grant involvement, particularly in language documentation and cross-linguistic typology. Bobaljik plays a central role in the Itelmen documentation and revitalization project, contributing to the creation of a dictionary app, the publication of historical manuscripts, and public exhibits on Siberian Indigenous knowledge. He collaborates with a team including David Koester, Chikako Ono, Tatiana Degai, and Maria Pupynina.
Maite Taboada is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Linguistics at Simon Fraser University (SFU), directing the Discourse Processing Lab. She is also an Associate Member of the Cognitive Science Program and School of Computing Science, and affiliated with the Digital Democracies Institute and Visual and Interactive Computing Institute. Her research bridges discourse analysis and computational linguistics, focusing on mechanisms of coherence, discourse parsing, and sentiment analysis. Key projects include analyzing online news comments (SOCC corpus), detecting misinformation (MisInfoText), and monitoring gender representation in media (Gender Gap Tracker/Radar de Parité). Notable research interests span toxic language detection, constructive dialogue systems, and interdisciplinary work between social sciences and engineering. She has led projects funded by SFU and collaborated with organizations like Informed Opinion. Her awards include Fellowship in the Royal Society of Canada. Key contributions include developing the SFU Opinion and Comments Corpus, systems for comment moderation, and frameworks for gender bias analysis using topic modeling. Her work integrates theoretical discourse analysis with applied computational methods, addressing societal challenges like media bias and misinformation.
Alexander Key is an Associate Professor of Comparative Literature at Stanford University, specializing in Classical Arabic literature and the intellectual history of Arabic and Persian-speaking worlds from the 7th century onwards. His scholarship focuses on the philosophy of language, literary theory, and cross-cultural translation. Ph.D. in Arabic and Islamic Studies from Harvard University (2012) Current research: Arabo-Persian linguistic intersections, poetics in translation, and pre-modern theories of syntax and affect His articles span diverse eras and topics, including: Medieval Arabic language philosophy (5th–11th century) Modern Arabic political poetry analysis (20th–21st century) Comparative methodologies bridging Islamic and Western traditions A key editorial role includes: Board Member of Stanford University Press Advisory roles at Habib University and Stanford’s Markaz Resource Center His work bridges academic publication with public discourse through: Contributions to Arcade Colloquy Interviews on poetics, religion, and contemporary politics Podcasts and literary salon discussions
Dylan Hadfield-Menell is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, holding the Bonnie and Marty (1964) Tenenbaum Career Development Professorship. His research focuses on AI alignment and human-AI interaction within MIT's School of Engineering. His research interests center on agent alignment problems in AI systems, particularly examining uncertainty in objective optimization for human-robot teams and societal oversight of machine learning systems. Key areas include the principal-agent alignment problem , assistance games frameworks , and robust preference learning that accounts for hidden contextual factors in reinforcement learning from human feedback. His recent publications reveal strong trends toward multi-agent cooperation , formal contract mechanisms for resolving social dilemmas, and advanced evaluation methodologies for AI safety. The research spans theoretical frameworks like open-universe assistance games while addressing practical challenges in language model alignment and cultural bias assessment. Scientific awards include: AI2050 Early Career Fellowship from Schmidt Futures Berkeley Fellowship NSF Graduate Research Fellowship C.V. Ramamoorthy Distinguished Research Award His work bridges theoretical computer science with real-world AI governance challenges, as demonstrated through MIT's participation in AI policy white papers. Current research directions include developing frameworks for transparent AI systems and addressing fundamental limitations in aligning recommender systems with human values through interdisciplinary synthesis.
Mark Baker is a Professor of Linguistics and Cognitive Science at Rutgers University. His work focuses on comparative syntax, linguistic universals, semantic roles, and the study of Amerindian and African languages. He holds the title of Distinguished Professor and maintains an office in Scott Hall. As of 2021, his office hours were by appointment due to sabbatical leave. His research interests include syntactic diversity, its limits, and patterns across languages. Notable themes in his work involve logophoric pronouns, switch-reference mechanisms, and the relationship between case systems and agreement structures. He has contributed to discussions on language typology, formal syntax, and the cognitive foundations of linguistic structures. Baker teaches advanced syntax courses and has published extensively on topics ranging from Panoan languages to theoretical models in generative grammar. His recent articles explore syntactic variation, morphosyntactic alignment, and interdisciplinary connections between linguistics and cognitive science. He serves on editorial boards and has reviewed for journals such as Journal of East Asian Linguistics and Yearbook of Corpus Linguistics and Pragmatics . His work bridges formal linguistic theory with empirical cross-linguistic analysis, emphasizing the interplay between universal grammatical principles and lineage-specific traits.
Prof. Khalil Sima'an serves as Professor of Computational Linguistics and Vice Director of Education at the Institute for Logic, Language and Computation (ILLC), University of Amsterdam, within the Faculty of Science. He joined as Assistant Professor in 2003, advanced to Associate Professor in 2011, and attained Full Professorship in 2014. His academic foundation includes a PhD in Computational Linguistics from Utrecht University, establishing his expertise in formal language modeling. Prof. Sima'an's research drives innovation in Computational Linguistics through rigorous exploration of syntactic structures, semantic processing, and machine translation systems. His work bridges theoretical frameworks with practical NLP applications, particularly in parsing technologies and multilingual processing, positioning him as a key contributor to European language technology initiatives. His distinguished recognition includes: Royal Netherlands Academy for Arts and Sciences (KNAW) Fellowship NWO Vidi Grant (2006) for pioneering early-career research NWO Vici Grant (2013) for groundbreaking senior research leadership He actively shapes the field through editorial stewardship of Machine Translation and Journal of Natural Language Engineering , alongside pivotal conference roles including MT Summit XIV Chair (2013) and ACL 2010 area chair for syntax/parsing. As core faculty in the Natural Language Processing & Digital Humanities (NLP&DH) research group, he advances collaborative projects integrating computational methods with humanities scholarship at LAB42's interdisciplinary hub.
Ethan Poole is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Linguistics at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). His research focuses on syntax, the syntax-semantics interface, and morphological case, particularly in Finnish. Key areas include reconstruction effects, quirky subjects, and cross-clausal dependencies, with recent work on the Williams Cycle and Hindi-Urdu binding. His research interests span syntactic movement interpretation, morphological case (especially Finnish), and quirky subjects. He explores topics like embedding, intervention effects in tough-constructions, and NPI grammaticality illusions. Collaborative work includes studies on Hindi-Urdu scrambling and tough-constructions. His articles analyze reconstruction effects, trace semantics, and syntactic phases, reflecting a focus on formal syntax and interface constraints. Notable themes include case assignment mechanisms and the theoretical implications of syntactic movement for semantic interpretation. No specific scientific awards or grants are listed in the provided information. He advises no students in the given data. His work contributes to foundational questions in syntactic theory and cross-linguistic variation.
Prof. Dennis Komm is an Associate Professor at ETH Zurich's Department of Computer Science, leading the group for Algorithms and Didactics. He chairs the Center for Computer Science Education (ABZ) and serves on committees such as the Swiss Maturity Board (Schweizerische Maturitätskommission) and the STEM Commission of the Swiss Academies. Previously, he held roles at RWTH Aachen University (Master's, 2008), ETH Zurich (PhD, 2012), University of Zurich (external lecturer, 2014–2020), and PH Graubünden (including department head and professor of 'Fachdidaktik Informatik'). Education: He completed a Master's in Computer Science at RWTH Aachen (2008), a PhD at ETH Zurich (2012), and studies in Information Technology at Queensland University of Technology (2006). His academic journey includes visiting roles at King's College, Stanford, and Comenius University. He has taught extensively across institutions, emphasizing Python and LOGO-based approaches for beginners. Research focuses on algorithm design, approximation algorithms, reoptimization, and advice complexity in theoretical CS. His work in education explores computational thinking, programming pedagogy (especially for K–12), and interdisciplinary approaches (e.g., robotics in math). Recent trends in his articles highlight advancements in online algorithms, optimization under dynamic conditions, and initiatives to integrate CS into Swiss school curricula sustainably. He actively promotes CS education through platforms like WebTigerPython and collaborates on projects such as CyberQuest and MINTerlink. His outreach includes organizing conferences (e.g., STIU 2025) and workshops on programming and cybersecurity for teachers and students. Despite no listed scientific awards, his contributions to education and theoretical CS are recognized through editorial roles in journals like Informatics in Education and contributions to the TigerJython Group. Grant-related advising includes co-supervising doctoral theses on robotics, USOs, and programming didactics. He advocates for equitable educational opportunities via the Passerelle exam and the Swiss Beaver Competition. His team's work spans teacher training, didactic certifications, and bridging university-school collaborations through initiatives like MINTerlink. Labs and teams: Head of ABZ (ETH's CS education center), collaborator with the Computational Robotics Lab, and part of the TigerJython Group. He also co-organizes the Colloquium on Mathematics, Computer Science, and Education with ETH's Mathematics Department.
Tim Van de Cruys is a Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Arts, KU Leuven, serving as Head of the Centre for Computational Linguistics (CCL). He maintains significant affiliations with LECTIO (KU Leuven Institute for the Study of the Transmission of Texts, Ideas and Images), Leuven.AI (KU Leuven Institute for Artificial Intelligence), and LILI (KU Leuven Interdisciplinary Language Institute). His work bridges computational linguistics, artificial intelligence, and humanities research with practical applications across multiple disciplines. Dr. Van de Cruys specializes in computational semantics and creative language generation, with particular expertise in applying NLP techniques to historical and classical texts. His research spans multiple domains including: Natural Language Processing for ancient languages (Latin, Ancient Greek) Computational approaches to lexical and compositional semantics Large language models and their applications in humanities research Creative language generation and human-AI collaboration Named entity recognition and disambiguation in historical contexts Non-autoregressive modeling for sequential generation tasks His recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on applying cutting-edge NLP techniques to humanities challenges, particularly in processing ancient languages. He frequently employs transformer models to address named entity recognition, word sense discrimination, and semantic analysis in low-resource language contexts. His work consistently bridges formal linguistic theory with practical computational applications, creating valuable tools for digital humanities scholars. As promotor and co-promotor on numerous research projects extending through 2029, Dr. Van de Cruys supervises PhD students working at the AI-humanities intersection. His current major projects include "Living Corpora" (exploring human-AI collaboration in digital humanities), "Stochastic processes and non-autoregressive models for sequential generation," and "NIKAW" (exploring knowledge networks from classical antiquity). These projects demonstrate his commitment to advancing both theoretical understanding and practical applications of computational linguistics. He teaches various courses including Computational Linguistics, Scripting Languages, Programming for Humanities, Computational Creativity, and AI for Humanities, training students to work at this critical interdisciplinary crossroads. His leadership of the Centre for Computational Linguistics positions him at the forefront of computational linguistics research in Belgium, where he continues to expand the boundaries of what's possible at the intersection of language, computation, and humanistic inquiry.
Professor Aditi Lahiri is a Research Professor of Linguistics at the University of Oxford's Faculty of Linguistics, Philology and Phonetics. She holds positions in the Centre for Linguistics and Philology and directs the Language and Brain Laboratory. Her research focuses on phonology, phonetics, historical linguistics, psycholinguistics, and neurolinguistics, with special expertise in metrical theory, feature theory, and morphological complexity. Education : BA (Mathematics, Economics) from University of Calcutta (1971); MA (Comparative Philology) from University of Calcutta (1973); DPhil (Comparative Philology and Linguistics) from University of Calcutta (1979); PhD (Linguistics) from Brown University (1982). Research Interests : Her work spans experimental and theoretical linguistics, including prosodic phrasing, lexical representation, language change, and neural correlates of phonological processing. Key areas include: Metrical phonology and historical sound change Cognitive representation of speech sounds Morphological complexity in the mental lexicon Speech perception and production mechanisms Recent Research Trends : Over the past decade, her publications emphasize cross-disciplinary approaches, integrating experimental psycholinguistics with computational modeling (e.g., ERC-funded projects on morphophonological alternations). Recent work explores language processing in multilingual speakers and the neural basis of phonological features. Awards : Recipient of prestigious awards including the Leibniz Prize (2000), Max Planck Research Prize (1994), and Fellow of the British Academy (2010). She serves as Vice President of the British Academy and President of the Philological Society. Grants & Leadership : Secured over €8 million in research funding, including ERC Advanced Grants (e.g., MORPHON, WORDS). Directed the DFG-funded Sonderforschungsbereich 471 (2006-2008). Established key partnerships in India through endowed scholarships and academic outreach initiatives. Labs & Collaborations : Leads the Language & Brain Laboratory, collaborating internationally on projects combining neurolinguistic methods with historical and experimental linguistics. Supervised numerous PhD students who have become leading academics globally.
Professor Ian Roberts is a faculty member at the University of Cambridge, affiliated with the Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages and Linguistics and the Department of Theoretical and Applied Linguistics. He holds the academic rank of Professor and has been a Fellow in Linguistics at Downing College since his appointment. His research focuses on theoretical linguistics, particularly comparative and historical syntax, grounded in Noam Chomsky's Universal Grammar framework. Education : BA from Bangor University, PhD from University of Southern California (USC), LittD, Fellow of the British Academy (FBA). Roberts' work investigates how grammatical systems across Germanic, Romance, and Celtic languages vary along simple parametric lines while adhering to universal constraints. His recent projects include 'Rethinking Comparative Syntax' (ERC-funded), 'Giving Voice to Digital Democracies', and parametric comparison studies. His publications span monographs and collaborative works, emphasizing syntactic universals, parametric hierarchies, and mechanisms of language change. He has supervised graduate students such as Zepu Zhang, Fanghua Zheng, and Liu Yang. Roberts has received prestigious awards, including the European Research Council Advanced Grant and multiple Cambridge Humanities Research Grants. His academic contributions extend to leadership as Head of the Theoretical and Applied Linguistics Section and involvement in research clusters like CAMPAL (Cambridge Processing and Acquisition of Language lab).
Liangming Pan is an Assistant Professor at the University of Arizona's College of Information Science. His research focuses on building trustworthy large language models (LLMs) with an emphasis on logical reasoning, truthfulness, and safety. He holds a PhD in Computer Science from the National University of Singapore (2022), a Master's from Tsinghua University, and a Bachelor's from Beihang University. Education : PhD in Computer Science, National University of Singapore (2022) Master of Engineering in Computer Science, Tsinghua University (2017) Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Science, Beihang University (2014) Research Interests : Dr. Pan's work centers on enhancing LLMs' reliability through: Logical reasoning mechanisms to ensure faithful deductions Truthfulness verification to combat misinformation Safety protocols to mitigate societal harm Key Contributions : Developed TART, an open-source framework for explainable table-based reasoning Created benchmarks like SCITAB and FactCheck-Bench for evaluating LLMs Advanced techniques for knowledge editing and causal reasoning Awards : Best Paper Runner-Up at NeurIPS Table Representation Workshop (2024) Area Chair Award for Question Answering (IJCNLP-AACL 2023) Service & Outreach : He serves as an Area Chair for EMNLP (2024), COLING (2025), and ACL (2024). He has delivered invited talks at Tsinghua University, Peking University, and other institutions.
