Welcome to my website.

Although my research studies have been wide-ranging, they all relate to my interest in using empirical, corpus-based methods to investigate language variation and use. I’ve been especially interested in register variation, English grammar, and grammatical complexity (including both synchronic and diachronic patterns). But I’ve also been very interested in methodological issues, especially with a focus on making sure that our corpora and corpus-based methods actually fit the research questions that we care about. Until recently, I’ve shied away from using the word ‘theory’, feeling that the word is often abused in our field. But a common thread of my work has been a focus on research issues that have broad theoretical implications, rather than simply investigating something that has not been described before.

While I love doing research, I’m equally enthusiastic about the outdoors. I’ve been incredibly lucky to live in some of the most beautiful places in the world, including Flagstaff Arizona and Mammoth Lakes California. And I try hard to take advantage of that, getting out to rock climb, mountain bike, backcountry ski, and hike whenever I can. So, if the weather’s good, chances are I’m out in the mountains doing something fun instead of sitting here at my computer!