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dees3 [æt] illinois [dɑt] eduHello all.
I am a PhD candidate in the Department of Linguistics at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
My main research interests are syntax and its interface with morphology, semantics, and phonology. I am especially interested in the functional structure of the nominal and clausal domains, especially in regard to (in)definiteness (determiners) and temporality (Tense). Additionally, I am interested in morphophonology (allomorphy, vowel harmony, tone), and work out of a distributed morphology framework. I also have a strong interest in historical linguistics, and my work often reflects both synchronic and diachronic analyses/points of view.
My dissertation is being supervised by Dr. Aida Talić, and is entitled A Study of (D)efiniteness and (T)emporality in Dholuo (committee: Dr. Seth Cable, Dr. Vicki Carstens, Dr. Tania Ionin, and Dr. Jonathan MacDonald).
For a better understanding of my work and research interests, see my Research page for publications, presentations, and collaborations.
Checkout my UIUC Dept. of Linguistics Spotlight!
Upcoming Presentations
The 2026 Annual Meeting of the Linguistic Society of America. "Teaching for and by first-gen scholars." January 8-11, 2026. (Organized Session w/ Shannon Bryant, Miranda McCarvel, Victoria Thomas, and Tran Truong).