Home > About > Organization

Organization

The Maryland Language Science Center (LSC) brings together faculty and students from 17 academic units. It is an umbrella organization and the home of a university-wide initiative in language science. It is not a self-contained research unit.

Foundation
The foundation for LSC is a community of language scientists from across the University of Maryland. Starting in 2008 an NSF-IGERT interdisciplinary graduate training program served as a catalyst for broader integration in language science. LSC reflects the institutionalization and substantial broadening of those efforts.

Oversight

University Leadership

  • Mary Ann Rankin, Provost
  • Pat O'Shea, Vice President for Research
  • Bonnie Thornton Dill, Dean, College of Arts & Humanities
  • Greg Ball, Dean, College of Behavioral and Social Sciences
  • Ken Gertz, Associate Vice President for Research Development

External Advisory Board

In development

Internal Advisory Board

The Internal Advisory Board (in development) consists of key individuals from across the University of Maryland who are invested in the success of Language Science as a broad university strength.

Direction
LSC's Executive Committee sets priorities and coordinates major initiatives for the center. It conists of faculty leaders and LSC staff.

LSC's Management Team coordinates ongoing activities at the center. It consists of the Director and LSC staff (Phillips, Wood, Lewis, Eaves). 

Student Leadership
Leadership by students has been one of the keys to the success of the UMD language science community, and it reflects a core value. All students in LSC programs take part in leadership teams. The graduate students are organized into the follwoing teams.

  • Research Skills & Collaboration
  • Professional Development & Communication
  • Outreach
  • Policy & Advocacy

The Student Executive Committee consists of the leaders of each of the individual teams.

Leadership Teams 
Individual faculty teams take responsibility for different functions of LSC.

  • Undergraduate Committee
  • Graduate Committee
  • Outreach Team
  • Infant & Child Studies Consortium 
  • Langscape Team
  • LLRC Steering Committee

Funding
LSC is supported by a Tier III Campus Research Initiative award, jointly funded by the Division of Research, the Provost, and the Deans of four colleges (ARHU, BSOS, EDUC, CMNS). This award lasts from 2013-2016 and primarily supports staff infrastructure. LSC is also supported by funds from the Provost and colleges that allow for a number of senior faculty leadership hires in diverse areas of language science.