Mikaela Belle Martin

Mikaela Belle Martin (she/he/they) Mikaela is a PhD Candidate in Linguistics at the  University of Pennsylvania. Mikaela has a BA from Harvard University majoring in linguistics and psychology and was also visiting student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). A native of Boston, Massachusetts, Mikaela’s upbringing in such a diverse community drives her love for language. Their broad research focus is centered on how identity, in its expression, construction, and perception, relies on the interaction of language and cognition. As a Generational African American, non-binary, queer individual, his experience with choosing the right language to describe himself has been key to his self-determination. Mikaela’s past research has focused on how context and cues determine the communication and comprehension of sarcasm. However, Mikaela intends to use her senior thesis to pivot her academic gaze towards tense-aspect in African American English (AAE) and how these elements dictate attitude, respectability, and time. Mikaela is currently an intern in Stanford University’s Center for the Study of Language and Information working in the Black Academic Development Lab (BADLab) under Dr. Anne Charity Hudley and mentored by Kia Turner, Ed.M. After graduating from Harvard University this upcoming May (2023), Mikaela aims to uplif and centering Black people and language within the field of linguistics.