PhD in Linguistics: University of Edinburgh
2022-
Advisors:
Patrick Honeybone
Ben Molineaux
Pavel Iosad
MA in Linguistics: University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
2019-2021
"Glide Clusters in Kinyarwanda: An Optimality Theoretic Analysis"
Advisors:
Claire Halpert
Anna Łubowicz
BA: University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
2014-2018
Linguistics
Global Studies
Kieffer, B. (in press). A Critique of Areal-only Approaches to Bantu Spirantization. Proceeding Papers from the 54th Annual Conference on African Linguistics.
Kieffer, B. (accepted). Morphologized Bantu Spirantization in Kinyarwanda. In A. Braver, & W. Bennett (Eds.), Illustrating African Phonologies (Vol. 1). Language Science Press.
Kieffer, B. (in prep).
Kieffer, B. (2025). Using Synchronic Geolinguistics to Discover the Diachrony of Xhosa-Zulu Labial Palatalization [Conference Talk]. 27th International Conference on Historical Linguistics, Santiago, Chile.
Kieffer, B. (2025). Parallel Evolution of A Unique Spirantization Reflex in Lacustrine and Kilimanjaro Bantu [Conference Talk]. 32nd Linguistics and English Language Postgraduate Conference, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom.
Kieffer, B. (2025). The Phonological Lifecycle's Morpho-phonological Applications [Poster Presentation]. 31st Manchester Phonology Meeting, Manchester, United Kingdom.
Kieffer, B. (2025). Reconsidering Lenition in Proto-Bantu: Lenition-Blocking before High Vowels [Conference Talk]. 56th Annual Conference on African Linguistics, Minneapolis, Minnesota, US.
Kieffer, B. (2025). Finding Trees in Dialect Clusters [Snap Talk]. Edinburgh Theoretical Historical Linguistics Seminar, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom.
Kieffer, B. (2025). Resolving a Bracketing Paradox in Kinyarwanda [Poster Presentation]. 22nd Old-World Confernce in Phonology, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Kieffer, B. (2024). Glide Fortition in the Zambezi Contact Zone [Poster Presentation]. 4th Angus McIntosh Centre for Historical Linguistcs Symposium, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom.
Kieffer, B. (2024). Parallel Evolution of A Unique Spirantization Reflex in Lacustrine and Kilimanjaro Bantu [Conference Talk]. 11th World Congress of African Linguistics, Nairobi, Kenya.
Kieffer, B. (2023). The Realizations of Bantu Spirantization in the Zambezi Area [Workshop Talk]. LLACAN Orikunda Workshop, Paris, France.
Kieffer, B. (2023). A Life Cycle of BS [Poster Presentation]. 6th Edinburgh Symposium on Historical Phonology, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom.
Kieffer, B. (2023). Bantu Phonology [Poster Presentation]. Royal Society of Edinburgh Workshop: Scotland - Africa: Enhancing Academic Partnerships, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom.
Kieffer, B. (2023). Areal Models of Bantu Spirantization Predict Unattested Phonologies [Conference Talk]. 54th Annual Conference on African Linguistics, Storrs, CT, United States.
Kieffer, B. (2021). Variant Glide Repair Strategies in Kinyarwanda. [Conference Talk]. 52nd Annual Conference on African Linguistics, Gainesville, FL, United States.
Kieffer, B. (2017). An OT Analysis of Voicing Rules in Ket. [Conference Talk]. 12th Annual Cornell Undergraduate Linguistics Conference, Ithaca, NY, United States.
August 2025. Using Synchronic Geolinguistics to Discover the Diachrony of Xhosa-Zulu Labial Palatalization? Angus McIntosh Centre for Historical Linguistics Catchup Session.
October 2024. Are there Rhotic Affricates in Kilimanjaro? University of Edinburgh Phonetics/Phonology Workshop.
April 2024. Bantu Spirantization in Great Lakes Bantu. BantUgent (University of Ghent Centre for Bantu Studies) Seminar.
March 2024. Bantu Spirantization in Great Lakes Bantu. University of Edinburgh Phonetics/Phonology Workshop.
April 2023. Was Bantu Spirantization spread on a Wave, or down the Tree? Angus McIntosh Centre Catch-up Session.
April 2021. Glide Clusters in Kinyarwanda: An Optimality Theoretic Analysis. University of Minnesota Linguistics Colloquium Series
November 2019. Hmoob Dawb Phonology. University of Minnesota Hmong Research Group.
Amazon Web Services
Machine Learning Data Linguist (May 2022-August 2022)
Contract Linguistic Annotator (July 2021-February 2022)
AmeriCorps
ReadingCorps Tutor, Chanhassen Elementary (August 2018-June 2019)