News

Emmalyn Nono and Sean Gibbons Receive the 2026 Department of Linguistics David Rood Award

Katlyn Econom — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 15:31:02 +0000

Emmalyn Nono and Sean Gibbons Receive the 2026 Department of Linguistics David Rood Award Katlyn Econom Thu, 04/16/2026 - 09:31

Linguistic majors Emmalyn Nono and Sean Gibbons have been selected for the 2026 Department of Linguistics David Rood Award. This scholarship recognizes a continuing student in the department who has demonstrated outstanding achievement and potential for further success in linguistics, for use in their final year of study. The scholarship is named in honor of Professor David Rood, who retired in 2016 after 48 years of teaching at CU, and was especially known for his advocacy and support of students. Both students will be recognized at the Linguistics Department Commencement Ceremony on May 2. Congratulations, Emmalyn and Sean!

Emmalyn Nono is currently pursuing a triple major in Linguistics, Neuroscience, and Chinese. Her research interests include speech production and the neural mechanisms and cultural influences underlying syntax. Emmalyn’s ultimate goal is to produce clinically and culturally relevant research that furthers her commitment to increasing the accessibility of communication and education. Beyond her time in Linguistics, Emmalyn serves as a Senior Resident Advisor, works as a Learning Assistant in CU’s Department of Chemistry, and can most often be found studying or, on rare occasions, catching up on a nap.

Sean Gibbons was born and raised in Denver, growing up on his parent's CD's of Widespread Panic and weekend camping trips. He truly treasures the community he has found in the Linguistics department at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder that makes Colorado feel even more like home. Sean is incredibly grateful for the instruction he has received from all of my professors and beyond for their continued support in my academic career.

Congratulations to our 2026 David Rood Award Recipients!

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Zachary Frisch Receives Inaugural Excellence in Service to the Department of Linguistics Award

Katlyn Econom — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 18:55:29 +0000

Zachary Frisch Receives Inaugural Excellence in Service to the Department of Linguistics Award Katlyn Econom Wed, 04/15/2026 - 12:55

Zachary Frisch is the inaugural recipient of the Excellence in Service to the Department of Linguistics Award. A Linguistics and International Affairs double major, Zachary has been an invaluable part of the department as our student employee.

Over the past several semesters, Zachary has played an important role in enhancing the department’s visibility and outreach. His skills in website design and marketing have helped showcase many Linguistics events, courses, and news to our community. He consistently brought creativity, thoughtful insights, and a collaborative spirit to every project. As the first recipient of this award, Zachary exemplifies the meaningful contributions that student employees make to the success of the department. He will be recognized at the Linguistics Department Commencement Ceremony on May 2.

Thank you for all your service and support, Zachary!

Zachary Frisch is the inaugural recipient of the Excellence in Service to the Department of Linguistics Award.

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Emmalyn Nono Selected to Receive a 2026 Jacob Van Ek Scholars Award

Katlyn Econom — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 17:54:37 +0000

Emmalyn Nono Selected to Receive a 2026 Jacob Van Ek Scholars Award Katlyn Econom Mon, 04/13/2026 - 11:54

Emmalyn Nono, a triple major in Linguistics, Neuroscience, and Chinese, is one of 26 students across the College of Arts & Sciences to receive the 2026 Jacob Van Ek Scholars Award. This prestigious award recognizes superior academic achievement and distinguished service to the �鶹��Ѱ�� and the community at large. Emmalyn will be recognized at the Spring 2026 Honors Recognition Ceremony on April 20th and at the Linguistics Department Commencement Ceremony on May 2. Congratulations, Emmalyn!

Emmalyn Nono, a triple major in Linguistics, Neuroscience, and Chinese, is one of 26 students across the College of Arts & Sciences to receive the 2026 Jacob Van Ek Scholars Award.

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Dr. Bhuvana Narasimhan recipient of this year's "The Best Should Teach" Gold Award at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder

Katlyn Econom — Mon, 06 Apr 2026 16:50:40 +0000

Dr. Bhuvana Narasimhan recipient of this year's "The Best Should Teach" Gold Award at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder Katlyn Econom Mon, 04/06/2026 - 10:50

2026 Best Should Teach Group Photo

Dr. Bhuvana Narasimhan was selected as a recipient of this year's "The Best Should Teach" Gold Award at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder.

The Best Should Teach Initiative strives to acknowledge excellence in teaching and academic leadership. The initiative is managed by the Center for Teaching & Learning in coordination with the School of Education, and the College of Arts and Sciences at the �鶹��Ѱ��. Lindley and Marguerite Stiles established the initiative in 1996 to promulgate the message that “The Best Should Teach.”

Dr. Bhuvana Narasimhan joins an elite group of dedicated scholars who demonstrate exceptional teaching and academic leadership, exemplifying award founders Lindley and Marguerite Stiles’ message, “The Best Should Teach.” Dr. Bhuvana Narasimhan is a Professor in the Department of Linguistics and the Director of the Language, Development, and Cognition Lab, and Fellow of the Institute of Cognitive Science.

A student nominated Dr. Naraimhan with the following words:

As a mentor for my Honor's Thesis, Bhuvana was with me every step of the way -- through the long IRB process, editing my UROP grant proposal, giving her insights on study design, helping me to analyze my data and polish my final thesis, and giving me access to peers and time to run through my presentation before the actual defense. While there were points in the process in which I fell behind, Bhuvana always granted me grace and patience that I am eternally grateful for. Meanwhile, her guidance was consistent and kind, but still allowed me to feel like I had agency within the process.
Overall, my �鶹��Ѱ��experience would have been dramatically worse without Bhuvana's mentorship. She has taught me the power of critical thinking, iteration, collaboration, and patience -- and has done it all with a box of cookies and words of encouragement in hand. I truly cannot over emphasize how much more equipped I feel to handle the world as a direct result of working with Bhuvana, and I cannot thank her enough.

The Department of Linguistics congratulates Dr. Narasimhan in receipt of this student nominated and faculty committee selected award!

About "The Best Should Teach"

The Best Should Teach Initiative celebrates excellence in teaching at the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels. It supports the preparation of college and university faculty, as well as public school teachers, in their disciplinary fields. Best Should Teach Gold and Silver Awards are presented at the event each year. The Best Should Teach event and awards are co-funded by the Ira and Ineva Baldwin Fund in the �鶹��Ѱ��Foundation and Brian Good's private Best Should Teach Fund, with additional support from the Center for Teaching & Learning, the School of Education, and the College of Arts and Sciences.

Dr. Bhuvana Narasimhan has been selected as a recipient of this year's "The Best Should Teach" Gold Award at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder. The Best Should Teach Initiative strives to acknowledge excellence in teaching and academic leadership.

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Linguistics PhD student Kate Arnold-Murray recognized at "Best Should Teach" Ceremony

Katlyn Econom — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 17:41:06 +0000

Linguistics PhD student Kate Arnold-Murray recognized at "Best Should Teach" Ceremony Katlyn Econom Fri, 04/03/2026 - 11:41

Linguistics PhD student and Center for Teaching & Learning (CTL) Lead Graduate Teacher, Kate Arnold-Murray, had a busy day on March 5th, 2026. Kate Arnold-Murray not only served as a panelist for the Spring Teaching and Learning Conference 2026, but she was also recognized at the Best Should Teach Ceremony. The panel Kate served on was titled, CTL Lead Graduate Teaching Fellow Panel: From Where Have We Seen Teaching Come, and Where are We Going?

The Department of Linguistics congratulates Kate Arnold-Murray in receipt of this award!

About the role of Lead Graduate Teacher
Departments in the Sciences, Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities annually select one outstanding graduate instructor to serve as a Lead Graduate Teacher. Each Lead has received extensive training on college pedagogy, academic leadership, management, and professional development and then train peer graduate instructors on these topics. They perform videotape observations, micro-teaching sessions, lead workshops on teaching that are specific to their discipline and help other graduate instructors complete the requirements for the Certificate in College Teaching.

Kate Arnold-Murray on the panel titled, CTL Lead Graduate Teaching Fellow Panel: From Where Have We Seen Teaching Come, and Where are We Going?, at the Spring Teaching and Learning Conference 2026.

Linguistics PhD student and Center for Teaching & Learning Lead Graduate Teacher (CTL), Kate Arnold-Murray, had a busy day on March 5th, 2026. Kate Arnold-Murray not only served as a panelist for the Spring Teaching and Learning Conference 2026, but she was also recognized at the "Best Should Teach" Ceremony.

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LING Club Welcomes Adam Aleksic, the "Etymology Nerd,” as 2026 Undergraduate Distinguished Speaker

Katlyn Econom — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 22:25:13 +0000

LING Club Welcomes Adam Aleksic, the "Etymology Nerd,” as 2026 Undergraduate Distinguished Speaker Katlyn Econom Tue, 03/31/2026 - 16:25

On February 25, 2026, the LING Club welcomed the 2026 Undergraduate Distinguished Speaker, Adam Aleksic, also known as the "Etymology Nerd." He is a linguist, social media influencer, and published author.

Many guests stayed after the talk to ask Mr. Aleksic questions and request book signings of his New York Times bestselling book, Algospeak.

CU's student-run radio station, Radio 1190, featured the event in a written article and an audio magazine segment. The audio magazine segment airs from 2:47 to 10:56 in the news episode.

LING Club and faculty advisor, Dr. Chase Raymond, with the 2026 Undergraduate Distinguished Speaker, Adam Aleksic, the "Etymology Nerd."

Adam Aleksic speaking at the 2026 Undergraduate Distinguished Speaker Event

On February 25, 2026, the LING Club welcomed the 2026 Undergraduate Distinguished Speaker, Adam Aleksic, also known as the "Etymology Nerd."

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Kira Hall Receives LSA Zwicky Award for Pioneering Scholarship in Queer Linguistics

Katlyn Econom — Mon, 17 Nov 2025 18:01:28 +0000

Kira Hall Receives LSA Zwicky Award for Pioneering Scholarship in Queer Linguistics Katlyn Econom Mon, 11/17/2025 - 11:01

Dr. Kira Hall, �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder Distinguished Professor of Linguistics and Anthropology, has received the Zwicky Award from the Linguistic Society of America. Named in honor of Arnold Zwicky—the first openly LGBTQ+ president of the LSA—the award recognizes LGBTQ+ scholars and those whose work in linguistics benefits LGBTQ+ communities.

In announcing the 2026 recipient, the LSA cited Dr. Hall’s foundational role in establishing queer linguistics as a field, beginning with the landmark volume Queerly Phrased (Oxford University Press, 1997). The citation further noted that her ethnographic and theoretical research on queer discourse practices in India and the United States has been consistently at the forefront of scholarship on language, gender, and sexuality.

Congratulations to Dr. Hall on this distinguished recognition.

Dr. Kira Hall, Distinguished Professor of Linguistics and Anthropology, has been awarded the prestigious Zwicky Award by the Linguistic Society of America.

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Dr. Rai Farrelly Highlights Learner Agency in Keynote at Michigan TESOL Conference

Katlyn Econom — Tue, 11 Nov 2025 23:22:52 +0000

Dr. Rai Farrelly Highlights Learner Agency in Keynote at Michigan TESOL Conference Katlyn Econom Tue, 11/11/2025 - 16:22

On November 8, 2025, Dr. Raichle (Rai) Farrelly, Associate Teaching Professor in �鶹��Ѱ��Linguistics and Director of the TESOL Program, gave a keynote address at the Michigan TESOL Conference, hosted this year by Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Michigan.

The 2025 conference centered on the theme Elevate, Motivate, Unite, foregrounding the role of English language educators as advocates, collaborators, and community leaders. Dr. Farrelly’s keynote, titled “Mapping Knowledge and Language for a Change Agent Mindset,” aligned closely with this theme by examining how TESOL educators can support learner agency and position students as active participants in social change.

Drawing on social-emotional, inquiry-based, and experiential pedagogical frameworks, Dr. Farrelly emphasized classroom practices that foster curiosity, deepen knowledge-building, and encourage meaningful action. Her address highlighted the potential of English language classrooms to function not only as sites of language development, but also as spaces for equity, connection, and global engagement.

On November 8th, 2025, Dr. Raichle ‘Rai’ Farrelly, �鶹��Ѱ��Linguistics Associate Teaching Professor and Director of the TESOL Program, spoke as a keynote speaker at the 2025 Michigan TESOL Conference.

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Dr. Andrew Cowell’s work to build databases for the Arapaho language featured in Colorado Arts and Sciences Magazine

Katlyn Econom — Mon, 03 Nov 2025 15:56:15 +0000

Dr. Andrew Cowell’s work to build databases for the Arapaho language featured in Colorado Arts and Sciences Magazine Katlyn Econom Mon, 11/03/2025 - 08:56

Dr. Andrew Cowell, a professor of linguistics and faculty director of the Center for Native American and Indigenous Studies (CNAIS), has spent years building databases cataloging the Arapaho language. His work is featured in the Colorado Arts and Sciences Magazine. The article, "Building a digital home for Arapaho, one sentence at a time," shares how the databases were built and are currently being used to develop a curriculum to teach Arapaho.

Read the article in A&S Magazine

Dr. Andrew Cowell’s work to build databases for the Arapaho language featured in Colorado Arts and Sciences Magazine

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Dr. Bhuvana Narasimhan co-edits newly published Oxford Handbook of Dravidian Languages

Katlyn Econom — Fri, 31 Oct 2025 18:48:41 +0000

Dr. Bhuvana Narasimhan co-edits newly published Oxford Handbook of Dravidian Languages Katlyn Econom Fri, 10/31/2025 - 12:48

The Oxford Handbook of Dravidian Languages, co-edited by Dr. Bhuvana Narasimhan and R. Amritavalli, is now available online and will soon be available in print. The Dravidian languages of South India, spoken by approximately 222 million speakers across South Asia, was first recognized as a distinct group in the 19th century. One of the largest language families in the world, it has inspired research from a variety of disciplinary perspectives, offering unique insights into the nature of human language, mind, history, and society. The Oxford Handbook of Dravidian Languages represents some of the field's most influential current scholarship exploring the origins of the Dravidian peoples, their languages, and the history of script in the Indian subcontinent. The volume aims to provide readers with an accessible introduction to this area of study.

Bhuvana Narasimhan and R.Amritavalli publish co-edited volume, The Oxford Handbook of Dravidian Languages.

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News

Emmalyn Nono and Sean Gibbons Receive the 2026 Department of Linguistics David Rood Award

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Zachary Frisch Receives Inaugural Excellence in Service to the Department of Linguistics Award

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Emmalyn Nono Selected to Receive a 2026 Jacob Van Ek Scholars Award

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Dr. Bhuvana Narasimhan recipient of this year's "The Best Should Teach" Gold Award at �鶹��Ѱ�����Boulder

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Linguistics PhD student Kate Arnold-Murray recognized at "Best Should Teach" Ceremony

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LING Club Welcomes Adam Aleksic, the "Etymology Nerd,” as 2026 Undergraduate Distinguished Speaker

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Kira Hall Receives LSA Zwicky Award for Pioneering Scholarship in Queer Linguistics

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Dr. Rai Farrelly Highlights Learner Agency in Keynote at Michigan TESOL Conference

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Dr. Andrew Cowell’s work to build databases for the Arapaho language featured in Colorado Arts and Sciences Magazine

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Dr. Bhuvana Narasimhan co-edits newly published Oxford Handbook of Dravidian Languages

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Dr. Bhuvana Narasimhan recipient of this year's "The Best Should Teach" Gold Award at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder