Biography
Kearan is a PhD student in the Tulane Linguistics Program who studies language revitalization under Dr. Maxwell. They attended undergrad at Tulane, earning dual BAs in Sociology and Social Policy & Practice in May 2020. Through their current program, they also earned a Masters in Linguistics in May 2025.
During their program, they have been a two-FLAS awardee and were able to attend the Mayan Institute Program, Oxlajuj Aj, in the summers of 2024 and 2025. They were the president of Tulane Linguistics Student Association for the 2024-2025 academic year, as the Linguistic Representative for the Graduate Studies Student Association for the 2025-2026 academic year, and as the Graduate Studies Student Association Executive Secretary for the 2026-2027 academic year. Additionally, through language revitalization, Sparks has worked with Tunica, Biloxi, Kaqchikel, and Gaeilge, their language of focus.