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qUALMS[kʰwɑːmz]
MSU's Linguistics Club

MSULC

Michigan State Undergraduate Linguistics Conference

MSULC is Michigan State's official undergraduate linguistics conference, where students can present their research and engage with the broader linguistic community. Started in 2010—with a tradition of a former MSU undergrad becoming a keynote speaker beginning in 2012—the conferences paused after 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but we are excited to announce that MSULC is returning in 2025.

MSULC 2025

The 12th iteration of MSULC will be held on April 19, 2025. Open to all undergraduates interested in linguistics and linguistic research.

Conference at a Glance

  • Keynote speaker: TBD
  • Venue: Wells Hall 3rd Floor
  • Time: 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
  • Date: Saturday, April 19, 2025

WHY MSULC?

qUALMS's main mission is to foster a community of people fascinated by language and its scientific study. Since language touches fields like Psychology, Computer Science, and Cognitive Science, this conference brings together diverse interests with a poster competition, refreshments, merchandise, and guest speakers.

SCHEDULE

MSULC 2025 Tentative Schedule

11:00 - 11:15
Opening Ceremony
11:30 - 12:30
Keynote Speaker #1
TBD
12:30
Lunch
Food available immediately after Speaker #1
12:40 - 2:00
Poster Session & Presentations
Poster presentations, language club showcases, and judging towards the end
2:10 - 3:10
Keynote Speaker #2
Surprise Zoom Speaker!
3:10
Refreshments
Snacks available shortly after Speaker #2
3:30 - 4:00
Closing Ceremony & Awards
Award details to be announced soon!

WHAT IS THE POSTER COMPETITION?

The MSULC Poster Competition/Exhibition is an opportunity for students to showcase their passion for languages. It's designed to be fun while encouraging participants to learn about fields they may not be familiar with.

WHAT SHOULD THE POSTER BE?

The poster can take any format—from a traditional trifold to any other creative layout that best conveys your information. Possible Categories include: Phonology, Morphology, Semantics and Pragmatics, Syntax, Sociolinguistics, Historical Linguistics, Orthography, Cognitive Science & Language, Computational Linguistics, Psychology of Language, Language Acquisition, Language Learning Models, and Conlanging. Your poster may fit into more than one of these categories. No worries! All you need to worry about is that the poster is language related and that you are passionate about what you are making.

HOW DOES THE COMPETITION WORK?

Each participant is assigned an area to set up their poster. Presenters should arrive at 10:30 AM on April 19th to set up. During the judging period, each presenter will have 3 minutes to share their poster with the judges. (Judging criteria will be provided soon.) Just have fun with it!

Important Deadlines: Please submit your poster application by April 17th. Your actual poster must be completed before 10:30 AM on April 19th for the setup period.

HAVE FUN!

This conference is a chance for everyone to showcase their linguistic interests and creativity. We can't wait to see your posters!

QUESTIONS?

Please contact the club Secretary at browneze@msu.edu for any questions regarding the competition.

Past Conferences
  • MSULC 2019

    Adam Liter

    MSU graduate, PhD student at the University of Maryland


  • MSULC 2018

    Mina Hirzel

    MSU graduate, PhD student at the University of Maryland, College Park


  • MSULC 2017

    Haley Farkas

    MSU graduate, PhD student at Northwestern University


  • MSULC 2016

    Chris O'Brien

    MSU graduate, PhD candidate at Department of Linguistics and Philosophy at MIT


  • MSULC 2015

    Chris Heffner

    MSU graduate, PhD candidate at University of Maryland, College Park


  • MSULC 2014

    Karl DeVries

    2010 MSU graduate, then 3rd year PhD student at University of California, Santa Cruz


  • MSULC 2013

    Megan Sutton

    2009 MSU graduate, then 4th year PhD student at the University of Maryland, College Park


  • MSULC 2012

    Peter Klecha

    2007 MSU graduate, then 5th year PhD student at the University of Chicago


  • MSULC 2011

  • MSULC 2010