UT Southern faculty to present research at international linguistics conference in Ireland

PULASKI, Tenn. — April 24, 2026 — A proposal from three University of Tennessee Southern faculty members has been accepted for presentation at the annual international Linguistic Landscape Workshop, to be held in June at the University of Limerick in Ireland.

Dr. Rebecca Todd Garvin, Prof. Cochran Pruett and Prof. Nan Wakefield will present their proposal, “Before the Sign: Building the Linguistic Landscape Through Community Collaboration and Interdisciplinary Research.” The presentation highlights work from a UT Southern interdisciplinary team spanning the history, computer science and English departments.

The project, known as the Maplewood Project, brings together faculty, archaeologist Claiborne Sea and community leaders in Pulaski to examine how language, history and place intersect. The research focuses on documenting and interpreting the region’s linguistic landscape through collaborative, community-based approaches.

Garvin will also co-present a second paper, “(Dis)embodied LL Narratives of Post-Crisis,” with Dr. Stefania Tufi, head of the Italian linguistics program at the University of Liverpool in the United Kingdom.

That study explores post-crisis narratives in both Italy and the United States, analyzing how they are represented through printed materials, images, public signage and memorial landscapes. The research includes a focus on Italian cultural and historical expression following World War II.

The Linguistic Landscape Workshop is an international forum for scholars examining the role of language in public spaces, bringing together researchers from across disciplines to explore how language can shape identity, memory and community.

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