Hello! I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Linguistics and Cognitive Science at the University of Delaware.

In my work I investigate how people assemble, exchange and interpret meaning when using language. I’m especially interested in understanding how specific words affect the meaning of sentences and utterances; how interlocutors perceive each other’s identity and personality when engaging un conversation; and the relationship between meaning interpretation and other activities central to human communication — such as building common ground, forging social relations, and expressing agreement or disagreement. You can find more information about my work as an instructor on my Research page.

Similarly, I strive to infuse the same cross-disciplinary curiosity and interests in all my endeavors as a teacher and a mentor. At Delaware, I teach classes covering a wide range of topics, including sociolinguistics, semantics and pragmatics, linguistic theory and language development. You can find more information about my work as an instructor on my Teaching page.