CASTL

Center for Advanced Study
in Theoretical Linguistics

 


Bruce Morén

Curriculum Vitae

 

 

 


 

EDUCATION
 

Ph.D. (May 1999)
University of Maryland at College Park, Linguistics Department

Specialization: phonology

Secondary areas: language acquisition, syntax

Dissertation: “Distinctiveness, Coercion and Sonority: A Unified Theory of Weight”
This thesis provides a novel view of the cross-linguistic generalizations regarding phonological weight, and it proposes a unified approach to analyzing the weight of different segment types under a variety of conditions.  A predicted typology is explored and compared with known phenomena. 

Advisor:  Linda Lombardi

Other committee members: Paul Smolensky, Laura Benua, Amy Weinberg, Rose-Marie Oster

M.A. (January 1997)
University of Maryland at College Park, Linguistics Department

Thesis: “Markedness and Faithfulness Constraints on the Association of Moras: The Dependency between Vowel Length and Consonant Weight”

Advisor:  Linda Lombardi

B.A. summa cum laude (May 1994)
University of Maryland at College Park

Major: linguistics

Minor: psychology

Honor societies: Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi, and Golden Key National Honor Societies



TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Senior Researcher - Segmental Phonology Project Leader
Tromsø University, Center for Advanced Study in Theoretical Linguistics

January 2007 - Present

Graduate courses:
Seminar: The Fundamentals of Optimality Theory (co-taught with Curt Rice and Christian Uffmann)

Researcher - Segmental Phonology Project Leader
Tromsø University, Center for Advanced Study in Theoretical Linguistics

September 2006 - December 2007

Graduate courses:
Seminar: The Fundamentals of Generative Phonology (co-taught with Curt Rice and Christian Uffmann)
Seminar: The Fundamentals of Optimality Theory (co-taught with Curt Rice and Christian Uffmann)

Summer school courses:
1-week intense course: Minimalist/Substance-free Feature Theory: Why and How. Eastern European Generative Grammar summer school (EGG), Brno, the Czech Republic, 2007 [PDF]
1-week intense course: Minimalist/Substance-free Feature Theory: Case Studies and Implications. Eastern European Generative Grammar summer school (EGG), Brno, the Czech Republic, 2007 [PDF]

Assistant Professor of Linguistics (visiting)
Cornell University, Department of Linguistics

September 2002 - June 2003

Undergraduate courses:
Introduction to Morphology
Introduction to Phonology

Graduate courses:
Phonology II
Topics in Phonological Theory: Weight, Stress and Prosodic Structure
Seminar: Phonetics-Phonology Interface (co-taught with Amanda Miller-Ockhuizen)

Assistant Professor of Linguistics (visiting)
Boston University, Department of Modern Foreign Languages and Literatures

September 2001 - June 2002

Graduate courses:
Phonetics
Phonology
Morphology
Semantics

Assistant Professor (visiting)
Georgetown University, Linguistics Department

August 1999 - June 2001

 

Undergraduate courses:

Phonetics

Morphology (two semesters)

Syntax

 

Graduate courses:

Articulatory Phonetics

General Phonology

Theoretical Phonology I (two semesters)

Theoretical Phonology II

Phonology seminar: Stress and Weight

 

Lecturer
University of Maryland at College Park, Linguistics Department

August 1996 - January 1999

Undergraduate courses:
Phonology I
Introduction to Linguistics

 Instructor - Remedial Pronunciation
Johns Hopkins University, International Teaching Assistant Program

September 1998 - May 1999

Used the Technology Enhanced Accent Modification system to help International Teaching Assistants improve their English pronunciation.  This software uses computer graphical analyses to compare student speech with native speech, thus improving pronunciation using segmental and prosodic visual cues in conjunction with audio feedback.  Evaluated the software as part of a grant from the Fund for the Improvement of Post-Secondary Education, U.S. Department of Education.



NON-TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Postdoctoral Research Fellow - Segmental Phonology Project Leader
Tromsø University, Center for Advanced Study in Theoretical Linguistics (CASTL)

August 2003 - September 2006

Leader of the CASTL segmental phonology project - Investigating the Nature of Phonological Features.

Grant Coordinator
Johns Hopkins University, Language Laboratory

September 1998 - August 1999

Coordinated a dissemination grant awarded by The Fund for the Improvement of Post-Secondary Education to a consortium of language laboratory directors from Georgetown University, The Catholic University of America, The Johns Hopkins University and The University of Maryland at College Park.  Responsibilities included: overseeing grant activities; scheduling meetings and workshops; writing proposals, reports, and funding requests; and providing technical assistance to faculty using the Technology Enhanced Accent Modification system and the Libra multi-media authoring tool.

Research Assistant
Johns Hopkins University, Center for Communication Programs

September 1994 - August 1999

Assisted in the planning, design, implementation, and evaluation of several Population Information, Education and Communication projects conducted in developing countries. Created code guides for interaction analysis; performed qualitative and quantitative analysis; and prepared and edited reports, presentations, and journal articles.  Designed and implemented an interpersonal communication and counseling relational database.

Administrative Assistant
Johns Hopkins University, Center for Communication Programs

June 1993 - September 1994

Assisted with the Kenya Provider-Client Interaction Program evaluation.  Reviewed, edited, and coded transcripts of counseling sessions.  Designed data entry screens and entered data.  Created tables and graphs for reports, journal articles, and presentations.

Electronics Technician/Customer Service Representative
Motorola Inc., Washington, DC

September 1990 - April 1992

United States Navy
Electronics Technician/Work Center Supervisor
July 1984 - July 1990

Received a Navy Achievement Medal for the planning and supervision of a total reconfiguration of the communication spaces at the Naval Oceanography Command Center, Rota, Spain.  Familiar with all aspects of troubleshooting data and voice grade circuits; isolating transmission, equipment, and wiring problems; and patching circuit configurations.



ADVISING AND COMMITTEES

Ph.D. Advisor (25%)
Tromsø University, Center for Advanced Study in Theoretical Linguistics
Sylvia Blaho
Present

Ph.D. Advisor
Tromsø University, Center for Advanced Study in Theoretical Linguistics
Islam Youssef
Present

Ph.D. Advisor
Tromsø University, Center for Advanced Study in Theoretical Linguistics
Pavel Iosod
Present

Ph.D. Dissertation Reader
Georgetown University, Department of Linguistics
Zhaleh Feizollahi
Present

M.A. Thesis Second Reader
Tromsø University, English Linguistics Program
Islam Youssef. “Vocalic Feature Assimilation in Cairene Arabic and Buchan Scots: Contrast and Phonological Activity in the Parallel Structures Model of Feature Geometry”
June 2006

Ph.D. Dissertation Committee
Boston University, Applied Linguistics Program
Larry Ichimura. “Blocking of Neutralization by Homonymy and Recoverability”
March 2006

Ph.D. Dissertation Committee
Boston University, Applied Linguistics Program
Rawiah S. Kabrah. “Transparency and Opacity in the Lexical and Post-lexical Phonology of Makkan Arabic:
A Stratal Optimality Theoretic Approach”
April 2004

Ph.D. Comprehensive Paper First Reader
Boston University, Applied Linguistics Program
Rawiah S. Kabrah. “Weight and Stress in Makkan Arabic”
April 2002

M.A. Comprehensive Paper First Reader
Boston University, Applied Linguistics Program
Christine Tridente. “Aspiration and Deletion of /s/ in Puerto Rican Spanish”
April 2002

Senior Honors Thesis Committee
Georgetown University, Linguistics Department

Amy Hertz.  "Prosodic Morphology and Optimality Theory in Modern Hebrew Reduplication."
May 2000

M.A. Research Paper Advisor
Georgetown University, Linguistics Department

Elsa Carlota Bernal.  "Aspects of Prosody in Brazilian Portuguese."
April 2000

M.A. Comprehensive Exam Reader (Phonology)
Georgetown University, Spanish and Portuguese Department

April 2000

Ph.D. Oral Comprehensive Exam Committee
Georgetown University, Linguistics Department

Saovapak Kallayanamit.  "The Phonetics and Phonology of Thai Intonation."
February 2000



PUBLICATIONS

Morén, B. (2007) The Division of Labor between Segment-internal Structure and Violable Constraints. In M. Krämer, P. Bye, and S. Blaho, eds., 'Freedom of Analysis?'. [pre-published PDF]

Morén, B. and E. Zsiga (2006) The Lexical and Post-lexical Phonology of Thai Tones.  Natural Language and Linguistic Theory 24, pp. 113-178. [PDF]

Morén, B. (2006) Consonant-Vowel Interactions in Serbian: Features, Representations and Constraint Interactions. Lingua 116, pp. 1198-1244. [PDF]

Morén, B. (2003) Affricates, Palatals and Iotization in Serbian: Representational Solutions to Longstanding Puzzles. In Erik Egeberg and Tore Nesset (eds.), Poljarnyj Vestnik 6, pp. 46-70. Tromsø, Norway.

Morén, B. (2003) Weight Typology: An Optimality Theoretic Approach. The Linguistic Review 20 “Typology in Phonology” special issue, pp. 281-304. [PDF]

Morén, B. (2003) The Parallel Structures Model of Feature Geometry. Working Papers of the Cornell Phonetics Laboratory 15, pp. 194-270. Ithaca, USA. [PDF]

Miglio, V. and B. Morén. (2003) Merger Avoidance and Lexical Reconstruction: An Optimality-Theoretic Model of the Great Vowel Shift. In D. Eric Holt (ed.), Optimality Theory and Language Change, pp. 191-228. Kluwer Academic Publishers, The Netherlands.

Fish, S., B. Morén, R. Hoffmeister and B. Schick. (2003) The Acquisition of Classifier Phonology in ASL by Deaf Children: Evidence from Descriptions of Objects in Specific Spatial Arrangements. Proceedings of the 27th Annual Boston University Conference on the Development of Language (BUCLD 27), Vol. 1, pp. 252-263. Cascadilla Press, Somerville, USA.

Morén, B. (2001) Distinctiveness, Coercion and Sonority: A Unified Theory of Weight. Routledge Publishers, New York, USA. [pre-published PDF]

Morén, B. and E. Zsiga. (2001) Markedness and Lexical Tone in Standard Thai: Phonetics and Phonology. Proceedings of the 27th Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society (BLS 27). Berkeley, USA.

Morén, B. (2000) The Puzzle of Kashmiri Stress: Implications for Weight Theory. Phonology 17.3, pp. 365-396. [PDF]

Morén, B. and V. Miglio. (2000) Issues in Icelandic Phonology: A Unified Approach. In Gudrún Thórhallsdóttir (ed.), The Nordic Languages and Modern Linguistics. Vol. 10, pp. 155-168. Reykjavík, Iceland.

Morén, B. (1999) Syllable Weight Asymmetries in Distinctive and Coercive Environments. Proceedings of the 29th Meeting of the Northeastern Linguistics Society (NELS 29).

Morén, B. (1999) Distinctive Moraicity in Two Hungarian Dialects. University of Maryland Working Papers in Linguistics, Vol. 8, pp. 294-322. Maryland, USA.

Morén, B. (1998) The Puzzle of Kashmiri Stress.  University of Maryland Working Papers in Linguistics, Vol. 7, pp.126-149. Maryland, USA.

Morén, B. (1996) Markedness and Faithfulness Constraints on the Association of Moras: A Look at Metropolitan New York English. University of Maryland Working Papers in Linguistics, Vol. 4, pp. 125-151. Maryland, USA. 


INVITED TALKS

Morén, B. (2007) Minimalist Phonological Feature Theory: A beginning. Toronto School of Contrast mini-course. Tromsø, Norway. [PDF]

Morén, B. (2007) The Parallel Structures Model: A Minimalist Phonological Feature Theory. Department of English Linguistics and the Theoretical Linguistics Programme at Eötvös Loránd University. Budapest, Hungary.

Morén, B. (2007) The Parallel Structures Model Approach to Hungarian Vowels. Department of English Linguistics and the Theoretical Linguistics Programme at Eötvös Loránd University. Budapest, Hungary.

Morén, B. (2007) The Parallel Structures Model Approach to Hungarian Consonants. Department of English Linguistics and the Theoretical Linguistics Programme at Eötvös Loránd University. Budapest, Hungary.

Morén, B. (2006) Toward Constructing a Minimalist Phonological Feature Theory. The Center for Advanced Study in Theoretical Linguistics Colloquium Series. Tromsø, Norway. [PDF]

Morén, B. (2006) Selected Issues in Lule Sami Phonetics and Phonology: What do we know and what do we think we know? Sami Linguistics Symposium. Tromsø, Norway. [PDF]

Morén, B. (2006) Participant in the working group on Lule Sami language research. Conference on Sami Language Research, Health and Social Research, and Culture and Society Research in the Lule Sami Area. Árran Lule Sami Center, Drag, Norway.

Morén, B. (2005) Danish Stød and Eastern Norwegian Pitch Accent: Prosody, Morphology and Non-tonal Lexical Specification. The 11th Meeting on the Norwegian Language (11. møte om norsk språk - 11MONS), Bergen, Norway. [PDF]

Morén, B. (2005) The Division of Labor between Segment-internal Structure and Violable Constraints.  The Freedom of Analysis in Phonology Workshop, Tromsø, Norway.

Morén, B. (2005) Scandinavian Tones: Back to Basics. Workshop on Tone and Intonation (±Europe), Konstanz, Germany. [Note: I now disavow the use of “Scandinavian” to refer exclusively to the North Germanic languages of Scandinavia.  The Sami languages are not Germanic and yet properly belong to Scandinavia and thus are also Scandinavian.] [PDF]

Fish, S., Hoffmeister, R., Morén, B., & Allen, S.  (2004)  The Acquisition of Classifiers in ASL by Deaf children: Evidence from Descriptions of Objects in Specific Spatial Arrangements.  Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

Morén, B. (2003) When ‘Tense’ is Lax and Lax is Long: A Phonetic and Phonological Investigation of Front Vowels in Staten Island English. Department of Linguistics Speaker Series, Georgetown University, Washington DC, USA.

Morén, B. (2002) Manner of Articulation in Two Modalities: A Unified Approach. Applied Linguistics Program, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Morén, B. (2002) Phonological Theory: A Brief Review of Several Issues. Department of Modern Foreign Languages and Literatures, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Morén, B. (1999) Typology, Optimality Theory and a Unified Theory of Weight. Department of Linguistics Colloquium Series, Georgetown University, Washington DC, USA.

 


 

PRESENTATIONS

Morén, B. (2007) The Importance of Detailed and Multifaceted Data in Analyzing Allomorphy. 15th Manchester Phonology Meeting (MFM15), Manchester, England. [PDF]

Morén, B. (2007) Phonological Segment Inventories and their Phonetic Variation: a substance-free approach. Workshop: Segment Inventories. Generative Linguistics in the Old World (GLOWXXX), Tromsø, Norway. [PDF]

Morén, B. (2007) Central Swedish Pitch Accent: a retro approach. The fourth Old World Conference in Phonology (OCP4), Rhodes, Greece. [PDF]

Morén, B. (2006) How far can we go toward substance-free phonological features and why? The Phonological Bases of Phonological Features Workshop, Tromsø, Norway.

Morén, B. (2006) A Planned Phonetic and Phonological Study of Lule Sami. Seminar on Northern Norwegian Language Relations (Seminar om nordnorske språkforhold), Tromsø, Norway.

Morén, B. (2006) Looking Beyond Harmony: a more complete picture of Hungarian vowels. 14th Manchester Phonology Meeting (MFM14), Manchester, England. [PDF]

Morén, B. (2006) “ATR” Harmony in Ka$lç$N and Nez Perce without [±ATR]: Abstraction, Economy and Primitives. The third Old World Conference in Phonology (OCP3), Budapest, Hungary. [PDF]

Morén, B. (2005) Danish Stød and Eastern Norwegian Pitch Accent: The Myth of Lexical Tones. The 13th Manchester Phonology Meeting (MFM13), Manchester, England. [PDF]

Morén, B. (2005) The Relationship between Here/Now and There/Then: Synchrony and Diachrony in Peninsular Scandinavian Pitch Accent. Workshop: Synchrony meets Diachrony in Phonology. Generative Linguistics in the Old World (GLOW28), Geneva, Switzerland. [Note: I now disavow the use of “Scandinavian” to refer exclusively to the North Germanic languages of Scandinavia.  The Sami languages are not Germanic and yet properly belong to Scandinavia and thus are also Scandinavian.] [PDF]

Morén, B. (2005) A Unified Approach to Manner of Articulation in Signed and Spoken Languages. Annual Meeting of the Linguistic Society of America (LSA 2005), San Francisco, California, USA. [PDF]

Morén, B. and T. Nessett. (2005) Russian Softening Explained: Phonetics, Phonology and Morphology Combined. The second Old World Conference in Phonology (OCP2), Tromsø, Norway.

Morén, B. (2004) Interactions among Phonetics, Phonology and Morphology in Serbian: Explaining Consonant-Vowel Interactions and Alternations. Annual Meeting of the Modern Language Association (MLA 2004), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.

Morén, B. (2004) The Phonetics and Phonology of Front Vowels in Staten Island English: When the Traditional Descriptions and the Facts do not Agree. 9th Conference on Laboratory Phonology (LabPhon9), Illinois, USA. [PDF]

Morén, B. (2004) A Brief Introduction to the Parallel Structures Model of Feature Geometry. Reykjavík/CASTL Workshop, Reykjavík, Iceland.

Morén, B. (2004) Accounting for Serbian Consonant-vowel Interactions and Alternations Using the Parallel Structures Model of Feature Geometry. 12th Manchester Phonology Meeting (MFM12), Manchester, England.

Morén, B. (2003) The Parallel Structures Model of Feature Geometry: Some Manner/Major Class Feature Acquisition Predictions. Acquisition of Grammar Workshop, Tromsø, Norway.

Morén, B. (2003) Featural and Representational Economy: The Parallel Structures Model of Feature Geometry. Center for Advanced Study in Theoretical Linguistics (CASTL) Kick-off Conference, Tromsø, Norway.

Morén, B. and E. Zsiga. (2003) The Mora is the Tone-bearing Unit in Thai. Annual Meeting of the Linguistic Society of America (LSA 2003), Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

Fish, S., R. Hoffmeister, S. Allen, B. Morén and B. Schick. (2003) The Acquisition of ASL Classifier Morphology in Verbs of Location. American Association of Applied Linguistics Annual Conference (AAAL 2003), Arlington, Virginia, USA.

Fish, S., B. Morén, R. Hoffmeister and B. Schick. (2002) The Acquisition of Classifier Phonology in ASL by Deaf Children: Evidence from Descriptions of Objects in Specific Spatial Arrangements. 27th Annual Boston University Conference on Language Development (BUCLD27), Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Morén, B. and E. Zsiga. (2001) Markedness and Lexical Tone in Standard Thai: Phonetics and Phonology. 27th Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society (BLS27), Berkeley, California, USA.

Morén, B. (2000) Using Optimality Theory to Re-examine the Nature of Typology: An Example from Phonological Weight Theory. 4th Utrecht Biannual Phonology Workshop, Utrecht Institute of Linguistics OTS, The Netherlands.

Miglio, V. and B. Morén. (2000) Language Change in OT: The Great Vowel Shift. 45th Annual Meeting of the International Linguistics Association (ILA 2000), Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA.

Morén, B. (1999) Moraic Faithfulness Constraints and Violations of a ‘Universal’. Rutgers University/ University of Maryland Phonology Workshop, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.

Morén, B. (1998) Syllable Weight Asymmetries in Distinctive and Coercive Environments. 29th Meeting of the Northeastern Linguistics Society (NELS29), Newark, Delaware, USA.

Morén, B. (1998) Distinctive Moraicity in Two Hungarian Dialects. Annual University of Maryland Linguistics Student Conference, College Park, Maryland, USA.

Morén, B. and V. Miglio. (1998) A Unified Account of Icelandic Preaspiration and Spirantization. Xth Conference of Nordic and General Linguistics, Reykjavík, Iceland.

Morén, B. (1997) Vowel Length and Consonant Weight Dependencies in Three English Dialects. Major Varieties of English Conference (MAVEN), Växjö, Sweden.

Morén, B. (1997)

Stress and Weight Dependencies in Kashmiri. 26th Annual Meeting of the Linguistics Association of the Southwest (LASSO), Los Angeles, California, USA.

Morén, B. (1997) Markedness and Faithfulness Constraints on the Association of Moras: Vowel Length and Consonant Weight in Three English Dialects. Hopkins Optimality Theory Workshop/ University of Maryland Mayfest (H-OT97), Baltimore, Maryland, USA.

Morén, B. (1997) A Factorial Typology of Syllable Weight. Rutgers University/University of Maryland Phonology Workshop, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA.

Morén, B. (1997) The Puzzle of Kashmiri Stress. Annual University of Maryland Linguistics Student Conference, College Park, Maryland, USA.

Morén, B. (1997) Vowel Length and Consonant Weight in Icelandic Stressed Syllables. Annual University of Maryland Linguistics Student Conference, College Park, Maryland, USA.

Morén, B. (1996) A Re-analysis of New York æ-Tensing: An OT Approach. Annual University of Maryland Linguistics Student Conference, College Park, Maryland, USA.

Morén, B. (1995) Emergence of the Marked: The Acquisition of Phonology by Children. Annual University of Maryland Linguistics Student Conference, College Park, Maryland, USA.



OTHER

Journal Reviewer
Phonology
Lingua

Language

Natural Language and Linguistic Theory

Nordic Journal of Linguistics

Workshop Organizer
Saami Documentation and Revitalization Workshop.
University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway. 2008.

Mini-course Organizer
The Toronto School of Contrast. Taught by Elan Dresher and Keren Rice from the University of Toronto.
Center for Advanced Study in Theoretical Linguistics, Tromsø, Norway. 2007.

Workshop Organizer
The Phonological Bases of Phonological Features.
Center for Advanced Study in Theoretical Linguistics, Tromsø, Norway. 2006.

NSF Grant Reviewer (Linguistics)
United States
National Science Foundation, 2000.

Editor
Co-editor with Viola Miglio of Selected Phonology Papers from the Johns Hopkins Optimality Theory Workshop/Maryland Mayfest (H-OT97),Universityof Maryland Working Papers in Linguistics
, Vol. 5,1997.

Elected Representative
University of Maryland Linguistics Graduate Student Association, 1996.

Treasurer
University of Maryland Linguistics Colloquium Committee, 1995.



FELLOWSHIPS

Graduate School Fellowship
University of Maryland at College Park

August 1994 - June 1996

Goldhaber Travel Grant
University of Maryland at College Park



REFERENCES

Available upon request.


Go to the Top

Go to the Bruce's Homepage
Go to the CASTL page
Go to the Humanities Faculty page
Go to the University of Tromsø page


Last updated December 2007 -- By the way, my name is pronounced like "more rain" with the stress on the second syllable.


 

 

 University of Tromsø

Center for Advanced Study in Theoretical Linguistics