Atticus G. Harrigan

  Atticus G. Harrigan
PhD Candidate
4-32 Assiniboia Hall, University of Alberta
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2E7
Atticus Galvin John David Harrigan
atticus.harrigan@ualberta.ca

Welcome to my website! My name is Atticus Harrigan and I am a PhD Candidate in linguistics at the University of Alberta. My supervisor is Antti Arppe. I am affiliated with the Alberta Language Technology Laboratory (ALTLab). I am also a Doctoral Fellow of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. My research mainly focuses on the use of computational and quanitative techniques in the documentation and analysis of lesser resourced languages, especially those of North America. My dissertation investigates the choice of certain formal modes in Plains Cree from a data-drive perspective, using a variety of morphosemantic features as predictors in a set of mixed-effects regression models. In deriving predictors, I make use of semantic vector models and cluster analysis to identify latent (underlying) verb classes.

Education

University of Alberta

Doctor of Philosophy
Linguistics
Current

Linguistics Society of American Summer Institute

University of Kentucky
Linguistics

Sign Language Linguistics; Computational Linguistics; Construction Grammar; Forensic Linguistics

2017

University of Alberta

Bachelor of Arts (Honors)
Linguistics

Thesis: Reduction in Plains Cree

2015

MacEwan University

Diploma of Applied Communications

Rhetoric and Technical Writing

2012

Publications

A Morpholosyntactically Tagged Corpus for Plains Cree

Arppe, A., Schmirler, K., Harrigan, A. G., Wolvengrey, A.
In Macaulay M. & Noodin M. (Eds.), Papers of the Forty-Ninth Algonquian Conference. Michigan State University Press.
In Press

Design and evaluation of a smartphone keyboard for Plains Cree syllabics

Santos, E., & Harrigan, A.
In Proceedings of the 1st Joint Workshop on Spoken Language Technologies for Under-resourced languages (SLTU) and Collaboration and Computing for Under-Resourced Languages (CCURL). (pp. 88-96)
2020

Plains Cree Verbal Derivational Morphology: A corpus investigation

Schmirler, K., Harrigan, A. G., Arppe, A., Wolvengrey, A.
In Macaulay M. & Noodin M. (Eds.), Papers of the Forty-Eighth Algonquian Conference (pp. 239-254). Michigan State University Press.
2019

A Preliminary Plains Cree Speech Synthesizer

Harrigan, A., Mills, T., Arppe, A.
In Proceedings of the Workshop on Computational Methods for Endangered Languages (Vol. 1, No. 1, p. 9).
2019

Learning from the Computational Modelling of Plains Cree Verbs

Harrigan, A. G., Schmirler, K.,Arppe, A., Antonsen, L.,Trosterud, T., Wolvengrey, A.
Morphology, 27(4), 565-598.
2017

Toward a Detailed Plains Cree VAI Paradigm

Harrigan, A. G., Arppe, A., Wolvengrey, A.
In Macaulay M. & Noodin M. (Eds.), Papers of the Forty-Seventh Algonquian Conference. (pp. 129-146) EAST LANSING: Michigan State University Press.
2017

Vowel Spaces in Plains Cree

Harrigan, A. G., Tucker, B.
Journal of the Canadian Acoustical Association, 43(03).
2015

Skills

Programming Languages & Software
Python, R, Awk, Praat, ELAN, Microsoft Office, Adobe Creative Suite

Languages
Plains Cree (reading, writing, some spoken), Latin (elementary reading and writing), English (native)

Interests

In addition to language and linguistics, I'm interested in coding and dogs. This has resulted in my Dog Fact Generator™, found below. The generator draws from a list dog breed names and predicate statements before randomly combining them into a new "fact." Each page refresh reruns the script. The accuracy of these statements is suspect.

Teaching

LING 101 — Introduction to Linguistics

Principal Instructor
Summer 2020

INT D 318 — Technologies for Endangered Language Documentation

Principal Instructor
Co-taught with Ashleigh M. Surma
Summer 2019

LING 308 — Morphology and the Lexicon

Teaching Assistant
Winter 2017

LING 309 — Syntax and Semantics

Teaching Assistant
Winter 2017

LING 101 — Introduction to Linguistics

Teaching Assistant
Fall 2016

LING 311 — Advanced Cree

CILLDI Intern/Student Assistant
Summer 2015

INT D 318 — Technologies for Endangered Language Documentation

CILLDI Intern/Student Assistant
Summer 2014

LING 212 — Morphosyntax of Indigenous Languages

CILLDI Intern/Student Assistant
Summer 2014

Awards

  • Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarship
    2020
    $12,000

  • SSHRC Doctoral Fellowship
    2017-2021
    $80,000

  • President’s Doctoral Prize of Distinction
    2017-2021
    $27,000

  • Linguistics Graduate Student Association Travel Award (for attendence at the Linguistics Society of America's 2017 Summer Institute)
    2017
    $1680

  • Department of Linguistics Travel Award (for attendence at the 49th Algonquian Conference)
    2017
    $715

  • Joseph Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarship—Master’s
    2015-2016
    $17,500

  • Walter H. Johns Graduate Fellowship
    2015-2016
    $5700

  • Roger S. Smith Undergraduate Researcher Award
    2014
    $5000

  • Jason Lang Scholarship
    2010-2013
    $1000 x 3

  • KIAS Tomorrow’s Ideas, Now Presentation Award
    2013
    $120

  • Alexander Rutherford Scholarship for Academic Excellence
    2009
    $2500

  • Pezer Construction Scholarship for Excellence in Communication Technology Studies
    2009
    $1000