About Me

My friends laughing at me while I am working Sago

I am a graduate student in Cognitive Linguistics at Case Western Reserve University, focusing on attention, construal, identity, and how they converge in physical space and the descriptions of space.

Currently I am conducting experimental fieldwork on a National Park Service Scientific Research permit.  Other research includes:

  • the conceptualization of wayfinding in urban environments,
  • interaction with nautical charts and topographical maps,
  • fictive motion in natural discourse,
  • discourse studies of spatial language in geographic texts, and
  • comparative studies of Hebrew spatial language.

You can view my seminar papers and other research here, and you can follow my academic work here.

Additionally, drawing on my background in generative linguistics and anthropological linguistics I am interested in working within a cognitive framework to contribute to the methodology of field linguistics and documenting endangered languages.  I have considerable field experience in West Africa and some experience in the South Pacific where I engaged in discourse studies and ethnographic research as an intern.

While working in Papua New Guinea an anthropologist said this to me: “Relationship is everything, and giving is the basis of relationship.”  The past 10 years of my life have been influenced by that small sentence which has helped me to understand systems theory, culture, identity, language, art, community, and myself.

This blog is me sharing, contributing, giving, and expecting a relationship in return.  If you like this blog, consider following my Twitter account: @SportLinguist and consider making a private & secure donation.

Thanks for reading.