Spring Break
Search for new linguistics prof to begin next year
by Joshua Adland
News | 11/14/06
Posted online at 5:59 AM EST on 11/14/06
A year after the struggling lingusitics program was transformed into the new language and linguistics program, the new minor is still looking to add faculty members.
The search for a new tenure-track professor to replace Prof. Joan Maling (PSYC) is tentatively scheduled to begin next year, according to Dean of Arts and Sciences Adam Jaffe.
Maling took a leave of absence in 2003 to become the director of the linguistics program at the National Science Foundation in Arlington, Va. She said last April that she planned to return to Brandeis this fall to chair the linguistics program, but she told the Justice last week that she will stay at the NSF.
"At this point, it looks like I am going to finish up my career here [at the NSF]," Maling said. "I turned 60 this year, so it's not that far down the road."
Linguistics studies at the University have been in a state of flux since two core professors-Maling and former chair Ray Jackendoff-left in the last several years. Jackendoff, a world-renowned linguist, announced in spring 2005 that he was leaving to head the Center for Cognitive Studies at Tufts University.
Last March the University hired former University of Pennsylvania Prof. Sophia Malamud (ANTH) as a tenure-track professor to replace Jackendoff.
"The fact that they hired a tenure-track person to replace Ray Jackendoff was good news," said Prof. Lotus Goldberg (LING), who was hired last year to replace Mailing but is not on the tenure track. Goldberg, who said her current contract exprires in spring 2008, added that the linguistics program's faculty had been concerned that he would not be replaced.
The search for Maling's replacement will involve multiple departments, but in the end the new professor will be part of only one department, Jaffe said. Because language and linguistics is a program and not a department, tenure-track professors must be hosted by a related department such as psychology or computer science.
The search for a new tenure-track professor to replace Prof. Joan Maling (PSYC) is tentatively scheduled to begin next year, according to Dean of Arts and Sciences Adam Jaffe.
Maling took a leave of absence in 2003 to become the director of the linguistics program at the National Science Foundation in Arlington, Va. She said last April that she planned to return to Brandeis this fall to chair the linguistics program, but she told the Justice last week that she will stay at the NSF.
"At this point, it looks like I am going to finish up my career here [at the NSF]," Maling said. "I turned 60 this year, so it's not that far down the road."
Linguistics studies at the University have been in a state of flux since two core professors-Maling and former chair Ray Jackendoff-left in the last several years. Jackendoff, a world-renowned linguist, announced in spring 2005 that he was leaving to head the Center for Cognitive Studies at Tufts University.
Last March the University hired former University of Pennsylvania Prof. Sophia Malamud (ANTH) as a tenure-track professor to replace Jackendoff.
"The fact that they hired a tenure-track person to replace Ray Jackendoff was good news," said Prof. Lotus Goldberg (LING), who was hired last year to replace Mailing but is not on the tenure track. Goldberg, who said her current contract exprires in spring 2008, added that the linguistics program's faculty had been concerned that he would not be replaced.
The search for Maling's replacement will involve multiple departments, but in the end the new professor will be part of only one department, Jaffe said. Because language and linguistics is a program and not a department, tenure-track professors must be hosted by a related department such as psychology or computer science.
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