Dr. Betsy Sneller

Assistant Professor

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Biography

Betsy Sneller is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Linguistics at Michigan State University, with a Ph.D. in Linguistics from the University of Pennsylvania. Her primary research interest is language variation and change, focusing particularly on phonological change as represented by individual speakers. Betsy has extensive experience in sociolinguistics, having worked as a postdoctoral scholar at Georgetown University from 2018 to 2020, where she employed experimental methods to investigate children’s acquisition of sociolinguistic phonological variation. She is currently the co-director of the MSU Sociolinguistics Lab and has been the principal investigator of the Michigan Diaries Project, which documents community experiences and changes in linguistic markers in Michigan. In recognition of her contributions to linguistics, she has received significant funding for her research, including a $646,385 grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation to expand educational opportunities through the Linguistics Project and a $99,908 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities for developing a mobile app for self-recording. Betsy's work often highlights the impact of sociolinguistic factors on language development and emphasizes the evolving nature of language in contemporary society.

Research Interests

Experience

Assistant Professor

2020-09-01 — Present

Michigan State University • East Lansing, MI

Teaching and conducting research in Linguistics, focusing on language variation and change.

Awards

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NSF Grant

2024-08-29
#

NEH Grant

2022-02-14

Requirements for Michigan State University

Doctorate Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3
TOEFL
Listening
Required:17
Reading
Required:17
Writing
Required:17
Speaking
Required:17
Total
Required:80
IELTS
Listening
Required:6
Reading
Required:6
Writing
Required:6
Speaking
Required:6
Overall
Required:6.5
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree in Psychology or related field At least 15 credits in psychology courses
Application Checklist
  • Transcripts
  • Letters of Recommendation
  • Statement of Purpose
  • CV/Resume
Specialization Notes

Department of Psychology