Bio

I am currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Linguistics at Stanford University. I hold degrees from Stanford University (PhD, MA) and Cornell University (BA) have been an Assistant Professor at Georgetown University. My research examines the social significance of variation in the domains of segmental phonetics, prosody, and voice quality. I have a particular interest in how phonetic resources participate in the construction of identity, most notably gender, sexuality, race, and their intersections. My latest projects focus on the social meaning of non-modal voice qualities in interactional contexts and sociolinguistic variation in inland California and Washington, DC. I have co-edited Research Methods in Linguistics (with Devyani Sharma), Language and Sexuality: Contesting Meaning in Theory and Practice (with Kathryn Cambpell-Kibler, Sarah Roberts, and Andrew Wong), and a special issue of American Speech on sociophonetics and sexuality (with Penelope Eckert). I live in San Francisco.

Academic Appointments

  • Associate Professor, Linguistics

Administrative Appointments

  • Assistant Professor, Department of Linguistics, Stanford University (2011 - Present)
  • Faculty, Linguistic Society of America Linguistic Institute, University of Michigan (2013 - 2013)
  • Assistant Professor, Department of Linguistics, Georgetown University (2006 - 2011)
  • Faculty, Linguistic Society of America Linguistic Institute, University of California, Berkeley (2009 - 2009)
  • Lecturer, Department of Linguistics, Stanford University (2006 - 2006)
  • Teaching Affiliate, Program in English for Foreign Students, Stanford University (2002 - 2006)

Honors & Awards

  • Austronesian Formal Linguistics Association Best Student Abstract Award, Department of Linguistics, University of Hawaii, Manoa (2003)
  • Graduate Fellowship, Department of Linguistics, Stanford University (1998 - 2006)

Boards, Advisory Committees, Professional Organizations

  • Interactional Sociophonetics Laboratory Director (Department), Stanford University (2012 - Present)
  • Member, Graduate Admissions Committee (Department), Stanford University (2011 - Present)
  • Member, Linguistics Laboratory Committee (Department), Stanford University (2011 - 2013)
  • Fieldwork Group Co-Organizer (Department), Stanford University (2011 - 2012)
  • Member, Move Committee (Department), Stanford University (2010 - 2011)
  • Member, Undergraduate Curriculum Revision Committee (Department), Stanford University (2009 - 2011)
  • Faculty Advisor of eVox: Georgetown Working Papers in Language, Discourse, and Society (Department), Stanford University (2007 - 2011)
  • Library Liaison (Department), Stanford University (2006 - 2011)
  • Faculty Merit Review Chair (Department), Stanford University (2009 - 2010)
  • Member, Faculty Merit Review Committee (Department), Stanford University (2007 - 2009)
  • Main Campus Executive Faculty (University), Stanford University (2007 - 2009)
  • Member, Ad Hoc Search Committee for Visiting Assistant Professor in Phonology (Department), Stanford University (2008 - 2008)
  • Sociolinguistics Concentration Head (Department), Stanford University (2007 - 2008)
  • Journal Review, English Language and Linguistics
  • Journal Review, Gender and Language
  • Journal Review, Journal of English Linguistics
  • Journal Review, Journal of Linguistic Anthropology
  • Journal Review, Journal of Phonetics
  • Journal Review, Journal of Sociolinguistics
  • Journal Review, Language and Linguistics Compass
  • Journal Review, Language in Society
  • Journal Review, Language Variation and Change
  • Journal Review, Phonology
  • Article Review, Handbook of Laboratory Phonology
  • Article Review, Papers in Laboratory Phonology 11: Phonetic Detail in the Lexicon
  • Manuscript Review, Cambridge University Press
  • Manuscript Review, Routledge
  • Manuscript Review, Wiley-Blackwell
  • Grant Review, National Science Foundation
  • Abstract Review, American Association of Applied Linguistics
  • Abstract Review, Georgetown University Round Table
  • Abstract Review, International Gender and Language Association
  • Abstract Review, New Ways of Analyzing Variation
  • Proposal Review, LSA Linguistic Institute (2011 - 2011)
  • Member, Acoustical Society of America (ASA)
  • Member, American Anthropological Association (AAA)
  • Member, American Dialect Society (ADS)
  • Member, International Gender and Language Association (IGALA)
  • Member, Linguistic Society of America (LSA)
  • Member, Society for Linguistic Anthropology (SLA)

Program Affiliations

  • Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

Professional Education

  • B.A., Cornell University, Linguistics (1998)
  • M.A., Stanford University, Linguistics (2000)
  • Ph.D., Stanford University, Linguistics (2006)

Contact

  • Academic
    podesva@stanford.edu
    University - Faculty Department: Linguistics Position: Assoc Professor
    • Building 460
    • Stanford,  California  94305 

Additional Info

  • Mail Code: 2150

Links

2024-25 Courses

Stanford Advisees

All Publications

  • Voice Quality and Identity ANNUAL REVIEW OF APPLIED LINGUISTICS Podesva, R. J., Callier, P. 2015; 35: 173-194

    View details for DOI 10.1017/S0267190514000270

    View details for Web of Science ID 000351470600010

  • Sound recordings: Acoustic and articulatory data Research Methods in Linguistics Podesva, R. J., Zsiga, E. edited by Podesva, R. J., Sharma, D. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 2013
  • Research Methods in Linguistics Podesva, R. J., Sharma, D. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 2013
  • Introduction Research Methods in Linguistics Podesva, R. J., Sharma, D., Sharma, D. edited by Podesva, R. J. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 2013
  • Gender and the social meaning of non-modal phonation types Proceedings of the Berkeley Linguistics Society Podesva, R. J. 2013: 427–448
  • Variation and agency English in the World: History, Diversity, Change Podesva, R. J. edited by Seargeant, P., Swann, J. Abingdon: Routledge. 2012: 323–329
  • Condoleezza Rice and the sociophonetic construction of identity Style-Shifting in Public: New Perspectives on Phonological Variation Podesva, R., Lew, L. H., Brenier, J., Starr, R., Lewis, S. edited by Hernandez-Campoy, J. M., Cutillas-Espinosa, J. A. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. 2012: 65–80
  • Recency, resonance, and the structuring of phonological style in political speeches Style-Shifting in Public: New Perspectives on Phonological Variation Podesva, R. J., Callier, P., Jamsu, J. edited by Hernandez-Campoy, J. M., Cutillas-Espinosa, J. A. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. 2012: 101–117
  • Salience and the Social Meaning of Declarative Contours: Three Case Studies of Gay Professionals JOURNAL OF ENGLISH LINGUISTICS Podesva, R. J. 2011; 39 (3): 233-264

    View details for DOI 10.1177/0075424211405161

    View details for Web of Science ID 000293618200003

  • SOCIOPHONETICS AND SEXUALITY: TOWARD A SYMBIOSIS OF SOCIOLINGUISTICS AND LABORATORY PHONOLOGY AMERICAN SPEECH Eckert, P., Podesva, R. J. 2011; 86 (1): 6-13

    View details for DOI 10.1215/00031283-1277465

    View details for Web of Science ID 000290565000001

  • THE CALIFORNIA VOWEL SHIFT AND GAY IDENTITY AMERICAN SPEECH Podesva, R. J. 2011; 86 (1): 32-51

    View details for DOI 10.1215/00031283-1277501

    View details for Web of Science ID 000290565000003

  • Sociophonetics and Sexuality Podesva, R. J., Eckert, P. 2011
  • Style, indexicality, and the social meaning of tag questions LANGUAGE IN SOCIETY Moore, E., Podesva, R. 2009; 38 (4): 447-485

    View details for DOI 10.1017/S0047404509990224

    View details for Web of Science ID 000269593900003

  • Three sources of stylistic meaning Proceedings of the Symposium About Language and Society – Austin 15 Podesva, R. J. 2008: 134–43
  • Phonation type as a stylistic variable: The use of falsetto in constructing a persona JOURNAL OF SOCIOLINGUISTICS Podesva, R. J. 2007; 11 (4): 478-504

    View details for Web of Science ID 000249267700002

  • Sharing resources and indexing meanings in the production of gay styles The Language and Sexuality Reader Podesva, R. J., Roberts, S. J., Kibler, K. C. edited by Cameron, D., Kulick, D. London: Routledge. 2006: 141–150
  • Intonational variation and social meaning: Categorical and phonetic aspects Penn Working Papers in Linguistics (Selected Papers from New Ways of Analyzing Variation 34) Podesva, R. 2006: 189–202
  • What will people say? Speech system design and language/cultural differences Proceedings of the Automatic Speech Recognition and Understanding Workshop Kristin, P., Podesva, R. J. 2004: 624–629
  • Sharing resources and indexing meanings in the production of gay styles 1st Conference of the International-Gender-and-Language-Association (IGALA) Podesva, R. J., Roberts, S. J., Campbell-Kibler, K. UNIV CHICAGO PRESS. 2002: 175–189

    View details for Web of Science ID 000222211600011

  • Language and Sexuality: Contesting Meaning in Theory and Practice edited by Kibler, C., Kathryn, Podesva, R. J., Roberts, S. J., Wong, A. Stanford: CSLI Publications. 2002
  • Constraints on geminates in Buginese and Selayarese 19th West Coast Conference on Formal Linguistics Podesva, R. J. CASCADILLA PRESS. 2000: 343–356

    View details for Web of Science ID 000168376000026

  • The phonetic realization of singletongeminate contrasts in three languages of Indonesia Proceedings of the International Congress of Phonetic Sciences Abigail, C., Ham, W., Podesva, R. J. 1999: 587–590
  • Acoustic investigation of the vowel systems of Buginese and Toba Batak Proceedings of the International Congress of Phonetic Sciences Podesva, R. J., Smith, N. A. 1999: 535–538
  • An acoustic analysis of Buginese consonants Texas Linguistic Forum (Exploring the Boundaries between Phonetics and Phonology) Podesva, R. J. 1998: 147–159