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David Beaver is a Professor and the Director of the Cognitive Science Program at the University of Texas at Austin. His research interests are centered on linguistic meaning, particularly the fields of semantics and pragmatics. He employs a range of methodologies, including computational studies of large text corpora, experimental work, and theoretical modeling using logic and statistical tools. His key areas of empirical research include presupposition (examining how assumptions are reflected in language use), anaphora (the way words such as pronouns derive meaning from prior contexts), and topic/focus (exploring how linguistic features signify questions and answers). In addition, he investigates temporal event semantics and the automatic extraction of psychological and social features from text and dialogue, engaging with broader philosophical and cognitive themes. He teaches various courses related to cognitive science and linguistics, facilitating an interdisciplinary approach to understanding language.
General requirements for the Graduate School at UT Austin apply to all programs unless otherwise specified.