February 9, 2021
What are you currently doing, professionally and/or personally?
I am an Associate Professor of Linguistics at Dartmouth College, where my research focuses on documenting understudied languages (primarily of West Africa) and studying the relationship between language and music in “talking drum” traditions.
How did you get there? Where did you attend college? Are there some career moves or other key experiences or relationships that have inspired you?
I always loved languages (as faculty at MPA could attest to!). In college at Scripps College, I discovered the field of linguistics—the scientific study of how languages work—and knew it was exactly what I had been looking for. My wonderful undergraduate advisor did research with African languages, and after a class where we spent the term working with a speaker from Uganda, I was inspired to do fieldwork of my own. I received a Fulbright and spent eleven months in Mali after graduation documenting a Dogon language called Tommo So. Throughout my PhD program at UCLA, I continued taking trips, first to Mali, and later to neighboring Burkina Faso. I was lucky enough to get the job at Dartmouth in 2014 when I finished my PhD and I’ve been there ever since! Read More
What are you currently doing, professionally and/or personally?
What are you currently doing, professionally and/or personally?
Save the date! The 2021 Spring Auction: The Best Is Yet To Come is going virtual! The MPA volunteer planning committee is pleased to share sponsorship packages are now available with amazing perks, at-home meal kits, and great ways to get involved and give back to the school you love. Save the date for April 16 and visit 
Save the date for MPA’s Virtual Maker Fest! On Saturday, February 20 from 11 AM-1 PM, MPA will host a variety of community makers to showcase their projects, passions, and hands on how-to demonstrations through Zoom. Participants will be able to the presentations by visiting different breakout rooms. More event details for Virtual Maker Fest 2021 will be coming soon! 
The Alumni Association Board is seeking members for its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion subcommittee! Led by the Board’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion officer Sidney Carlson White ’17, this subcommittee, which meets every other month, is for alumni looking to impact and guide antiracism efforts undertaken by both the Alumni Association Board and the broader MPA community.
MPA’s Legacy Society Committee welcomes you to join MPA alumnus Ty Johnston ’04 for a special presentation on wealth management and creative giving vehicles to benefit important causes you care about. You will learn and gain perspective on tax implications, practical steps you can take, and a variety of giving vehicles you may benefit from. Save the date for January 27, 2021 to join us at 4 PM.
The MPA Mentorship Program entered its third year with MPA Alumni being paired with a member of the senior class. The MPA Alums and seniors exchange three emails throughout the months of November and December. A survey was sent to both the seniors and alums to determine what their interests, career goals, college choice, etc. Work then began to recruit mentors who matched with the interests of our seniors. The program is proving to be successful and gain traction as for the second year in a row we had more alumni interested than seniors enrolled. Engagement continued to be at a high level and many connections were made that will continue far beyond the seniors’ last year at MPA.
MPA’s Legacy Society Committee
by Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School