Events

LangFest 2025 – Save the Date!

Posted on February 13, 2025February 5, 2026 by Omodele

We are excited to announce that Language Fest 2025 will be held on the late afternoon and early evening of Wednesday, April 16^th in Konover Auditorium (spoken program) and Bousfield Psychology Building Atrium (poster sessions).

Language Fest is a university-wide research conference that welcomes the full cross-disciplinary community of language researchers at UConn for a day of sharing results, ideas, methodologies, and fostering future interdisciplinary collaborations. Researchers from all disciplines of the language sciences and at all career stages are welcome and encouraged to submit their work. The event is made possible with the support of the Institute for Brain and Cognitive Sciences (IBACS).

This year’s program will feature a graduate student symposium showcasing the diversity of methodologies used to study language, a data blitz session, an undergraduate commencement speaker, and poster sessions. Further details about submission and registration forms will be provided soon.

For any questions about Language Fest, please e-mail: langfest@uconn.edu and visit our website https://languagefest.uconn.edu/.

We look forward to your attendance and participation!

UConn LangFest Organizing Committee

Emma Wing

Jiabao Fan

Kaya LeGrand

Menghan Yang

Portia Washington

Briana Ashton

Mikayla Robinson

Melanie Stroud

Dr. Umay Suanda

COGS Colloquia on 3/7: Dr. Brian Boyd

Posted on January 31, 2025February 5, 2026 by Crystal Mills

COGS Colloquia Talk on 3/7: Dr. Brian Boyd

Date/Time: Friday, 3/7/25 from 4:00pm – 5:30pm EST

Location: McHugh Hall 201

Bio: Brian Boyd, Ph.D., is the William C. Friday Distinguished Professor in the UNC School of Education and interim director of the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He was previously the director of the Juniper Gardens Children’s Project at the University of Kansas. Boyd is quite engaged in research that involves the most vulnerable, and often marginalized, populations. As a special educator by training, much of his research has involved the development and evaluation of evidence-based practices that could be implemented within school and home contexts. His more recent work has focused on how issues of implicit bias and race affect the outcomes of children with and without disabilities. Boyd’s research has been continuously funded by federal agencies such as the Institute of Education Sciences and National Institutes of Health. He is past vice president of the International Society for Autism Research. He also serves on multiple national boards that are dedicated to improving the outcomes of autistic persons and those from historically underserved communities.

Talk Title: Community-Engaged Research in Autism: Centering Marginalized Communities

Abstract: Community-engaged research (CER) is essential for addressing disparities in autism research by prioritizing the voices and experiences of marginalized communities. This presentation examines CER principles, challenges, and ethical considerations in working with diverse populations. It concludes with a discussion of how my research applies CER to foster meaningful partnerships, amplify community perspectives, and promote equity in autism services and outcomes.

Meetings: If you are interested in meeting with Dr. Boyd or attending dinner on Friday, please email crystal.mills@uconn.edu

Flyer is attached for posting. Please email Crystal if you have questions.

COGS, ECOM & SLHS Talk on 11/8: Dr. Viorica Marian

Posted on October 21, 2024February 5, 2026 by Crystal Mills

COGS, ECOM & SLHS Talk on 11/8: Dr. Viorica Marian

Date/Time: Friday, 11/8/24 from 4:00pm – 5:30pm EST

Location: McHugh Hall 202

Bio: Viorica Marian is a cognitive scientist at Northwestern University, where she is the Sundin Endowed Professor and Director of the Bilingualism Lab. She studies the relationship between language and mind, with a focus on the psycholinguistics of bilingualism and multilingualism. Dr. Marian received her PhD in Psychology from Cornell University and previously served as Chair of the National Institutes of Health Study Section on Language and Communication and as Chair of the Northwestern Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders. She is the recipient of the American Association for the Advancement of Science John McGovern Award, The Psychonomic Society Mid-Career Award, the Clarence Simon Award for Outstanding Teaching and Mentoring, and the Editor’s Award for best paper from JSLHR. Marian’s new popular science book “The Power of Language” is being translated into 12 languages and counting.

Talk Title: The Power of Language: How the Codes We Use to Think, Speak, and Live Transform Our Minds

Abstract: Bilingualism and multilingualism have profound consequences for individuals and societies. Learning multiple languages changes not only how we use language, but also how we perceive the world, what we remember, how we learn, our creativity, decision making, and identity. I will present eye-tracking, mouse-tracking, and neuroimaging evidence showing that multiple languages continuously interact in the mind. I will conclude with a call for placing the study of language-mind interaction and multilingualism among the core areas of scientific investigation if we are to gain an accurate understanding of humanity’s potential.

Meetings: If you are interested in meeting with Dr. Marian during the day or attending dinner in the evening on Friday, please email crystal.mills@uconn.edu.

Flyer is attached for posting. Please email Crystal if you have questions.

COGS & ECOM Talk on 4/19: Dr. Psyche Loui

Posted on April 3, 2024February 5, 2026 by Crystal Mills

COGS and ECOM are excited to announce a joint talk on 4/19 by Dr. Psyche Loui from Northeastern University. Psyche Loui, PhD, is a psychology and neuroscience researcher, a musician, Associate Professor of Creativity and Creative Practice at Northeastern University, and Director of the Music, Imaging, and Neural Dynamics Laboratory (MIND Lab).

Date/Time: Friday, 4/19/24 from 4:00pm – 5:30pm Eastern Standard Time

In-Person Location: McHugh Hall 305

Zoom Option: https://uconn-edu.zoom.us/j/97306159796?pwd=ZHI1NTh1R1dPZTdYNS95U3hnN2QyZz09

Meeting ID: 973 0615 9796 Passcode: 391851

Talk Title: The Sciences of New Musical Systems, and Their Implications for Brain Health

Abstract: Music is one of life’s greatest pleasures. While abundant evidence points to the role of predictability (i.e. the knowledge of what comes next) in the experience of pleasure, little is known about how predictable musical features (e.g. melody, harmony, rhythm) come to be rewarding. I will present new work in my lab on behavioral and neuroimaging studies of the relationship between musical predictions and their reward value. Our behavioral studies test whether and how it is possible to acquire reward value solely from newly-formed predictions, by exposing participants to novel, acoustically-controlled musical stimuli with different statistical properties without extrinsic paired rewards. Our neuroimaging studies capitalize on activity of the dopaminergic reward system, and its connectivity to the auditory system, to test for individual differences in reward sensitivity from music. Results show that this reward sensitivity is robust but malleable (i.e. both a state and a trait), and lies at the heart of both active and receptive music-based interventions for a wide range of neurodegenerative disorders.

Meetings: If you are interested in meeting with Dr. Loui during the day or attending dinner in the evening, please email crystal.mills@uconn.edu.

11/10 COGS & SLHS Colloquium: Dr. Samuel Mathias

Posted on October 20, 2023February 5, 2026 by Crystal Mills

The Cognitive Science Program and the Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences Department are co-hosting a talk on 11/10!

Speaker: Dr. Samuel Mathias, Professor of Psychology from the Department of Psychiatry at the Harvard Medical School

Time & Location: 4PM, Friday November 10, 2023, in McHugh Hall Room 206

Talk Title: “Genetic and environmental influences on hearing, cocktail-party listening, and cognition”

Abstract: Everyday hearing requires solving the cocktail-party problem, or segregating and attending to the relevant parts of complex auditory scenes. There are huge individual differences in cocktail-party listening abilities. People with clinical hearing loss generally struggle with cocktail-party listening due to impaired basic auditory sensitivity; however, others experience similar difficulties despite having “normal” sensitivity. Conventional wisdom says that such individual differences are due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors, although the specific factors and their relative weights are poorly understood. This talk will describe preliminary work and future plans to identify specific genetic and environmental factors influencing hearing abilities, including basic auditory sensitivity and cocktail-party listening. We will also discuss how these abilities relate to cognition, with a view towards leveraging these relationships to better understand the distinct and shared etiologies of presbycusis, cognitive decline, and dementia.

Meetings: If you are interested in meeting with Dr. Mathias during the day before his talk or in dinner on Friday evening, please email Crystal: crystal.mills@uconn.edu. Thank you!

SLAC/NBL/COGS Talk: Dr. Cristiano Chesi on 3/27

Posted on March 22, 2023March 8, 2026 by Stroud, Melanie R

Dr. Cristiano Chesi, University School for Advanced Studies (IUSS) in Pavia, Italy

Date:Monday, 3/27/2023

Time: 12:20 PM

Place: BOUS A-106

Talk Title: Testing grammaticality through minimal-pairs sensitivity in (deaf) children (and ChatGPT): The COnVERSA test Cristiano Chesi

Bio: Cristiano Chesi is Associate Professor of Linguistics at the University School for Advanced Studies (IUSS) in Pavia, Italy, where he serves as Director of NeTS, the IUSS Laboratory for Neurolinguistics, Computational Linguistics, and Theoretical Syntax. His research interests include computational linguistics, language acquisition, and linguistic disabilities.

Presented by the UConn Programs in SLAC (the Science of Learning and the Art of Communication) and NBL (the Neurobiology of Language), with co-sponsorship by UConn’s Cognitive Science Program

To request an appointment with Dr. Chesi, please contact William Snyder (william.snyder@uconn.edu).

LangFest 2023 – Save the Date!

Posted on February 23, 2023March 4, 2026 by

We are excited to announce that Language Fest is making an in-person return for 2023, and invite you to join us on the afternoon of Wednesday, April 26th (event times TBD).

Language Fest is a University-wide research conference that welcomes the full cross-disciplinary community of language researchers at UConn for a day of sharing results, ideas, methodologies, and fostering future interdisciplinary collaborations. Researchers from all disciplines of the language sciences and at all career stages are welcome and encouraged to submit their work.

Further details about submissions and registration will be provided in early-March 2023.

For any questions about Language Fest, please e-mail: langfest@uconn.edu and visit our website https://languagefest.uconn.edu/.

We look forward to your attendance and participation!

COGS & SLAC Talk on 12/16: Jonathan Peelle

Posted on November 8, 2022March 4, 2026 by

The Cognitive Science and SLAC programs invite you to a talk on 12/16!

Speaker: Dr. JonathanPeelle, an Associate Professor from theCenter for Cognitive and Brain Health at Northeastern University.

Time & Location: The talk will begin at 4PM, Friday December 16^th, 2022, in the Dodd Center Konover Auditorium. Light refreshments will be available at 3:15PM. Please RSVP in advance. Virtual Attendance options are provided in the form.

Talk Title:“Cognitive consequences of acoustic challenge during spoken communication”

Abstract: Everyday communication is full of acoustic challenges, including background noise, competing talkers, or assistive devices. How do listeners understand speech in the midst of this noise? Evidence from multiple sources is consistent with a shared resource framework of speech comprehension in which domain-general cognitive processes supported by discrete regions of frontal cortex are required for successfully understanding speech. These increased cognitive demands can be captured using behavior, pupillometry, and functional brain imaging. Although frequently studied in the context of hearing loss, these principles have broader implications for our understanding of how auditory and cognitive factors interact during spoken language comprehension.

Bio: Jonathan is a cognitive neuroscientist who studies the neuroscience of human communication, aging, and hearing impairment at the Center for Cognitive and Brain Health at Northeastern University. He also has two podcasts: “The Brain Made Plain” where he interviews cognitive neuroscientists about their work, and “The Juice and the Squeeze” in which he and a co-host talk about different aspects of being in academia.

NEUROSCIENCE at STORRS: CALL FOR PARTICIPATION

Posted on October 25, 2022February 12, 2026 by

Dear Colleagues,

You are cordially invited to the 25^th annual Neuroscience at Storrs event, which will be held on Tuesday November 8^th and Wednesday November 9^th 2022. This event is hosted by the Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, and it is the oldest cross-discipline neuroscience event on campus. Please forward this message to any interested people.

DAY I. Tuesday November 8^th 4:00 pm, Dodd Center Konover Auditorium

Amanda Lauer Ph.D., Associate Professor of Otolaryngology, Johns Hopkins University

Title: “Role of the auditory brain-to-ear efferent feedback system in hearing across the lifespan”

DAY II. Wednesday November 9^th

Dodd Center Konover Auditorium

3:00-3:45 Grad Student/Postdoc Data Blitz

3:45-4:30 Trainee Career Panel

4:30-5:30 Amy Newman Ph.D., Scientific Director, NIDA Intramural Research Program

Title: “Novel and atypical dopamine transport inhibitors for the treatment of psychostimulant use disorders”

Bousfield PSYC Atrium

6:00-8:30 Poster Session and Reception

CALL FOR POSTERS AND DATA BLITZ PRESENTATIONS:

We will be hosting short-format podium presentations (data blitz) from grad students and postdocs (up to 8 possible 5-minute talks), and a poster session from grad students, postdocs, and undergrads. Students and postdoctoral fellows FROM ALL AREAS OF NEUROSCIENCE are enthusiastically encouraged to participate in the poster or data blitz presentations. Please sign up at:

https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fneuroscience.uconn.edu%2Fneuroscience-at-storrs-rsvp%2F&data=05%7C01%7C%7Cb19e263ac50f4cca8f1d08dab2cfbde1%7C17f1a87e2a254eaab9df9d439034b080%7C0%7C0%7C638018902554103725%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=j4Ucn2eD7ATqzQqAvmXY%2FxOWom9k1OzmJJhN177dFDk%3D&reserved=0

INSTRUCTIONS:

The website lists information about the event, and below that there are menus for entering information if you are either a) attending only b) presenting a poster, and c) presenting at the data blitz (limited numbers only). Please follow the link, scroll through the menu and enter the relevant information by Thursday November 3^rd.

Oct 21/22: Workshop “Conditional Thought and Talk”

Posted on October 20, 2022February 5, 2026 by

Dear all:

We are pleased to announce our workshop

Conditional Thought and Talk: Semantic, Pragmatic, and Cross-linguistic Perspectives

held at the Heritage Room (Homer Babbidge Library, Room 4118) on Friday, October 21 and Saturday, October 22.

organized by Mitch Green (Philosophy) and Magdalena and Stefan Kaufmann (Linguistics) as part of theSuppositional Thought and Talk project. The project explores conditional sentences and related expressions from different perspectives at the intersection between Linguistics, Philosophy and Psychology: their form and meaning across languages, their logical properties, and the reasoning behind their use and interpretation. We have assembled a group of top international experts on these topics for what we expect will be two stimulating days of presentations and discussions. For details on the program, as well as more background on the project, please check the workshop webpage, and keep checking back for updates.

The workshop will be in-person and open to all (subject to seating availability). Do drop us a line if you plan to attend. Let us know if you have any questions.

We gratefully acknowledge support for this event from UConn College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; the UConn Humanities Institute; the UConn Cognitive Science Program; and the National Science Foundation.

Best regards,

Stefan, Magda, and Mitch