UArizona Linguistics Professor Cecile McKee Receives Distinguished Linguistics, Language, and the Public Award

University of Arizona Professor Emeritus of the Department of Linguistics in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Cecile McKee, has been awarded the Linguistics, Language and the Public Award from the Linguistic Society of America. McKee is recognized for engaging with the public directly, using hands-on activities that feature the methods and results of linguistics research. McKee has worked in public venues like museums and festivals, including the Tucson Festival of Books and the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s Family Science Days. 

McKee’s 2023 book, How to Talk Language Science with Everybody, written with fellow awardee and co-author Laura Wagner of Ohio State University, provides encouragement and guidance for linguists who want to reach broader audiences in direct ways. The book provides evidence-based advice about how to effectively engage with the general public, including structured worksheets to help readers develop materials and activities for their own engagement projects.

First presented in 1997, this award honors an individual or group for work that effectively increases public awareness and understanding of linguistics and language.