Languages: I work primarily on African languages, with a focus on Niger-Congo, and have done fieldwork on the Beboid languages of Northwest Cameroon. I have also worked on Saramaccan, an Atlantic creole (showing a good deal of West African influence in its lexicon and grammar), and Chechen (which has very little in common with the African languages I study, as far as I can tell).

Theoretical linguistics: My primary theoretical interest is the synchrony, diachrony, and typology of linear relations within morphology and syntax. The focus of my research in this domain at present is the typology of templatic constructions.

Digital linguistics: I am active in the development of digital techniques to facilitate language documentation, description, and archiving. At present, my work in this area centers on exploring the potential of Semantic Web technologies to facilitate cross-linguistic research and data interoperation.

Projects

• Documentation and description of the languages of the Lower Fungom region of Cameroon

• Lexicon Enhancement via the GOLD Ontology (LEGO)

• The Rosetta Project

• Pangloss: An interlinear glossing tool within an existing application platform

• Digital Humanities Initiative at BuffaloPh.D. Students

• Nyurguyana Petrova, University at Buffalo

• Joseph Farquharson, University of the West Indies, Mona

• Abdoulaye Laziz Nchare, New York University

• Rebecca Voll, University of Leiden