About Me

I’m an Associate Teaching Professor in the UCSD Linguistics Department, specializing in computational approaches to speech, speech technologies, and innovative teaching methods in Linguistics. I also have a strong secondary focus in computational linguistics, large language models, and ‘AI’, and spend a great deal of time working towards open culture, open tools, open scholarship, and open software. I’m also a child of the internet, and spend more time than is reasonable thinking about memes and the linguistics of the internet more broadly. As a teaching professor, I truly love teaching and sharing the simple fact that Language is Incredible with students of all levels and creating free and open tools and resources which help improve student experiences.

I’m also the Director of UCSD’s Computational Social Science Program. CSS is a program which brings together students and faculty from across campus who combine computational methods with interesting questions in the Social Sciences, and who feel that data matters because people matter. CSS includes an undergraduate minor, an M.S. Program, and a Ph.D Specialization for existing students in affiliated departments.

To learn more about me generally, use the links at the top of the page to get my CV, to learn about my research, or my life. You can also find links to the open resources I’ve created like Online Teaching in the Social Sciences, Using Praat for Linguistic Research, Using Unix for Linguistic Research, A Reference for Course Design, my Github page, and the EnronSent email corpus.

Information for my Students

If you have questions for me about anything related to a course you’re taking from me, first check the syllabus for the class you’re in, then check my frequently asked questions page. I also have compiled a page full of resources for my students, giving you all sorts of resources, on and off campus, which can make your life easier.

If you need something else, I’m here to help! Come to designated office hours, book a meeting at https://savethevowels.org/bookme, or email me.

As Director of the UCSD Computational Social Science Program, I’m happy to talk about anything CSS-related, and can serve as a contact for inquiries from faculty, staff, students, and other interested parties. That said:

If you’re a potential or current CSS graduate student looking for info about degree progress, classes and electives, adding the Ph.D specialization, or wanting information about the M.S. program, please contact the CSS Advising Team at css-advising-g@ucsd.edu
For CSS minors needing advising, please use the VAC (https://vac.ucsd.edu/)

For general questions about the program, faculty, or student concerns, or other administrative issues, either email me at the address below, or better still, schedule a meeting at https://savethevowels.org/bookme.

Advising for Undergraduate Linguistics Majors

Although I’m happy to talk to students, for general questions about the department or discipline, about linguistics specific classes or paths, or ways to move forward in the field, you’ll want to talk to the current Faculty Undergraduate Advisor (listed here), for speech pathology/SLS contact Marc Garellek (mgarellek@ucsd.edu), or for administrative requests, petitions, or schedule planning, please use the VAC (https://vac.ucsd.edu/).

For Editors and Publishers

At present, I’d prefer to use my limited time to support authors, groups, and publishers that respect the community and scientific process by ensuring open access to scholarly work, and help build educational resources available to all students, regardless of wealth. As such…

I’m happy to review for Diamond/Gold open-access journals and publications wherever helpful
I’m also happy to review, evaluate, or discuss contributing to free-and-open books, instructional materials, and OERs
I have limited time set aside to review for green open-access publications, and less still for ‘hybrid’ open-access or paywalled publications, so the answer is more likely to be ‘decline’, but editors for non-Elsevier publications can reach out with particularly fitting articles
I’m not interested in reviewing, evaluating, developing, or writing textbooks, ‘digital course media’, or other course materials which will not be free and open.
Given their conduct in academic spaces and their ongoing work against open and equitable access to scholarly research, I’m no longer publishing in or reviewing for any Elsevier publications.

Contact Information

To book a meeting with me: Use https://savethevowels.org/bookme to book a time
My Zoom Link: https://ucsd.zoom.us/my/wstyler
My Campus Office: AP&M Building 4151 (How to get there)
Email: wstyler@ucsd.edu
I prefer ‘he’ and related noun substitutes
Phone and Mailing Address: By emailed request

We are on Native lands, specifically, I live and work on unceded territory of the Kumeyaay Nation.

Why savethevowels.org?