Aya Halabi
Nature of Work
Academic
Profession
Instructor
Email Address
[email protected]

Aya Halabi

Nature of Work
Academic
Profession
Instructor
Email Address
[email protected]
Biography

I am a PhD candidate in Linguistics at the University of Michigan.
My research centers on theoretical syntax and its interface with PF/Morphology. My work is driven by fundamental questions: What combinatoric rules exist in natural languages? How do these rules converge or diverge within Universal Grammar (UG)? How can cross-linguistic variation be accounted for? And what do these patterns reveal about the human capacity for language?
I am specializing in Semitic languages, particularly Arabic and its dialectal variation. Recently, I have developed an interest in studying Suret ([ˈsu:rɪtʰ] or [ˈsu:rɪθ]), also known as Assyrian, which encompasses the varieties of Northeastern Neo-Aramaic spoken by indigenous populations in Upper Mesopotamia (Iran, Turkey, Syria, and Iraq).
The current objective of my research is to explore the extent to which syntax can be derived from interface properties, with a particular focus on PF-driven syntax. This involves investigating which internal syntactic devices might be redundant, as their effects may be independently accounted for at PF. My recent work has addressed these questions within the interaction between φ-agreement and case, and I am now extending this investigation within the framework of Copy Theory of Movement.
 

 

 

 

Education
Institution
University of Michigan Ann Arbor
Country
United States of America
Degree
PhD
Faculty
Rackham Graduate School
Department
Department of Linguistics
Thesis
---
Speciality
Theoretical Linguistics
Sub speciality
Duration
2022 - 2027
Institution
An-Najah National University
Country
Palestine
Degree
MSc
Faculty
Faculty of Graduate Studies
Department
Department of English
Thesis
Translation and Intertextual Space: the Translation of Religious, Historical and Mythical Allusions in the Poetry of Mahmoud Darwish
Speciality
Translation & Applied Linguistics
Sub speciality
Duration
2013 - 2015
Institution
University of Michigan Ann Arbor
Country
United States of America
Degree
MSc
Faculty
Rackham Graduate School
Department
Department of Linguistics
Thesis
Agreement as an All-The-Way Operation: A Model Addressing Linguistic Variation
Speciality
Theoretical Linguistics
Sub speciality
Theoretical syntax and morphosyntax
Duration
2022 - 2024
Institution
An-Najah National University
Country
Palestine
Degree
BSc
Faculty
Faculty of Humanities
Department
Department of English
Thesis
Home, Identity & Homeland in Mahmoud Darwish's Literary Oeuvre & Jean Ryhs's Wide Sargasso Sea
Speciality
English Language & Literature
Sub speciality
Honor Degree
Duration
2008 - 2012
Institution
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Country
United States of America
Degree
Diploma
Faculty
Linguistics Society of America Summer Linguistics Institute
Department
Linguistics Society of America Summer Linguistics Institute
Thesis
Coursework: Intro to Syntax with Pesetsky, Adv. Syntax, Feeding and bleeding in syntax, Agree(ment) via satisfaction and interaction, Case licensing, Creoles and Pidgins, and recent advances in neurolinguistics.
Speciality
Theoretical Linguistics
Sub speciality
Theoretical Syntax & (Morpho)-syntax
Duration
2023 - 2023
Employment History
Country
Palestine
Institution
An-Najah National University
Position/Job Description
Instructor
Period
May 17, 2016 - May 17, 2022
Country
United States of America
Institution
Department of Linguistics - University of Michigan Ann Arbor
Position/Job Description
Instructor
Period
Aug. 28, 2023 - May 17, 2024
Country
United States of America
Institution
Department of Linguistics - University of Michigan Ann Arbor
Position/Job Description
Graduate Student Researcher
Period
May 18, 2024 - Dec. 31, 2024