The Tulane Conference on Linguistics (T-CoL) is designed to be a conference that, while maintaining high academic standards, is a warm and open place for first-time speakers. Hosted by graduate students in the Interdisciplinary Linguistics Program, T-CoLoffers an opportunity for anyone with an interest in linguistics to network with other scholars, professors, and students in the Gulf South. During the 7th annual conference, which took place in March 2025, scholars presented research on language-made material across 11 sessions.
Over time, writing systems can change drastically for a variety of reasons, including technological innovations, outside influence, and underlying language changes. “We hoped to draw attention to all of the different ways language can be used, whether in education, signage, ancient writing systems, and so on,” said Keara Sparks, T-CoL co-host and president of the Tulane Linguistics Student Association. Speakers also looked at language in the ephemeral, as it becomes the material: visualization and mapping dialects, articulations, vowel formants, and language variation. In other words, the materialization of language itself.
Participation included 17 speakers, mostly coming from the Gulf South, and more than 50 attendees. “It is so nice to have a conference that is centered on linguistics,” one attendant remarked. “It’s nice to get to see everyone face to face and learn about all the different projects we’re working on,” they continued. The event culminated with keynote speaker Dr. Amy George and her talk, “On This Earth Here: Mapping the Universe Across Time, Space, and Languages.” With this presentation, Dr. George took the audience on a brief trip through humankinds’ perceived understanding of the universe through charts, writings, and art of our solar system and other “heavenly bodies,” dating back to the year 161 CE.
The conference was sponsored by the Interdisciplinary Linguistics Program and Graduate Studies Student Association, with support from the Newcomb Art Department. Those interested in presenting or attending next year can email Reveal Email Address to join the mailing list.
