-
Alexis Burke
Hi! My name is Alexis Burke. I graduated from Scripps College with a B.A. in Linguistics and then spent two years as the lab coordinator for UCSD’s Early Learning & Cognition Lab. My primary interest is in phonetics, namely voice quality. I’m interested in how speakers and listeners use articulatory and acoustic cues to create linguistic and social meaning; I’m particularly excited to explore developmental and contextual variation in both production and perception. I’m also very passionate about teaching and mentorship. In my free time, you can find me cooking, crafting, and spending time outdoors with my dog. -
Hi there! My name is Kun Cui. Prior to joining UCSD, I received my M.A. in Linguistics from Tsinghua University. My primary interests lie in syntax, semantics and linguistic typology. More specifically, I use formal devices to study the structure of wh-questions, tough-constructions, relative clauses, and other related constructions, particularly in wh-in-situ languages such as Chinese and Japanese. Other keywords relevant to my research include the argument/adjunct distinction, quantification and reconstruction. In my free time, I love playing tennis, cooking and taking photographs. I also enjoy learning new languages, and I am currently learning Basque.
-
Michael Gallaspy
I grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada, and have lived in San Diego since 2015. I am a citizen of the Wyandotte Nation. My academic and personal interests intersect in the revitalization of the Wyandot language. I have a BS in math and physics from the University of Nevada Reno, and an MAS in data science and engineering from UCSD. I love games of all sorts, as well as reading and writing fiction. I volunteer weekly at Teralta Art in City Heights to provide space and guidance for community members to practice ceramic arts. -
Cassie Kim
Hello, my name is Cassie. I earned a bachelor's degree in Psychology and Linguistics from the University of Washington. My primary focus is psycholinguistics, with additional research interests in syntax, semantics, and pragmatics. My previous research investigated the interplay between the cognitive and linguistic systems in adults using behavioral methods. I am excited to expand on my prior work by examining this relationship in the context of language acquisition—specifically answering questions surrounding how the syntax–semantics interface is structured, how it develops across childhood, and what internal mechanisms and external experiences drive its evolution. Outside of academics, I enjoy rock climbing, baking sourdough, and caring for my plants! -
Hi, my name is Hongao Zhu. I received a B.A. in Linguistics from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China. My research focuses on computational linguistics and computational psycholinguistics. More specifically, I am curious about what LLMs can tell us about language acquisition, and how to explain the alignment between developmentally plausible LLMs and humans. I am originally from Chongqing, the biggest municipality in China and the city of hotpot.
Welcome new graduate students!
We are pleased to announce the following graduate students will be joining the department in the 2025-26 academic year. Please join us in welcoming them!