I am a 5th year graduate student in Linguistics at Indiana University Bloomington, specializing in Computational Linguistics. Specifically, I am interested in Computational Syntax: comparisons between and implementations of formal theories of natural language syntax. My dissertation work focuses on building a parser-generator for Minimalist Syntax, in the tradition of the LKB system for HPSG and inspired by the work of Henk Harkema and John Hale. Aside from formal syntax, my other interests in Linguistics and NLP are Machine Translation and formal Semantics.

Outside of Linguistics, my academic interests are in Computer Science, Economics and Law - in that order, and in reverse order of talent. I love formal reasoning and debate, rhetoric, writing and persuasion, and would have made a brilliant lawyer. I find Economics fascinating and constantly feel I don't know enough about it. As for Computer Science, I have the course equivalent of a Masters Degree from various classes that I've taken here at IU, and there is a very real possibility I'll be applying to get one officially at another school when I've finished my Linguistics degree

In private life I love hiking, running, soccer, science fiction and games. I'm good at Chess, better at Shogi, enjoy any kind of fantasy role-playing game (the pinnacle of the genre is Ars Magica), and am currently looking to learn Bridge. I'm horrible at Go but find it fascinating and would very much like to learn to play better. My favorite science fiction author is Larry Niven; in traditional literature I very much like Flannery O'Connor. I enjoy Classical and Heavy Metal music but can't really play any instruments.

I am from Charlotte, North Carolina, and though I'm not a proud Southerner, I do like North Carolina quite a lot. As far as I can tell, I got rid of my southern accent when I was 13, but some of my friends who claim to know about these things can hear artefacts of it in my speech - in particular British pronounciations of words like news and avenue as well as the pen/pin merger. Though I came from a strongly Presbyterian background, I have been an atheist since my early 20s.

My interest in language has been lifelong. I have lived in Germany, South Korea and Japan and can speak all three languages (though Korean not nearly as well as the other two).

Politically, I am a Classical Liberal - "Libertarian" in the common parlance - though my interest in politics has mostly subsided in the last two years.

Above everything else in the world, I love cats, my favorite being a grey tabby named Marten I rescued from the Bloomington Animal Shelter in 2004.