Dina Kapetangianni

I joined LINGUIST List in the Fall of 2000 when I decided to pursue a M.A. in Linguistics at Eastern Michigan University with the goal to learn more about the scientific study of human language. During my M.A. years at LINGUIST, I couldn’t have imagined where my path in Linguistics will drive me in the following years. Back then I had no clue as to which area of Linguistics will fit more my interests so I started exploring the different fields by taking the classes offered by the EMU program. At the same time, I had received a two year graduate assistantship by the LINGUIST List and became a member of its wonderful crew working as an editor. LINGUIST, through Helen and Anthony’s generous support and guidance, has assisted me at different stages of my academic and personal life. First of all, by paying for my education, LINGUIST gave the chance to discover the amazing field of Linguistics, complete my Master’s and work on various projects with some of the best linguists in the world. At the same time, I had the most wonderful experience learning about computational linguistics and improving my skills in this field. When I joined LINGUIST, my experience with computers was minimal, but I soon found myself involved in the organization of LINGUIST’s website, formatting web pages and fixing Cold Fusion forms.

Here I am now, five years later, a Ph.D. candidate in Linguistics at the University of Michigan. During my Ph.D. studies, I was fortunate to receive a number of fellowships and awards that allowed me to work on a variety of research topics and to present my research in several professional referred conferences. My current research focuses on syntactic theory and language acquisition: my main goal is to integrate as part of my research both the theoretical/formal inquiry into adult grammar with the empirical investigation of child language acquisition and development. More precisely, I have expanded my MA thesis research and investigated in more detail Control phenomena in Greek and English (my ongoing dissertation research); I have also conducted a comparative study of the syntax of comparative correlatives in English and Greek (a joint work with my colleague Heather Taylor, another former LINGUIST crew member). In my Qualifying Research Paper (December 2005), I explored the acquisition of aspects of syntax that interface with semantics and pragmatics, i.e. the development of word order, focused and topicalized constituents as well as wh-movement in Early Greek. I am also interested in the acquisition of Control: in one of my current projects, I am investigating young children's competence and acquisition of the syntax-semantics properties of Control complements in Greek. Finally, I have been engaged in a research project regarding bilingual development, in collaboration with Prof. Marilyn Shatz (Psychology and Linguistics, University of Michigan) in which we consider the sort of role early exposure to two languages may play in the growth of language awareness by young children.

Simultaneous with my research work at U of Michigan, I had the opportunity to work as a Graduate Student Instructor for six semesters and teach different undergraduate courses offered by both the Linguistics department and the department of English Language and Literature and have substantially increased my teaching experience in the course of my Ph.D. Teaching the discussion sections of these courses gave me the chance to introduce students to the field of Linguistics and instill in them my love for the study of language and also help them clarify their understanding of the issues and concepts that are raised in the study of human language.

I strongly believe that I couldn't have entered a program like the one at the University of Michigan and pursue a carrier in Linguistics without the core foundation that I received at EMU and the things that I learned working for LINGUIST, thanks to Helen and Anthony's continuous trust, guidance and mentorship. Needless to say, I credit the fact that I became a linguist to the LINGUIST List. It is through the donations of the subscribers that LINGUIST makes all these possible for its graduate students and crew. So please consider donating to this year’s fund drive!

Dina Kapetangianni
Email: kapetang_AT_umich.edu
Ph.D. Candidate
Homepage: http://sitemaker.umich.edu/kapetang/home
Department of Linguistics
459 Lorch Hall, 611 Tappan Street
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, MI 48109 USA