Milena Šereikaitė
Assistant Professor, Linguistics
Academic focus:
Theoretical linguistics. In particular, I explore what languages share in common, and why, by looking at how words and sentences are built. I investigate these topics through the lens of Baltic languages (in particular Lithuanian, which is my native language) and Bantu Languages (in particular Ndebele, which is an understudied language spoken in Zimbabwe). I examine these languages through fieldwork, grammars, corpus and linguistic questionnaires.
Current research project:
My current project explores the set of universal principles languages share when it comes to forming complex nouns built from verbs; e.g., phrases like “the collection of evidence” vs. “to collect evidence.” This type of project enables us to better understand which properties of language are universal and which are subject to crosslinguistic variation.
Previous positions:
- Postdoctoral research associate and Lecturer, Department of Linguistics, Yale University, 2020-2022
- Postdoctoral research associate and Lecturer, Council of the Humanities and Program in Linguistics, Princeton University, 2022-2025
Academic background:
- Ph.D., Linguistics, University of Pennsylvania, 2020
- M. Phil., English linguistics and language acquisition, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 2013
- B.A., English language studies, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, U.K., 2011
In your own time/when not working:
I like to hang out with my cats, cook and travel. I also love hiking.
Last book read:
“Babel” by R. Kuang
Courses you’re most looking forward to teaching:
I look forward to teaching both advanced and intro courses in linguistics.
What most excites you about Cornell:
I am excited about the prospect of interacting with my new colleagues and students, developing new collaborative projects and teaching new courses.
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