Professor of Linguistics and Cognitive Science

I am on leave from Pomona College for the 2022-23 academic year, serving as a Program Director at the National Science Foundation for the Linguistics and Dynamic Language Infrastructure-Documenting Endangered Languages programs.

You can contact me at ​mary.paster(at)pomona.edu​.​

You can download my CV here.

Research interests:

• African languages
• Indigenous American languages
• Phonology
• Morphology
• Field linguistics
• Language documentation and reclamation

Languages I have worked on with native speakers:

• Gã (Kwa; Ghana)
• Leggbo (Benue-Congo; Nigeria)
• Achumawi (Hokan; Northeastern California)
• Buchan Scots (Germanic; Northeastern Scotland)
• Pulaar (Atlantic; Senegal)
• Mixtepec Mixtec (Oto-Manguean; Mexico)
• Tiriki (Bantu; Kenya)
• Maay (Cushitic; Somalia)
• Luganda (Bantu; Uganda)
• Asante Twi (Kwa; Ghana)
• Malayalam (Dravidian; India)
• Manyika (Bantu; Zimbabwe)
• Tofingbe (Kwa; Benin)
• Kikuria (Bantu; Kenya)
• Logoori (Bantu; Kenya)
• Kipsigis (Nilotic; Kenya)
• Yoruba (Benue-Congo; Nigeria)
• Kikuyu (Bantu; Kenya)

Links:

• 7 College Native American Indigenous Studies Network
• Advocates for Indigenous California Language Survival
• African Linguistics School
• Association of Contemporary African Linguistics
• CoLang: the Institute for Collaborative Language Research
• Foundation for Endangered Languages
• Linguistic Variation journal
• NSF Dynamic Language Infrastructure – Documenting Endangered Languages Program
• NSF Linguistics Program
• Pomona College Linguistics and Cognitive Science Department
• Rumsen Language Reclamation Project
• Somali Bantu Community of San Diego
• Survey of California and Other Indian Languages
• Word Structure journal
• Yurok Language Project