Graduate Supervision (MA culminating projects)
2025
Anna Koltak Unpacking Ukrainian Work Talk: Metaphor, Meaning, and Distinct Cultural Conceptualizations
Cassia Reddig Utilizing Large Language Models to Investigate Spatial Understanding on Temporal Reasoning
Jas Zeng The Meaning of Mandarin Particle 'le' Based on Syntactic Position
Malleeswari Jagabattuni (second reader) Assessing LLM Performance on the Winograd Schema Challenge: A Comparison between Telugu and English
Mele Thomas (second reader) Gender Biases in Large Language Models
Filiberto Perez (second reader) Chicano English Variation Differentiation
2024
Jackson Harris (Second reader) A Diachronic View of Spanish Noun-Noun Compounding
Maxwell Goodwin Compositionality and Systematicity in English Phrasal Verbs
Raz Parker (second reader) Sound Symbolism in Japanese and the Difficulties of NLP Approaches
Erli Tang (Theis, second reader) Belong in-between: through the lens of linguistics within Chinese international student community
Molly Downs Unpacking Modal Force: Understanding Will and Would through the FORCE Image-Schema
Julia Stahura Framing Gender: Cognitive Semantic Analysis of Gender Expansive Labels
Yuka Higashino Memes in Japanese TV: The Modern Evolution of Telop
May Reese (Thesis, second reader) Commonsense Reasoning and World Knowledge Benchmark Tests: A Comparison of ChatGPT and Humans on the Japanese Winograd Schema Challenge
2023
Ramzi ElKawa Verbal Morphology in Arabic: A Cognitive Linguistics Approach
Kyle Larson (second reader) Long: Bislama’s Multipurpose Preposition1Long: Bislama’s Multifunctional Word
Anne Marie Mattingly (second reader) Metaphor in Academic Discourse of Prop 8
2022
Olivia Vallejo Visualizing the Metaphorical Structure of Depression in Antidepressant Pharmaceutical Advertisements
Jenna Ferrario (thesis) Spatial Terms in Norwegian: pa and i
2021
Joseph DeCarlo (second reader) Understanding 'folx' as a linguistics marker of progressive social personae
Chloe Donnelly Conversations with the Divided Self: A Conceptual Metaphor Analysis of the Internal Family Systems Model
Greta Berger Understanding Language Through Metaphor: A Metaphorical Analysis of the Concept of Language Itself
2020
Helena Laranetto (Thesis, first reader) The Discursive Construction of Epistemic Authority: CIA’s Legitimization of Torture (2001-2008)
Minsun Lee (Thesis, second reader) Hedges and Boosters: L1 and L2 Speakers’ Comprehension and Production
Rose Kitchel Constructing Murder: A Framing Analysis of Mass Shootings in American News Reports
Skyler Ilenstine When the Immune System “Misfires”: Conceptual Metaphors in Autoimmune Disease Discourse
2019
César Olivas (Thesis, first reader) Conceptual Blending and Metaphor in Spanish Speaking Ghost Stories
Jasmine Rivero (Thesis, second reader) The Impact of Backchannels on the Perception of Listening Competence
2018
Taneesh Khera -Metaphors and Immigration: How Media Imagery Shapes Discourse
Jeffry Pretes -Locational Postpositions in Khakas: A Cognitive Perspective
Mónica Padilla-Stemmelen -Un Coup de Force:The Emotional Story of Coup
2017
Meagan LaRose (Thesis) Evidentiality in Historical Southern African American English
Wilson Miller (Thesis) Grammaticalization in English: A Diachronic and Synchronic Analysis of the “ASS” Intensifier
Jasmine Chih-Jou Hsu -Fluidic Motion Verbs in Mandarin Chinese: A Frame-Semantic Approach
2016
Sam Berman -Emoji Use in Computer-Mediated Communication
Hayden Kellermeyer- Frame Semantic Analysis: Sex Dysphemisms and Violence
Molly Ruhl- Pragmatics of the Keyboard: An Analysis of Orthographic Conventions on Tumblr
Pilar Rosario Velásquez- The Frame Semantics of the Verbs 'Tocar' and 'Touch' across Spanish and English
James Kyle Hager- We might should consider mental space theory: A mental space account of multiple modal constructions
Emily Goldstein -Typicality and Negation are Related -Evidence from Discourse on Transgender Identity
2015
Vera Feinberg- The Frame Semantics of ‘Communication_Manner’ in English and German
Ashwaag Bazaid- A Lexical Semantic Analysis of the Verbs ESHTARA/BUY and DAFA/PAY in Arabic
Irina Brodskaya- Durational Patterns of the Trisyllabic Foot in Soikkola Ingrian
Teni Baroiant- An Examination of the Spatial Term ‘Vehrev’ in Eastern Armenian
Marisela Tiffany Meskus- Venturing into the world of genealogy: Understanding family history research through metaphor
2014
Ali Alshehri- The Frame Semantics of the ‘Self Motion’ Frame in Arabic and English
Denise Diaz - 'Global warming’ and ‘climate change’ -A corpus driven cognitive linguistic comparison
Matt Hall (Genetic Counseling Masters Candidate, CSU Stanislaus) -That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet: A further study of the evolving interpretation of intellectual disability terminology
2013
Cheryl-Lee Urbanick –Adjacent Character Repetition: Orthographic Pragmatics in Computer-Mediated Discourse
Rebecca Dinkel –Personification Metaphors for TIME in the Classic Mayan Hieroglyphs
Hannah E. Phinney –The Frame Semantics of ‘Caused-motion’ in English and French
Youness Belfqih –FAMILY AND MORALITY METAPHORS IN ARABIC POLITICAL DISCOURSE: A metaphor analysis of Mubarak’s final speech
Allison Lopez –The semantics of the noun RISK
Aaron Caley –The Conceptual Metaphors of Immigration Discourse
2012
Matthew Cooper Borkenhagen –Embodied Schemata and Cross Domain Mappings of EMOTION IS AN OPPONENT
Undergraduate Projects
2013
Scott Ruddell –An acoustic study of the Japanese voiceless bilabial fricative
2025
Anna Koltak Unpacking Ukrainian Work Talk: Metaphor, Meaning, and Distinct Cultural Conceptualizations
Cassia Reddig Utilizing Large Language Models to Investigate Spatial Understanding on Temporal Reasoning
Jas Zeng The Meaning of Mandarin Particle 'le' Based on Syntactic Position
Malleeswari Jagabattuni (second reader) Assessing LLM Performance on the Winograd Schema Challenge: A Comparison between Telugu and English
Mele Thomas (second reader) Gender Biases in Large Language Models
Filiberto Perez (second reader) Chicano English Variation Differentiation
2024
Jackson Harris (Second reader) A Diachronic View of Spanish Noun-Noun Compounding
Maxwell Goodwin Compositionality and Systematicity in English Phrasal Verbs
Raz Parker (second reader) Sound Symbolism in Japanese and the Difficulties of NLP Approaches
Erli Tang (Theis, second reader) Belong in-between: through the lens of linguistics within Chinese international student community
Molly Downs Unpacking Modal Force: Understanding Will and Would through the FORCE Image-Schema
Julia Stahura Framing Gender: Cognitive Semantic Analysis of Gender Expansive Labels
Yuka Higashino Memes in Japanese TV: The Modern Evolution of Telop
May Reese (Thesis, second reader) Commonsense Reasoning and World Knowledge Benchmark Tests: A Comparison of ChatGPT and Humans on the Japanese Winograd Schema Challenge
2023
Ramzi ElKawa Verbal Morphology in Arabic: A Cognitive Linguistics Approach
Kyle Larson (second reader) Long: Bislama’s Multipurpose Preposition1Long: Bislama’s Multifunctional Word
Anne Marie Mattingly (second reader) Metaphor in Academic Discourse of Prop 8
2022
Olivia Vallejo Visualizing the Metaphorical Structure of Depression in Antidepressant Pharmaceutical Advertisements
Jenna Ferrario (thesis) Spatial Terms in Norwegian: pa and i
2021
Joseph DeCarlo (second reader) Understanding 'folx' as a linguistics marker of progressive social personae
Chloe Donnelly Conversations with the Divided Self: A Conceptual Metaphor Analysis of the Internal Family Systems Model
Greta Berger Understanding Language Through Metaphor: A Metaphorical Analysis of the Concept of Language Itself
2020
Helena Laranetto (Thesis, first reader) The Discursive Construction of Epistemic Authority: CIA’s Legitimization of Torture (2001-2008)
Minsun Lee (Thesis, second reader) Hedges and Boosters: L1 and L2 Speakers’ Comprehension and Production
Rose Kitchel Constructing Murder: A Framing Analysis of Mass Shootings in American News Reports
Skyler Ilenstine When the Immune System “Misfires”: Conceptual Metaphors in Autoimmune Disease Discourse
2019
César Olivas (Thesis, first reader) Conceptual Blending and Metaphor in Spanish Speaking Ghost Stories
Jasmine Rivero (Thesis, second reader) The Impact of Backchannels on the Perception of Listening Competence
2018
Taneesh Khera -Metaphors and Immigration: How Media Imagery Shapes Discourse
Jeffry Pretes -Locational Postpositions in Khakas: A Cognitive Perspective
Mónica Padilla-Stemmelen -Un Coup de Force:The Emotional Story of Coup
2017
Meagan LaRose (Thesis) Evidentiality in Historical Southern African American English
Wilson Miller (Thesis) Grammaticalization in English: A Diachronic and Synchronic Analysis of the “ASS” Intensifier
Jasmine Chih-Jou Hsu -Fluidic Motion Verbs in Mandarin Chinese: A Frame-Semantic Approach
2016
Sam Berman -Emoji Use in Computer-Mediated Communication
Hayden Kellermeyer- Frame Semantic Analysis: Sex Dysphemisms and Violence
Molly Ruhl- Pragmatics of the Keyboard: An Analysis of Orthographic Conventions on Tumblr
Pilar Rosario Velásquez- The Frame Semantics of the Verbs 'Tocar' and 'Touch' across Spanish and English
James Kyle Hager- We might should consider mental space theory: A mental space account of multiple modal constructions
Emily Goldstein -Typicality and Negation are Related -Evidence from Discourse on Transgender Identity
2015
Vera Feinberg- The Frame Semantics of ‘Communication_Manner’ in English and German
Ashwaag Bazaid- A Lexical Semantic Analysis of the Verbs ESHTARA/BUY and DAFA/PAY in Arabic
Irina Brodskaya- Durational Patterns of the Trisyllabic Foot in Soikkola Ingrian
Teni Baroiant- An Examination of the Spatial Term ‘Vehrev’ in Eastern Armenian
Marisela Tiffany Meskus- Venturing into the world of genealogy: Understanding family history research through metaphor
2014
Ali Alshehri- The Frame Semantics of the ‘Self Motion’ Frame in Arabic and English
Denise Diaz - 'Global warming’ and ‘climate change’ -A corpus driven cognitive linguistic comparison
Matt Hall (Genetic Counseling Masters Candidate, CSU Stanislaus) -That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet: A further study of the evolving interpretation of intellectual disability terminology
2013
Cheryl-Lee Urbanick –Adjacent Character Repetition: Orthographic Pragmatics in Computer-Mediated Discourse
Rebecca Dinkel –Personification Metaphors for TIME in the Classic Mayan Hieroglyphs
Hannah E. Phinney –The Frame Semantics of ‘Caused-motion’ in English and French
Youness Belfqih –FAMILY AND MORALITY METAPHORS IN ARABIC POLITICAL DISCOURSE: A metaphor analysis of Mubarak’s final speech
Allison Lopez –The semantics of the noun RISK
Aaron Caley –The Conceptual Metaphors of Immigration Discourse
2012
Matthew Cooper Borkenhagen –Embodied Schemata and Cross Domain Mappings of EMOTION IS AN OPPONENT
Undergraduate Projects
2013
Scott Ruddell –An acoustic study of the Japanese voiceless bilabial fricative