I'm interested in language variation in less commonly studied minority communities, so I'm involved in linguistic field research of the Sui people in China and other underrepresented groups like Hmong communities in the United States. Before graduate school I lived in mainland China for about 7 years where, among other eye-opening experiences, I learned Chinese and Sui, a Tai-Kadai minority language of Guizhou Province. Returning to the U.S. for graduate school, I received my Ph.D. in Linguistics in 2007 from Michigan State University through the University Distinguished Fellowship program. I then taught for a year in the Rice University Linguistics Department. In the summer of 2008, I came to Dartmouth College to join Dartmouth's Program in Linguistics and Cognitive Science. Along with my sociolinguistic training, I also have a Bachelor of Science in Physics. As a result, I enjoy studying both the social, "human" side of language use as well as quantitative analysis of linguistic variables. Thanks for visiting my page, and let me know if you have any questions or would like to get in touch. My contact information is given below.