Talks & Interviews

When I was younger, I thought my job was primarily to do research and communicate it to students and other scientists. More recently, I’ve realized that I enjoy communicating science to a broader audience, including giving talks and interviews about my work. Some highlights below include my collaboration with Mark Seidenberg on a talk about children’s reading at Planet Word Museum, including a Q&A moderated by Emily Hanford, Planet Word’s Journalist in Residence.

If you’re interested in scheduling a talk or interview, please contact me.

Talks & Interviews

The Second City Podcast (audio | video)
With Kelly Leonard, September 2025
We talk about improv, human and monkey communication, gender-neutral pronouns, and more

Conversations on Healing Podcast
With Shay Beider, September 2025
We talk about the power of talking for emotion regulation, learning, focus, children’s development, and more

Talk Nerdy Podcast
With Cara Santa Maria, July 2025
We talk about talking, language’s role in gender norms, children’s books, and more

Something You Should Know Podcast
With Mike Carruthers, June 2025
We talk about the benefits of talking for focus, parenting, and more

“What’s Next in the Science of Reading?”
Planet Word Museum, Washington, DC.
With Mark Seidenberg and Emily Hanford, March 2025.
Mark talks first, then I talk, then there are fabulous questions from Emily and from the audience

“Book Language”
Lunch and Lit with Margaret Goldberg, April 2024
I talk about the importance of Book Language for children’s reading: what it is, why it’s different from speech that kids hear, and why kids need it, how to help them get it.

Language & the Aging Brain
Talk to the Kiwanis Club of Downtown Madison.
January, 2022.

“How do production goals influence language?”
TalkTogether Project. Virtual Roundtable on development of children’s print corpora.
Oxford University, Department of Education, July, 2021.

“Talk is NOT Cheap.”
Hour-long interview on my work. 
January, 2021 University of the Air, Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR), September, 9, 2021.

interview on cognitive consequences of the pandemic.
NBC15 evening news
Madison, WI, June 10, 2021

“How to Talk to One Another While Wearing Masks”
Badger Talks Video, September 22, 2020

Interview on foreign language learning
Central Time, Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR), July, 2018

Perpetual Notion Machine (a science talk show)
WORT Madison Community Radio, April, 2018.