Géraldine Walther Brings Her Expertise in Computational Linguistics to GMU

Géraldine Walther Brings Her Expertise in Computational Linguistics to GMU

This Fall, Dr. Géraldine Walther joined GMU as Assistant Professor of Linguistics. Her general research interests lie at the intersection between computational linguistics, linguistic typology, and cognitive science. She is interested in the degree of internal cohesion within linguistic systems, which she investigates using computational and quantitative methodologies applied to original data. The data is often directly collected as part of original language documentation enterprises. Her approach focuses specifically on system-level patterns of linguistic sub-organisation and their consequences for cognitive processing and development, as well as for diachronic change. 

Before joining GMU, Géraldine was a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute for Comparative Linguistics at the University of Zurich, where she worked on an SNF research project investigating the relationship between properties of adult language structure and child language acquisition in the Romansch variety of Tuatschin (spoken by approx. 1500 speakers in the Grisons, Switzerland). She obtained her PhD in 2013 from the Université Paris Diderot. In her thesis, she developed a formal and implemented model of inflectional morphology (PARSLI). 

At GMU, Géraldine is currently developing the new computational linguistics strand within the Linguistics curricula. This spring, she will be teaching two new courses on computational linguistics and linguistic typology. She has also created a new Computational Linguistics lab and is in the process of recruiting students to work with her in the lab. Students who are interested in being involved with the Computational Linguistics lab should contact Dr. Walther at gwalthe@gmu.edu.