Faculty
People
Faculty

Becker, Misha
Professor, Department Chair [on leave, Spring 2023]
Smith Building 109 & 301
mbecker@email.unc.edu
Ph.D. 2000, University of California, Los Angeles
Specialization: Language acquisition, language revitalization

Hsu, Brian
Assistant Professor, Diversity Liaison
Smith Building 105
hsub@email.unc.edu
Ph.D. 2016, University of Southern California
Specialization: Syntax, syntax-phonology interface

Mora-Marín, David
Professor, OUR Liaison, Director of Undergraduate Studies
Smith Building 307
davidmm@unc.edu
Ph.D. 2001, State University of New York at Albany
Specialization: Mayan languages and epigraphy, historical linguistics

Moreton, Elliott
Professor, Director of Graduate Studies and Graduate Admissions
Smith Building 101
moreton@email.unc.edu
Ph.D. 2002, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Specialization: Phonetics, phonology, inductive learning

Pertsova, Katya
Associate Professor and Honors Advisor
Smith Building 308
pertsova@email.unc.edu
Ph.D. 2007, University of California, Los Angeles
Specialization: Morphology, computational linguistics

Roberge, Paul
Professor
Dey Hall 441
ptr@email.unc.edu
Ph.D. 1980, University of Michigan
Specialization: Historical linguistics, pidgins and creoles

Smith, Caitlin
Teaching Assistant Professor
Smith Building 108
Ph.D. 2018, University of Southern California
Specialization: Phonology, Computational Linguistics, Phonetics

Smith, Jennifer
Professor, Associate Chair [Interim Chair, Spring 2023]
Smith Building 309
jlsmith@email.unc.edu
Ph.D. 2002, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Specialization: Phonology, Phonetics, Japanese Linguistics

Terry, J. Michael
Associate Professor, Summer School Administrator
Smith Building 303
jmterry@unc.edu
Ph.D. 2003, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Specialization: Semantics, African-American English
Affiliated Faculty

Butler, Becky
SASB North 0127
becky.butler@unc.edu
Ph.D. 2014, Cornell University
Specialization: Southeast Asian languages, phonology, ESL

Frey, Benjamin
Greenlaw 215
benfrey@email.unc.edu
Ph.D. University of Wisconsin, Madison
Specialization: Cherokee, contact linguistics

Hirotani, Masako
hirotani@email.unc.edu
Ph.D. 2005, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Specialization: Neurolinguistics
Lecturers
St. John, Julie
stjohn@email.unc.edu
Ph.D. 2004, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Specialization: General linguistics
Postdocs

Rodriguez, Jamilläh
Postdoctoral Research Assistant
Smith Building 302
jamillah@email.unc.edu
2021, State University of New York at Albany
Specialization: Phonology, syntax-phonology interface, language documentation
Emeritus
Hendrick, Randy
Ph.D. 1979, University of California, Los Angeles
Specialization: Syntax
Melchert, H. Craig
melchert@humnet.ucla.edu
Ph.D. 1977, Harvard University
Specialization: Indo-European languages
Linguists and Language Scholars in Other Departments
Jennifer Arnold Psychology and Neuroscience; psychology and psycholinguistics
Uffe Bergeton Asian and Middle Eastern Studies; early Chinese language, history, and thought
Lucia Binotti Romance Studies; Spanish philology, cultural thought, linguistic historiograph
Laura Demsey Romance Studies; French linguistics, language contact, first and second language acquisition
Bruno Estigarribia Romance Studies; Spanish linguistics, language development and cognition
Peter C. Gordon Psychology and Neuroscience; psychology of language
Lamar Graham Romance Studies; Spanish linguistics
Thomas Hofweber Philosophy; philosophy of language, philosophy of mathematics, metaphysics
Joseph Lam Religious Studies; Hebrew and Semitic Languages, writing in the Ancient Near East
Martha Ruiz-Garcia Romance Studies; Spanish linguistics
Patricia E. Sawin American Studies; ethnography of communication