Dr. Robin Queen

Biography

Robin Queen is a Sarah G. Thomason Collegiate Professor in the Department of Linguistics at the University of Michigan, where she also serves as the Arthur F. Thurnau Professor. Her research centers on sociolinguistic issues related to language contact, variation, and social cognition, particularly regarding queer identities. She has published extensively, including her book, Vox Popular: Surprising Life Language Mass Media, which examines language variation and functions in fictional mass media. Queen teaches various courses, including Language Discrimination and Sociolinguistics, and has supervised numerous graduate dissertations addressing language change in diverse communities, including African American speech in Detroit and language ideologies in Southern American English. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Texas, Austin, and has contributed significantly to departmental governance, including as Director of Graduate Studies and Chair. Her active engagement in the academic community includes positions on several advisory boards and editorial roles for academic journals. Queen is dedicated to supporting diversity and civility in academic environments.

Research Interests