When we listen to someone talk, we not only attempt to understand the meanings of the words they are saying, but we also make inferences about the speaker based on aspects of their speech. My work examines the intersection of these two processes. In general, I ask: What do listeners expect, understand, evaluate, and remember about others’ speech, particularly when that speech sounds different than their own? What factors influence these processes? In this way, I am fundamentally interested in variability, from variability in the speech signal (from different talkers, native languages, accents, styles, contexts, etc.) to variability introduced by the listener (their experiences, attitudes, biases, and attentional states), particularly when that variability is socially meaningful.

In other words, I study the cognitive aspects of sociolinguistics, or, the social aspects of speech processing. To do this takes an interdisciplinary approach; I use methodologies and insights from phonetics, sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, speech science, cognitive psychology, and social psychology. I have a strong applied angle to this work, aiming to reduce discrimination toward marginalized speakers. 

Other research areas include: prediction and expectation in language comprehension; social meaning across the lifespan; voice identification and memory; sociophonetics; phonetic category learning; machine learning.

For more information, see my research projects, or my CV.

I also lead several projects and consult on publicly-engaged science and science communication. I love training students, and researchers at all stages, in sharing their passion for (language) science with the public. 

See the Language Science Station website for more on my NSF-funded project engaging visitors to a language museum in language science research. 

See the Public Engagement and Research as Engagement pages on this site for more on my approach to and experience with publicly-engaged science.