I have always had an interest in how phonological representations are shaped by a diverse range of factors, including perception, articulation, acquisition, identity, culture, and context. In general, I enjoy tackling challenging analytical problems that test the limits of phonological models.

One of my primary research interests is reduplication, with a focus on variation in the shape, position, and function of reduplicative morpho-phonology within and across languages.  This motivates a typologically-driven approach to reduplication, Morpho-Prosodic Alignment, which models multi-pattern languages with minimal formal principles.  It also captures stem-driven allomorphic alternations, and reflects a relationship between morpheme size, lexical content, and grammatical function. 

Another research area is the study of phonetic and phonological properties of vowel inventories in English dialects, with recent work on California English.  Vowels of dialects differ from each other in quantifiable phonetic dimensions like formant structure and diphthong shapes, but the deeper curiosity for me here is the relationship between these factors and phonological notions of contrast and alternation.

I also have a strong interest in the form, usage, and social meaning of names and nicknames, especially those that function as both reference and address. This pursuit has drawn me into a broader domain of language and sports, where the study of register and structural repertoire illustrates the effect of sporting contexts on linguistic structures and vice versa.

Education

2003 Ph.D, University of Arizona

Current Projects

• Allomorphy and isomorphy in reduplication
• Phonological and phonetic aspects of vowel contrasts across English dialects
• Phonological effects on phonetic phenomena
• Register and repertoire in the language of sports
• Form and function in nicknames