Curriculum Vitae

Corrine Occhino, PhD

occhino@austin(dot)utexas(dot)edu 

EDUCATION

Ph.D. in Linguistics with distinction, University of New Mexico

M.A. in Linguistics with distinction, University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee

B.A. in Linguistics with honors, University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee               

PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYMENT

2023 – Assistant Professor, Dept. of Linguistics, University of Texas at Austin

2021 – Assistant Professor, Languages, Literatures, & Linguistics, and Dept. of Teaching & Leadership – Syracuse University

2017 – Research Assistant Professor, National Technical Institute for the Deaf – Rochester Institute of Technology     

PUBLICATIONS

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles

Occhino, C., Lidster, R., Geer, L. C., Listman, J., & Hauser, P. C. (2024). Development of the American Sign Language Fingerspelling and Numbers Comprehension Test (ASL FaN-CT). Language Testing, 41(1), 135-161, (First published online July 3, 2023). https://doi.org/10.1177/02655322231179494


Caselli, N., Occhino, C., Artacho, B., Savakis, A., & Dye, M. (2022). Perceptual optimization of language: Evidence from American Sign Language, Cognition, 224; 105040 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2022.105040 


Occhino, C., Hill J. C., Hochgesang, J. A., Shaw, E., Fisher, J. N., & Tamminga, M. (2021). New Trends in ASL Variation Documentation. Sign Language Studies 21 (3), 350-377. 10.1353/sls.2021.0003


Occhino, C., Anible, B., & Morford, J. P. (2020). Not all handshapes are created equal: The role of iconicity, construal, and proficiency in the online processing of handshape. Language and Cognition 12(1), 114-137. 10.1017/langcog.2020.1 


Kurz, K., Mullaney, K., & Occhino, C.  (2019). Constructed Action in ASL: A Look at Second Modality and Second Language Learners. Languages 4(4), 90. https://doi.org/10.3390/languages4040090 


Morford, J. P., Occhino, C., Zirnstein, M., Kroll, J. F., Wilkinson, E., & Piñar, P. (2019). What is the source of bilingual cross-language activation in deaf bilinguals? Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1093/deafed/enz024   


Occhino, C. (2017). An Introduction to Embodied Cognitive Phonology: Claw-5 Handshape Distribution in ASL and Libras. Complutense Journal of English Studies 25, 69-103. 10.5209/CJES.57198


Morford, J. P., Occhino-Kehoe, C., Piñar, P., Wilkinson, E., & Kroll, J. F. (2017). The time course of cross-language activation in deaf ASL-English bilinguals. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 20(2), 337-350, (Published online 2015). 10.1017%2FS136672891500067X 


Occhino, C., Anible, B., Morford, J., Wilkinson, E. (2017). Iconicity is in the eye of the beholder: How language experience affects perceived iconicity. Gesture,16(1). 10.1075/gest.16.1.04occ


Occhino, C., & Wilcox, S. (2017). Gesture or sign? A categorization problem. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 40, E66. 10.1017/S0140525X15003015  


Wilcox, S., & Occhino, C. (2016b). Constructing Signs: Place as a Symbolic Structure in Signed Languages. Cognitive Linguistics, 27(3). 10.1515/cog-2016-0003


Anible, B., & Occhino-Kehoe, C. (2014). What’s Happening with HAPPEN: The Grammaticalization of HAPPEN in American Sign Language. In Benjamin Anible, Keiko Beers, Laura Hirrel & Deborah Wager (Eds.), Proceedings of the High Desert Linguistics Society Conference, 10,  27-41. Retrieved from http://linggraduate.unm.edu/HDLS10Proceedings.html

Book Chapters

Thompson, R., & Occhino, C. (under review). Iconicity in sign language processing: Lexical effects in comprehension and production. In Pamela Perniss, Olga Fischer, and Akita (Eds.), Oxford University Press. 

Lucas, C., Occhino, C., Fisher, J., Hill, J. C., Hochgesang, J. A., Shaw, E., & Tamminga, M. (2024). Needed Research on American Sign Language. In Robert Bayley and Erica Benson (Eds.), Needed Research in North American Dialects. Publication of the American Dialect Society108. Duke University Press. https://doi.org/10.1215/00031283-11036884 

Occhino, C. (2023b) Force Dynamic Constructions in ASL. In F. T. Li (Ed.), Handbook of Cognitive Semantics, vol. 4 (20-59), Brill.

Occhino, C. (2023a). When hands are things and movements are processes: Cognitive iconicity, embodied cognition, and signed language structure. In T. Janzen & B. Shaffer (Ed.), Signed Language and Gesture Research in Cognitive Linguistics (pp. 127-154). Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter Mouton. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110703788-006

Lepic, R., & Occhino, C. (2018). A Construction Morphology approach to sign language analysis. In G. Booij (ed.), The Construction of Words. Advances in Construction Morphology, Springer. 10.1007/978-3-319-74394-3_6 


Wilcox, S., & Occhino, C. (2017). Signed Languages. In B. Dancygier (Ed.), The Cambridge Handbook of Cognitive Linguistics. Cambridge, UK; New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. 10.1017/9781316339732.008


Wilcox, S., & Occhino, C. (2016a). Historical Change in Signed Languages, in Oxford Handbooks Online, New York: Oxford University Press. 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199935345.013.24 


Book Reviews

Occhino, C., & Hou, L. (2019). [Review of Research Methods in Sign Language Studies: A Practical Guide, Eds. E. Orfanidou, B. Woll, and G. Morgan]. Sign Language & Linguistics, 22(1), 155-69. https://doi.org/10.1075/sll.00033.occ


Other Products/Publications

Namboodiripad, S., Occhino, C., Hou, L., Heaton, H., Herbert, M., Canning, D., & Bouavichith, D. (2019). Survey of linguists and language researchers. Online: linguistsurvey.com 



FUNDED GRANTS

Research Grants

The Research Council of Norway #315864 (9/22-12/25). NOK 12 Mil. PI: Benjamin D. Anible, CO-PI: G. Hege Saltnes Urdal. Co-Is: C. Occhino, V. Kimmelman. Work Package 1, Title: Language specific perceptions of lexically depicting signs (DEPICT). https://app.dimensions.ai/details/grant/grant.9702960

Syracuse University Engaged Communities 7/31/2022 - 6/30/2023. $5,000. PI: C. Occhino, Community Partner: Deaf New Americans Org. Title: Deaf New Americans - Developing Language and Sharing Stories


CNY Corridor Humanities Grant 1/1/2022-1/1/2022. $5,000. PI: B. Schertz, Co-PIs: C. Occhino, Marguerite Carrillo, Sandra Wood, M. Diesing Title: Sign Language and Deaf Culture - Translating Linguistics Articles in to ASL.


Society of Family Planning Research Fund 1/1/2021-12/31/2022. $73,000. PI: T. Panko, Co-PI: C. Occhino. Title: Reproductive Health Experiences of Deaf Women: A Mixed Methods Study 


RIT/NTID Scholarship Portfolio Development 7/1/2020- 7/31/2021. $10,000. PI: C. Occhino, Co-PI: T. Panko. Title: Reproductive Health Experiences of Deaf Women: A MixedMethods Study


NSF, Brain and Cognitive Sciences 5/1/2018 -10/31/2021. $349,882. PI: M. W. G. Dye, Co-PIs:  Corrine Occhino, A. Savakis,  M. Huenerfauth. Title: Multi-method Investigation of Articulatory and Perceptual Constraints on Natural Language Evolution


RIT/NTID Scholarship Portfolio Development 7/1/2018 - 7/31/2019. $10,000. PI: C. Occhino, Co-PI: J. Hill. Title: Documenting Individual Variation in ASL (DIVA) 


Training Grants

Syracuse Undergrad. Research & Creative Engagement (1/23-8/23). $5000. PI: Corrine Occhino, Multimodal Language Lab - Faculty Mentor Research Assistant Training Grant

Syracuse Undergrad. Research & Creative Engagement (5/22-12/23). $5000 (funded). PI: Corrine Occhino, Multimodal Language Lab - Faculty Mentor Research Assistant Training Grant


CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS

Invited Papers 


Occhino, C. Beyond form-meaning resemblance: Conceptualization and experience in the perception of iconicity in signed languages. [Keynote presented]. Linguistics Convergence Institute at Chosun University - Sign language Linguistics Lab and KyongHee University. Virtual/Chosun, South Korea., Dec. 13, 2024.


Occhino, C. Iconicity, Experience, and Language Processing of Signed Languages. [Keynote presented]. 15th High Desert Linguistics Society Conference, Virtual/Albuquerque, NM., Nov. 11, 2022.


Hochgesang, J., & Occhino, C. Documenting Language Use of the ASL Communities. Discussant. CREST Fest. Hosted by the CREST Network. Gallaudet University, Washington D.C., June 28, 2021. 


Occhino, C. Embodied Cognition, Visual Language & the Emergence of Form. Paper presented. University of Toronto Interdisciplinary Symposium on the Mind (UTISM2020): Vision & Visual Perception. University of Toronto, Ontario, CA, Feb. 2020. 


Occhino, C. Emergence of Form and Meaning from a Usage-based Perspective. Invited paper presented at the Form & Meaning Workshop, at Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands. June 2019.


Namboodiripad, S., Occhino, C., & Hou, L. A Climate Survey of Linguists and Linguistics. Plenary paper presented at 93rd Annual Meeting of the Linguistic Society of America, New York City, NY. January 2019.


Occhino, C. Finding Meaning in Phonology: An Embodied Perspective. Plenary paper presented at Sign CAFÉ-1 (Cognitive and Functional Explorations) at University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK. July 2018.


Occhino-Kehoe, C. A Cognitive Approach to Phonology in American Sign Language. Invited paper presented at the 36th annual San Diego State University Linguistics Colloquium, San Diego, CA. April 2013.


Conference Papers

Occhino, C., Kimmelman, V., & Anible, B. How do deaf people process iconicity in a novel signed language?. [Paper presented] 16th High Desert Linguistics Society Conference, Albuquerque, NM., Nov. 1-3, 2024.

Hochgesang, J. A., & Occhino, C. What happens when our articulators are outside of our mouths: Examination of phonological processes when active articulators are occupied.[Paper presented] 16th High Desert Linguistics Society Conference, Albuquerque, NM., Nov. 1-3, 2024.

Hou, L., Occhino, C., & Lepic, R. A usage-based view of "gesture in sign language". [Paper presented] 16th High Desert Linguistics Society Conference, Albuquerque, NM., Nov. 1-3, 2024.

Occhino, C., & Lepic, R. Parts and Wholes in ASL signs. [Paper presented] Cognitive Linguistics Association of North America Conference (CLANAC1), Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Montreal, Canada. June 27-29, 2024.

Occhino, C., & Lepic, R. Signs as Constructions [Paper presented] 16th International Cognitive Linguistics Conference, HHU Düsseldorf, Germany, August 7-11, 2023.

Player, D., Morford, J. P., Occhino, C. & Wilkinson, E. Code-Switching, and assimilation of minority sign language varieties in residential schools for the deaf. [Paper presented]15th High Desert Linguistics Society Conference, Albuquerque, NM., Nov. 11-13, 2022.

Postl, D., Doane, R., Contreras, J., Occhino, C., & Panko, T. Contraceptive use and non-use in deaf and hard of hearing people: Findings from the reproductive health experiences survey. [Roundtable Presentation] Special Session: Let's Talk About Sex...& Disability: Moderated Discussion on Access, Education, Reproductive Health & More. American Public Health Association Annual Meeting and Expo (APHA 2022). Virtual/Boston, MA., Nov. 6 – 9, 2022.  


Normoyle, A., Artacho, B., Savakis, A., Senghas, A., Badler, N. I., Occhino, C., Rothstein, S. J., Dye, M. W. G., Open-Source Pipeline for Skeletal Modeling of Sign Language Utterances from 2D Video Sources. [Paper presented] Theoretical Issues in Sign Language Research (TISLR14), Virtual/Osaka, Japan, Sept. 25-30, 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2bP6BvWoEo&list=WL&index=60 


Player, D., Morford, J., Occhino, C., & Wilkinson, E. Sign Languages in NM. [Paper presented] Querencias 22 – Conexiones con la Tierra. Virtual/Albuquerque, NM, April 22-23, 2022.


Occhino, C., Alecrim, E., Anible, B., & Xavier, A. N. Understanding movement repetition in Libras, variation, patterns & motivations. [Paper presented] 14th High Desert Linguistics Society Conference, Albuquerque, NM. Nov. 20-22, 2020. 


Occhino, C., Patterson, S., & Hill, J. C.. Phonological and Lexical Variants in ASL. [Paper presented] 14th High Desert Linguistics Society Conference,  Albuquerque, NM. Nov. 20-22, 2020. 


Occhino, C., Force Dynamics in ASL Predicate Constructions [Paper Accepted] Cognitive and Functional Explorations of Sign Languages Sign (CAFE 2), Ragusa, Italy. http://www.sdslingue.unict.it/signcafetwo. May 21-23, 2020. [Conference trip canceled due to Covid-19]. 


Occhino, C. Image Schemas and Embodied Cognition: Reconceptualizing Signed Language Phonology. [Paper presented] 13th High Desert Linguistics Society Conference, Albuquerque, NM, Nov. 2018


Hou, L., Charity Hudley, A., Namboodiripad, S., Occhino, C. Have you ever been told you’re not a linguist? A national survey of disciplinary harassment and bias. [Paper presented] American Anthropological Association’s Annual Meeting. San Jose, CA, Nov. 2018.


Occhino C., & Hill, J. C. Documenting Individual Variation in ASL (DIVA). [Paper presented] 47th annual meeting of New Ways of Analyzing Variation (NWAV47) at New York University, New York, NY, Oct. 2018.


Occhino, C. A Cognitive Approach to Phonology: Evidence from Signed & Spoken Languages. [Paper presented] 14th International Cognitive Linguistics Conference: Linguistic Diversity & Cognitive Linguistics, Tartu, Estonia, July 2017. 


Lepic, R., & Occhino, C. Sign Language Structure: A Construction-Theoretic Perspective. [Paper presented] 91st Annual Meeting of the Linguistic Society of America, Austin, Texas, Jan. 2017.


Begay, J., & Occhino, C. An Analysis of Navajo and ASL Verbal Constructions. [Paper presented]12th High Desert Linguistics Society Conference, Albuquerque, NM, Nov. 2016.


Occhino, C., & Lepic, R. A Construction Grammar Approach to Signed Language Analysis. [Paper presented] UK-Cognitive Linguistics Association Conference, Bangor, Wales, July 2016.


Wilcox, S., Hirrel, L., & Occhino, C. Symbolic similarities between beat constructions and point constructions. [Paper presented] UK-Cognitive Linguistics Association Conference, Bangor, Wales, July 2016.


Hsu, H.-C., Anible, B., & Occhino, C. Iconicity in multimodal gestures: Evidence from master classes on conducting. [Paper presented] International Society for Gesture Studies Conference, Paris, July 2016.


Occhino, C., Hirrel, L., Bernardino, E., & Wilcox, S. Cross-modal correlates of stance in viewpoint constructions: Evidence from speech, gesture, and sign. [Paper presented] International Society for Gesture Studies Conference, Paris, July 2016.


Occhino-Kehoe, C., Sutton, L., & Begay, J. ASL classifier predicates in typological  perspective. [Paper presented] 11th Conference of the Association for Linguistic Typology, Albuquerque, NM, Aug. 2015.


Occhino-Kehoe, C. Cognitive Phonology: What handshape change reveals about conceptual structure. [Paper presentation] 11th High Desert Linguistics Society Conference, Albuquerque, NM, Nov. 2014.


Anible, B., & Occhino-Kehoe, C. What’s happening with HAPPEN? The Grammaticalization of HAPPEN in American Sign Language. [Paper presented] 11th High Desert Linguistics Society Conference, Albuquerque, Nov. 2014.


Jaquez, T., Anible, B., & Occhino-Kehoe, C. The effects of sign language experience on hand-shape perception. [Paper presented] SL2HUB Conference, Gallaudet University, Washington DC, March 27-29, 2014. 


Occhino-Kehoe, C. A New Approach to Sign Language Phonology: What handshape reveals about embodied cognition and conceptual structure. [Paper presented] Texas Linguistics Society Conference, Austin, TX, Nov. 2013.


Occhino-Kehoe, C., Morford, J. P., Twitchell, P., Piñar, P., Kroll, J. F., & Wilkinson, E. The time course of bilingual lexical access in deaf ASL-English bilinguals. [Paper presented] Theoretical Issues in Sign Language Research 11, London, UK, July 2013.


Occhino-Kehoe, C. Iconicity is in the eye of the beholder: How language experience affects perceived iconicity. [Panel Presentation] Effects of Iconicity on Sign Language Processing: Evidence from Behavioral and Imaging Studies. Presentation at the 10th High Desert Linguistics Society Conference, Albuquerque, NM, Nov. 2012.


Anible, B., Occhino-Kehoe, C., Morford, J. P. ,& Wilkinson, E., Whose Iconicity? Perceptions of iconicity in signers of different signed languages. [Paper presented] 10th High Desert Linguistics Society Conference, Albuquerque, Nov. 2012.

Conference Posters

Nambodiripad, S., Canning, D., Jessee, E., Hou, L., & Occhino, C. Disciplinary and interpersonal inclusion in Language Evolution. [Poster presented] Special Session on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Language Evolution (EDILE) at The Joint Conference on Language Evolution. Co-organized by Evolang, Protolang, and Evolinguistics, Virtual/Kanazawa, Japan, Sept. 5th - 8th, 2022. https://view.genially.com/62bc4eb78c2f22001c027502/interactive-content-edilepresentation


Hou, L., Hochgesang, J., Occhino, C., & Lepic, R. Where do we go from here? Faculty placement of deaf linguists in US PhD programs. [Poster presented] 96th Annual Meeting of the Linguistic Society of America, Virtual/Washington, DC, Jan. 2022. https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.17912228.v1  


Doane, R., Contreras J., Occhino, C., & Panko, T. Language Deprivation Impact on Deaf Women’s Access to Reproductive Health. [Poster presented] National Sexual Health Conference, Virtual, Oct. 6-8, 2021. 


Postl, D., Contreras J., Occhino, C., & Panko, T. Deaf Women’s Contraceptive Practices. [Poster presented] National Sexual Health Conference, Virtual, Oct. 6-8, 2021. 


Xavier, A., & Occhino, C. Movement repetition in Libras signs. [Poster presented] Annual Meeting of Laboratory Phonology, Vancouver, B.C, Virtual, July. 2020.


Dye, M., Savakis, A., Artacho, B., Arora, A., Caselli, N., Finton, E., & Occhino, C. Perceptual Optimization of American Sign Language: Evidence from a Lexical Corpus. [Poster presented] Theoretical Issues in Sign Language Research, Hamburg, Germany. Sept. 2019.


Occhino, C. What does Embodiment have to do with Phonology? [Poster presented] 92nd Annual Meeting of the Linguistic Society of America, Salt Lake City, Utah, Jan. 2018.


Occhino, C., Anible, B., Morford, J. P., & Wilkinson, E. Does Language Experience Affect Perceived Iconicity? [Poster presented] CLS-MPI Iconicity Focus Group Workshop Nijmegen, Netherlands, July 2017.


Easterday, S., & Occhino-Kehoe, C. Articulatory Retiming: investigations from cross-modal linguistic evidence. [Poster presented] Annual Meeting of Phonology (AMP), Vancouver, BC, Oct. 2015.


Hsu, H.-C., & Occhino-Kehoe, C. Rock, Jazz, or Noise? Schematization and  Categorization of Novel Music. [Poster presented] 6th Intl. Conference of the Association Française de Linguistique Cognitive, Grenoble, France, May 2015.


Occhino-Kehoe, C., Kroll, J.F., Piñar, P., Wilkinson, E., & Morford, J. P. Cross-Language Activation in ASL-English Bilinguals. [Poster presented] 6th Inter-Science of Learning Centers Conference, Philadelphia, PA, Feb. 2013.


Morford, J., Kroll, J., Occhino-Kehoe, C., Piñar, P., Twitchell, P., Wilkinson, E., Anible, B. Co-activation in when deaf signers read English: Do written words activate their sign translations? [Poster presented] Visual Language Visual Learning Annual Retreat, Gallaudet University, Washington, D.C, Sept. 2011.


Invited Colloquia 

Occhino, C., & Lepic, R. Recurring functions, recurring forms. [Invited paper presented online]. Viadrina Gesture Center’s International Lecture Series at the Europa-Universität Viadrina. Frankfurt Oder, Germany, Feb. 2024.

Occhino, C. Signed languages as visual languages: iconicity and experience in language processing. [Invited paper presented] Colloquium Series at University of Texas at Austin, Department of Linguistics, Austin, TX, March 2023. 

Hochgesang, J. & Occhino, C. Documenting Language Use of the ASL Communities. [Invited Discussant]. CREST Fest. Hosted by the CREST Network. Gallaudet University, online/Washington D.C., (ASL w/ English Interpretation), June 2021.

Occhino, C. Everything you should know about ASL and American Deaf Culture. Invited paper presented at Cornell Language Resource Center, Cornell University Ithaca, NY, April 2022. 


Occhino, C. Accounting for Iconicity in Signed Language Phonology. Invited paper presented at Séminaire Structures Formelles du Langage. via Zoom. L'Institut des Sciences Humaines et Sociales du CNRS, Paris, France, Feb. 8, 2021. 


Occhino, C. & Begay, J. Comparing Classifier Constructions in ASL and Navajo. Invited paper presented at UBC Language Science Talks. via Zoom. University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Oct. 2020. 


Hill, J. C. & Occhino, C. Documenting Individual Variation in ASL. Invited paper presented at Building Connections with ASL Corpora Workshop, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, March 6, 2020. 


TEACHING 

Other Teaching

Abralin Summer Mini-course – Invited Professor: University of Parana, Brazil (Oct. 2024) Topic: Constructional Approaches to Signed Languages -  

LSA Summer Linguistics Institute –  Invited Professor: UC Davis (July 2019) Topic: Gesture and Sign Language Analysis - with Dr. Ryan Lepic