Curriculum Vitae

Corrine Occhino, PhD

occhino@austin(dot)utexas(dot)edu

 

EDUCATION

Ph.D.  Linguistics, w/ distinction - Department of Linguistics - University of New Mexico

M.A. Foreign Languages & Linguistics w/distinction - Department of Linguistics - University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

B.A. Linguistics, w/ honors - Department of Linguistics - University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

 

PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYMENT

Asst. Professor – Dept. of Linguistics, University of Texas at Austin (2023-current)

Asst. Professor – Dept. of Languages, Literatures, & Linguistics and Dept. of Teaching & Leadership, Syracuse University (2021-2023)

Asst. Professor – Center on Culture & Language, National Technical Institute for the Deaf, Rochester Institute of Technology (2017-2021)

PUBLICATIONS


Lucas, C., Occhino, C., Fisher, J., Hill, J. C., Hochgesang, J. A., Shaw, E., & Tamminga, M., (Forthcoming). Needed Research on American Sign Language. In R. Bayley and E. Benson (Eds.), Needed Research in North American Dialects. Publication of the American Dialect Society. Duke University Press.


Occhino, C., (Forthcoming). Force Dynamics in ASL. Book chapter. Eds. Fuyin Thomas Li. Handbook of Cognitive Semantics. Brill.


Occhino, C., (2023). When Hands are ‘Things’ and Movements are ‘Processes’: Cognitive Iconicity, Embodied Cognition and Signed Language Structure. Book chapter. Eds. Janzen, T., and Schafer, B.


Occhino, C., Lidster, R., Geer, L. C., Listman, J., & Hauser, P. C. (2023). Development of the American Sign Language Fingerspelling and Numbers Comprehension Test (ASL FaN-CT). Language Testing, 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   


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 


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 


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


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


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 


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


Manuscripts in preparation

Occhino, C., & Hill, J. C. (in prep).  Where are we going? Where have we been? Sixty Years of Sign Language Sociolinguistics.

Occhino, C., & Hochgesang, J. (in prep). Phonology of Signed Languages. (Eds.) Robert Kennedy and Patrycja Strycharczuk. In Cambridge Elements Series: Phonology. 

Occhino, C.,  Anible, B., Xavier, A. N. (in prep).  Understanding Articulatory Movement Repetition in Libras:  Variation, Patterns & Motivations.

Occhino, C. (in prep). Finding Meaning in Phonology: An Embodied Perspective. 

Occhino, C., Lepic, R., & Hou, L. (in prep). Gradience in signs is not gesture: Schematicity and Specificity as General Properties of Language.

Begay, J. & Occhino, C. (in prep). Toward a typological perspective on classifier constructions in signed and spoken language.


BOOK REVIEWS

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


GRANT FUNDED RESEARCH

Syracuse University Engaged Communities Grant 7/31/2022-6/30/2023 $5,000 (funded)

PI: C. Occhino, Community Partner: Deaf New Americans Org., Title: Deaf New Americans - Developing Language and Sharing Stories


Syracuse Office of Undergraduate Research & Creative Engagement (SOURCE) 5/25/22-12/15/22 $5,000  (funded)

PI: C. Occhino, Multimodal Language Lab - Faculty Mentor Research Assistant Training and Research Grant


CNY Corridor Humanities Grant 1/1/2022-1/1/2022 $5,000  (funded) 

PI: B. Schertz, Co-PIs: C. Occhino, Marguerite Carrillo, Sandra Wood, Molly Diesing, Solveiga Armoskaite. 

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 (funded)

PI: T. Panko, Co-PI: C. Occhino

Title: Reproductive Health Experiences of Deaf Women: A MixedMethods Study


RIT/NTID   Scholarship Portfolio Development Initiative 7/1/2020-7/31/2021 $10,000 (funded)

PI: C. Occhino, Co-PI: T. Panko

Title: Reproductive Health Experiences of Deaf Women: A MixedMethods Study


National Science Foundation - Brain and Cognitive Sciences #1749376 5/1/2018-10/31/2021 $349,882 (funded)

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 Initiative (SPDI) 7/1/2018-7/31/2019 $10,000 (funded)

PI: C. Occhino, Co-PI: J. Hill

Title: Documenting Individual Variation in ASL (DIVA) 

 

CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS

Invited Papers 


Occhino, C. Iconicity, Experience, and Language Processing of Signed Languages. [Paper 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

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 at 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 at the 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 at the 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 canceled due to Covid-19]. 


Occhino, C. Image Schemas and Embodied Cognition: Reconceptualizing Signed Language Phonology. Paper presented at the 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 at the American Anthropological Association’s Annual Meeting. San Jose, CA, Nov. 2018.


Occhino C., & Hill, J. C. Documenting Individual Variation in ASL (DIVA). Paper presented at the 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 at the 14th Intl. Cognitive Linguistics Conference: Linguistic Diversity & Cognitive Linguistics, Tartu, Estonia, July 2017. 


Lepic, R., & Occhino, C. Sign Language Structure: A Construction-Theoretic Perspective. Paper presented at the 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 at the 12th High Desert Linguistics Society Conference, Albuquerque, NM, Nov. 2016.


Occhino, C., & Lepic, R. A Construction Grammar Approach to Signed Language Analysis. Paper presented at the 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 at the 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 at the 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 at the Intl. Society for Gesture Studies Conference, Paris, July 2016.


Occhino-Kehoe, C., Sutton, L., & Begay, J. ASL classifier predicates in typological  perspective. Paper presented at the 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 at the 11th High Desert Linguistics Society Conference, Albuquerque, NM, Nov. 2014.


Anible, B., & Occhino-Kehoe, C. (2014). What’s happening with HAPPEN? The Grammaticalization of HAPPEN in American Sign Language. Paper presented at the 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 at 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 at 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 at 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 Presenter: 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 at the 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. 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://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.17912228.v1 


Hou, L., Hochgesang, J., Occhino, C., & Lepic, R. Where do we go from here? Faculty placement of deaf linguists in US PhD programs. 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. National Sexual Health Conference, Virtual, Oct. 6-8, 2021. 


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


Xavier, A., & Occhino, C. Movement repetition in Libras signs. Poster presented at presented at the 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. Theoretical Issues in Sign Language Research, Hamburg, Germany. Sept. 2019


Occhino, C. What does Embodiment have to do with Phonology? Poster presented at presented at the 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 at 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 at the 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 at the 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 at the 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 presentation at Visual Language Visual Learning Annual Retreat, Gallaudet University, Washington, D.C, Sept. 2011.


Invited Colloquia 


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 EXPERIENCE

Syracuse University (2021-curr)

 LSA Summer Linguistics Institute - Invited Professor: UC Davis – (July 2019)

Rochester Institute of Technology – Dept. of Sociology & Anthropology (2017-2019)

 University of New Mexico – Dept. of Linguistics (2012-2016)

University of Houston – College of Undergraduate Scholars  (2008-2010)

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee – Foreign Language & Literatures (2004-2006)

            

ADMINISTRATIVE EXPERIENCE

2021- Syracuse University - School of Education - ASL Program Coordinator

 2016-2017 University of New Mexico – Navajo Language Program Administrative Asst./Assessment Coordinator

2009-2010 University of Houston – University Scholars Academic Program Manager

2008-2009 University of Houston – Joint Admissions Medical Program Coordinator 

 

PROFESSIONAL SERVICE

 Workshops Organization

Organizer: "Use-Phon" Usage Based Approaches to Phonology Workshop, Satellite of LabPhon2020  (online) Summer, 2020

Organizer: “Doing Reproducible & Rigorous Science w/ Deaf Children, Deaf Communities, & Sign Languages” 

                          Humboldt-Universität, Berlin,  Summer 2019

Organizer: "ALL ASL” Junior Faculty Writing Retreat in Northville, NY , Winter 2019

Organizer: VL2 Research Translation, Plain Language & Video Production Workshop, U. of New Mexico, 2013

Organizer: 10th Biennial HDLS Conference U. of New Mexico, 2012


Ad-Hoc Journal/Grant Review

Journals 

Cognition

Cognitive Science

Journal of Psycholinguistics 

Language

Languages (MDPI)

Language and Communication

Language and Cognition

Linguistics Vanguard

Minpaku Sign Language Studies

Review of Cognitive Linguistics

Grants 

NSF (Ling-DDRI)

NSF (Ling)

            

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

Cognitive Science Society (CSS)

International Cognitive Linguistics Association (ICLA)

International Society for Gesture Studies (ISGS)

Linguistics Society of America (LSA)

Sign Language Linguistics Society (SLLS)

High Desert Linguistics Society (HDLS)

 

LANGUAGES

Am. English – 1st language 

ASL – Professional

Spanish – Basic