Jianrong Yu (JR) 俞建戎

Professional

I received my B.A. and M.A. in English Language and Linguistics from the National University of Singapore and my Ph.D. in Linguistics from the Department of Linguistics at The University of Arizona in Tucson AZ. 

I am a formal theoretical linguist with broad interests in theoretical linguistics, specifically in semantics, syntax, morphology and how they interface with each other, exploring this broad question through the lens of verbal argument structure (broadly construed), degree constructions, and how their morphosyntax contributes to their semantic interpretation and vice versa. I most recently held the position of a post-doctoral researcher at the Center for Research in Syntax, Semantics, and Phonology at KU Leuven in Belgium, working under the project Comparatives Under the Microscope. Prior to that, I split my time as a post-doctoral researcher at the Department of English Language and Literature at National University of Singapore, a part-time lecturer at Nanyang Technological University's Department of Linguistics and Multilingual Studies, and an adjunct lecturer at The University of Arizona's Department of Linguistics.

I am currently an Assistant Editor with Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI), operating out of the Singapore office. In what is an almost 180-degree turn, I left behind my days an an author/researcher and academic reviewer; my current role sees me handle manuscripts behind the scene, pushing them through the entire scientific publishing pipeline from initial submission to peer-review to copy-editing and proofing and final publication in high quality open access scientific journals. I handle manuscripts across the lineup of titles that MDPI publishes in social sciences, including of course their flagship linguistics journal Languages. 

I remain fascinated by natural language morphosyntax and morphosemantics even if I am only moonlighting as a linguist these days, but nonetheless am still quite content with having made the move to industry. Feel free to reach out to me about possible collaborations or thoughts about the topics I have worked on or if you would like to chat about leaving academia and joining the publishing industry!