MARIA GOUSKOVA

Contributed by Stephanie Quick
EMU journalism student
April, 2006    

Maria Gouskova, a 1998 EMU English Linguistics and German Language and Literature graduate, landed a job in the Big Apple.

           As an undergraduate student at Eastern Michigan University, Maria Gouskova could often be found in the English department in Pray-Harrold or the foreign language department in Alexander.  While studying at EMU from 1994 to 1998, she held two honors undergraduate research assistantships in linguistics. 

          Under professor T. Daniel Seely, Gouskova was involved in collecting and analyzing syntax data for a paper entitled "Grammaticality judgments on binding."

          With professor Beverly Goodman, Gouskova recorded and analyzed phonetic data using CSpeech software.

          "I wrote my generals papers (requirements of the UMass linguistics Ph.D. program) in syntax and phonology, but not really related to the areas of my honors undergrad assistantships," said Gouskova.

          In 1998, Gouskova presented a paper entitled "Properties of infinitival complement noun phrases" at Eastern's XVIII Undergraduate Symposium of the College of Arts and Sciences. 

            "It was a little weird because the only other speaker in my session gave a talk on a medical topic," said Gouskova.

            After four years at EMU, Gouskova graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Linguistics and German Language and Literature.  She soon found herself at the University of Massachusetts (UMass) where she pursued a Ph.D. from the department of linguistics.  Gouskova accomplished this goal in 2003.

            Following her time at UMass, Gouskova held three visiting assistant professorships at Rutgers University, Georgetown University and New York University.  She now teaches linguistic courses at New York University to undergraduates and graduates alike.