We are pleased to introduce four PhD students who joined the department in Fall 2024. They each have unique backgrounds and research interests, and we are excited to see what they accomplish over the next few years!
Ryan Chon
Ryan has a general interest in endangered and minority languages. At Boston University, he researched language attitudes in Northern Italy and the historical phonology of the Pahoturi languages of Papua New Guinea. At UW, his research will explore how various languages employ nasal-oral alternations in their phonologies. His interest in sounds, history, and culture is also evident in his hobbies, which include classical piano, reading fantasy novels, and visiting museums.
Jingnong Qu
Jingnong was previously a student in Computer Science and Linguistics and Computer Science at UCLA. His current research interests lie at the intersection of computational linguistics and semantics. Outside of research, Jingnong likes going to museums, driving around, and watching shows of all kinds.
Chenxi Wally Li
Chenxi likes languages, gym training, and video games. He enjoys hiking and playing board games with friends. Chenxi loves pets–while he doesn’t have any pets himself, he’s lucky that many of his friends do!
Amanda Popadich
Amanda completed her undergraduate degree in Linguistics and Anthropology from McGill University and her M.Sc. degree in Linguistics from the University of Edinburgh. Previously, her research focused on cognitive models of ambiguity use in production, centered around pronoun choice and audience design. In general, Amanda is interested in pragmatics, psycholinguistics, and their intersection with computational linguistics. Outside of research, she enjoys hiking and skiing!