Anne Curzan is a

professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who pr ...

of English at the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

since 2012 and dean of its College of Literature, Science, and the Arts since 2019.

Biography

Curzan received a bachelor of arts in

linguistics Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. It is called a scientific study because it entails a comprehensive, systematic, objective, and precise analysis of all aspects of language, particularly its nature and structure. Linguis ...

''summa cum laude'' from

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the worl ...

in 1991. She received a

master of arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...

and a

doctor of philosophy A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is ...

in English language and literature from the

in 1995 and 1998, respectively. Curzan is a member of the

American Heritage Dictionary American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

Usage Panel and the

American Dialect Society The American Dialect Society (ADS), founded in 1889, is a learned society "dedicated to the study of the English language in North America, and of other languages, or dialects of other languages, influencing it or influenced by it." The Society p ...

, which votes on the

Word of the Year The word(s) of the year, sometimes capitalized as "Word(s) of the Year" and abbreviated "WOTY" (or "WotY"), refers to any of various assessments as to the most important word(s) or expression(s) in the public sphere during a specific year. The Ge ...

. She writes regularly for

The Chronicle of Higher Education ''The Chronicle of Higher Education'' is a newspaper and website that presents news, information, and jobs for college and university faculty and student affairs professionals (staff members and administrators). A subscription is required to rea ...

's language blog, ''Lingua Franca'', and is a co-host of the program ''That's What they Say'' on

Michigan Radio Michigan Radio is a network of five FM public radio stations operated by the University of Michigan through its broadcasting arm, Michigan Public Media. The network is a founding member of National Public Radio and an affiliate of Public Radio I ...

. In 2019, she was appointed dean of the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts.

Awards and honors

Curzan has received awards for her work, including the Henry Russel Award, the Faculty Recognition Award, and the John Dewey Award.

Books

* ''How English works: A linguistic introduction'' * ''First day to final grade: A graduate student's guide to teaching'', with Lisa Damour * ''Gender shifts in the history of English'' * ''The secret life of words: English words and their origins'' * ''Fixing English: Prescriptivism and language history''

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Curzan, Anne Women linguists Linguists of English Yale College alumni University of Michigan alumni University of Michigan faculty University of Washington faculty Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Place of birth missing (living people) 21st-century linguists Historical linguists Corpus linguists Lexicographers Women lexicographers Education writers American education writers 21st-century American educators Linguists from the United States Writing teachers American women academics American women non-fiction writers 21st-century American women educators