- 1990. University of Oregon. Ph.D. in Linguistics.
- 1986. University of Oregon. MA in Linguistics.
- 1984. University of Oregon, Ronald D. Clark Honors College. BA in Linguistics.
- 1979-1981. Reed College.
PRIMARY ACADEMIC POSITIONS
- 2020-Present. Professor, New York University Abu Dhabi.
- 2020-. Professor and Dean Emerita, University of California, Santa Barbara.
- 2006-2020. Professor, Dept. of Linguistics, University of California, Santa Barbara.
- 2005-2008. Adjunct Professor. Research Centre for Linguistic Typology. La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia. (3-year term, renewable.)
- 1997-2006. Associate Professor, University of California, Santa Barbara.
- 1990-1997. Assistant Professor, University of California, Santa Barbara.
PRIMARY ADMINISTRATIVE POSITIONS
- 2025. Senior Advisor to the Provost, New York University, Abu Dhabi.
- 2020-2024. Vice Provost for Graduate and Postdoctoral Programs, New York University Abu Dhabi
- 2013-2020. Dean/Anne and Michael Towbes Graduate Dean, University of California, Santa Barbara.
- 2012-2013. Acting Dean, Graduate Division, University of California, Santa Barbara.
- 2005-2012. Associate Dean, Division of Humanities and Fine Arts, University of California, Santa Barbara.
- 1999-2005. Chair, Dept. of Linguistics, University of California, Santa Barbara.
HONORS AND AWARDS
- Distinguished Visiting Fellow. The Cairns Institute, James Cook University, Cairns, Australia. 2011.
- Von der Gabelentz Book Award (inaugural) for A Grammar of Dolakha Newar, Association for Linguistic Typology, 2009.
- Centre for Linguistic Typology, La Trobe University, FellowshipS. 2002, 2004.
- UC President's Research Fellowship in the Humanities. 1996-1997.
- Jacob Javits Graduate Fellowship, 1986-1990.
EXTRAMURAL GRANTS
- U.S. National Science Foundation Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grant, Co-PI Chris Donlay, 2012-14
- U.S. National Science Foundation Documenting Endangered Languages Program, 2007-2008
- U.S. National Science Foundation, Linguistics Program, Co-PI Michael Noon 1998-2000
SYNERGISTIC ACTIVITIES
- Himalayan Diversity Institute Board of Directors, 2025-present
- Executive Producer, Misāmi: A community dramatic production in the Dolakha Newar language, National Theater, Kathmandu, Nepal, May 2025, and the development of an associated film and documentary, with English and Nepali subtitled versions.
- Special Advisor, Dolakhā Newār Dictionary group, Dolakhā Khãkuṭi: A quadrilingual dictionary in Dwalkha, Nepal Bhasa, Nepali and English, 2023-2025
- Consulting Board, Language and Culture Research Centre, Cairns Institute, 2011-2014.
- Member (2008-2011) and Chair (2011), Linguistic Society of America, Committee on Endangered Languages and their Preservation
- Founding Co-Director, Consortium on Training in Language Documentation and Conservation, 2009-2013
- Institute on Field Linguistics and Language Documentation (InField)/ Institute for Collaborative Language Research (CoLang): Founding Director and Instructor (2008). Member of Organizing Committee and Instructor (2010); Advisory Circle (2010-2012
EDITORIAL POSITIONS
- Himalayan Linguistics: Founding Co-Editor (1999-2005, Editor (2006-2012), Managing Editor (2012-2020)
- Journal of South Asian Linguistics: Philology and Grammar Traditions. (Member, Scientific Committee)
- Nepalese Linguistics (Advisory Board, 2024-Present)
- Typological Studies in Language, John Benjamins. (Editorial Board)
- Studies in Language, Cognition and Culture, Brill. (Editorial Board)
- Languages of South and Southwest Asian Languages, Brill. (Editorial Board)
- Language Documentation and Conservation. 2016-2020. (Editorial Board)
- Linguistics of the Tibeto-Burman Area. 2010-2013. (Editorial Board)