Joshua Birchall

My research is focused on the documentation, description and comparison of the indigenous languages of South America. I investigate the typology and diachrony of grammatical relations and other argument marking phenomena. I am currently developing multimedia dictionaries and a cultural encyclopedia with communities that speak endangered languages in southwestern Amazonia. My other ongoing research involves historical linguistics, such as phylogenetic methods, the comparative reconstruction of grammar and lexicon, and the development of lexical databases

Christian Koops

My primary research area is variationist sociolinguistics, specifically sociophonetics. I am especially interested in language and dialect contact phenomena, such as the segmental and suprasegmental features of Spanish-influenced varieties of English as well as other ethnic varieties of North American English. I am also conducting research on contact varieties of Spanish in the Americas, including New Mexican and Peruvian Spanish. In my work on Oklahoma Cherokee, I am applying phonetic methods to language revitalization in the context of the complex tone phonology of Cherokee.

Rosa Vallejos-Yopán

My research focuses on Amazonia. I pursue research in three areas of linguistics: documentary fieldwork, morphosyntax, and language contact. My fieldwork has generated a rich stream of documentation on unrelated and typological distant languages: Kukama-Kukamiria (Tupían), Secoya (Tukanoan), and Amazonian Spanish. Research on little-known languages and varieties of Spanish informs debates concerning the range of variation possible in languages, which ultimately allows the development of cross-linguistically valid theories of human language.

Marín Alemán

My research interests include trans sociolinguistics and language documentation in the Andes, particularly of Ecuadorian Kichwa, Andean Spanish, and Afro-Esmeraldeño Spanish. My current work with Dr. Vallejos focuses on prosody in Secoya.

Madrid Castillo

My research interests include language documentation, conceptualization, and typology. I am currently assisting Dr. Vallejos in the documentation of how Secoya-Spanish bilinguals talk about motion events.

Evelyn Funes

I am currently working with Dr. Joshua Birchall in transcribing and translating recordings from Spanish to English. My main interests are bilingualism and translation and I want to pursue a career in interpretation.

Ivette González

I investigate the grammar of Pa Ipai, a critically endangered Yuman language spoken in Santa Catarina, Baja California, Mexico. My research contributes to the broader understanding of Yuman languages within North American linguistic diversity.

Frances Jones

My research interests include language contact, language variation, and language documentation. My primary focus is on language use in New Mexico.

Akasha Khalsa

My research focuses on language documentation for community-directed language reclamation and revitalization efforts. I'm currently completing a thesis describing the dormant Amazonian language Torá from archival materials.

Bethany Lycan

My primary interests include usage-based syntax, typology, and language revitalization.

Alyssa-Marie Sanchez

My research interests involve the languages of the Philippines, particularly Bikol, a language of the Central Philippines. I am interested in morphosyntax, voice, and alignment, as well as the typological similarities and differences languages have within these areas.

Nick Underwood

I assist Dr. Vallejos in several projects, including demostrative use and language change among Secoya-Spanish bilinguals. I want to pursue a career in Navajo linguistics and other indigenous languages.