Research

My current research investigates the role of individual differences in grammar and psychological attitudes in language change, especially gender-neutral and nonbinary language, such as pronouns. This is accomplished through experimental studies of language perception and production and, increasingly, qualitative methods. Most of the work so far has been on English, but I am beginning to incorporate other languages. I collaborate with colleagues and students at Brandywine, the Rock Ethics Institute, and Scientific Explorations of Pronouns and Trans Acceptance (SEPTA): a consortium of linguistics researchers in the Philadelphia region.

I also remain interested in the cognitive overlap between speech and music, especially the developmental impact of lexical tone learning and musical training, and their effect on musical experiences and language learning, respectively. The Brandywine Linguistics & Music Perception (BLiMP) Lab conducts perception and learning experiments at the facilities of the Penn State Brandywine social science department labs and online.

If you’d like to participate in a study, or if you’re a student who would like to get involved in research, please check out the opportunities here and get in touch.