What degree are you working on? How long have you been studying in this program? 
I have been working on a CS+Linguistics degree since 2021

What is your favorite thing about Linguistics? 
My favorite thing about linguistics is how versatile of a field it is. Language is everywhere and it's possible to study so many different aspects of it.
Personally, I'm most interested in studying morphosyntax and multilingualism, to investigate the structures that govern how language works and the cognitive processes behind it.

What are you working on right now related to Linguistics? 
I'm currently working on an analysis of gender/number alternations and syncretisms in Kannada, through the lens of Distributed Morphology. As a language that has not been extensively studied in linguistics, Kannada has some really interesting structures that I think can shed light on answering some larger questions in the field as a whole.
I'm also currently the President of the League of Linguists (the undergraduate linguistics student organization) and we've been working on arranging a number of events for linguistics undergrads this semester, including social events and linguistics exploration talks.

Why should someone study Ling+CS at Illinois?
I already mentioned how multifaceted linguistics is as a field, and the program here at Illinois really supports that vision, with a wide range of class offerings and research opportunities.

We also have a great community here in the Linguistics Department and I've felt very welcomed throughout my time here.

Contact: bhushan7 AT illinois DOT edu

Published 4/8/2024