I am a Professor of Linguistics and Chair of the Department of Linguistics at the University of North Texas. I am a native of Corpus Christi, Texas, and a proud graduate of Calallen High School and the mighty Wildcats!

Education

I received my Ph.D. from Yale University in 2009. My advisor at Yale was Larry Horn. Before I went to Yale I did an M.A. in linguistics and literature at the University of North Texas, where my advisor was Haj Ross, and a B.A. in Anthropology at Texas State University, where my advisor was Kent Reilly.

Research

I do research in the semantics-pragmatics interface, sociolinguistics, and language and law. My language interests are Creole languages of the U.S. and Caribbean, English varieties in the US, including Southern vernacular Englishes in general, and especially in Texas.

Teaching

At UNT I teach courses in semantics and pragmatics, the history of English, and language and law.