Charlie O'Hara Email & Phone Number

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Ann Arbor

- Took over and redesigned two courses mid-semester, while finishing dissertation requirements.- Developed and taught a new series of courses on computational linguistics from the ground up, introducing students to Python coding, NLP technologies such as spell-checking, autocorrect, speech synthesis and recognition, and ethical implications of NLP technologies.- Designed and taught a course training students to evaluate and design experiments about language change.- Developed a… Show more - Took over and redesigned two courses mid-semester, while finishing dissertation requirements.- Developed and taught a new series of courses on computational linguistics from the ground up, introducing students to Python coding, NLP technologies such as spell-checking, autocorrect, speech synthesis and recognition, and ethical implications of NLP technologies.- Designed and taught a course training students to evaluate and design experiments about language change.- Developed a manual for keystone introductory linguistics course with Center of Research on Learning and Teaching, guiding instructors toward inclusive approaches as part of the Foundational Courses Initiative. Show less

Los Angeles

 Contributed 18 publications and 30+ presentations to journals and conferences. GestNet Project (2020-): with colleagues at Microsoft AI, developed neural network model of speech production (Python). Ran linear mixed effect models to analyze network's attention mechanisms (R). Convergence Project (2019-): Developed ontology of patterns mislearned by machine learning models. Used steady-state analysis of Markov chains to find inaccurate convergence of learning algorithms. Created… Show more  Contributed 18 publications and 30+ presentations to journals and conferences. GestNet Project (2020-): with colleagues at Microsoft AI, developed neural network model of speech production (Python). Ran linear mixed effect models to analyze network's attention mechanisms (R). Convergence Project (2019-): Developed ontology of patterns mislearned by machine learning models. Used steady-state analysis of Markov chains to find inaccurate convergence of learning algorithms. Created animated visualizations of statistical learning models’ convergence properties (Python). Final Consonant Typology Project (2014-): Analyzed consonant restrictions in 240+ languages. Produced user-friendly GUI tool for agent-based machine learning models of human language acquisition (Python). Modeled acquisition and change of phonological patterns across generations using large agent-based simulations (Python). Developed animated visualizations of learning over time (Python). Modeled frequency of patterns cross-linguistically based on learnability (R). Formally analyzed learning biases through dimension reduction via principal components analysis and k-means clustering (R). Received two grants for over $35,000 from competitive university-wide fellowships.  Lexical Frequency Project (2016-2021): developed corpora and analyzed lexical frequency of phonological structures in Finnish, English, Estonian, Navajo, and Thai (Python). Simulated the machine learning of phonological patterns with thousands of possible lexical frequencies (Python). Used k-means clustering to classify space of lexical frequencies (R).  Lexical Idiosyncrasy Project (2019-2020): evaluated fit of multiple logistic regression-based approaches of phonological learning to human performance on non-words (Python).  Klamath Learning Project (2013-2016): Created database of 13000+ words of endangered indigenous language Klamath. Modeled human acquisition of Klamath using logistic regression and SGA (Python). Show less

Used Wordpress to maintain WOBC’s websiteMaintained station computers and server.

-Led and planned activities for a day camp for 4-6 year olds.-Oversaw 3 employees.

Doctor Of Philosophy - Phd, Linguistics

Thesis: Soft Biases in Phonology, Learnability Meets Grammar. My research focused on computational phonology, particularly how biases.

Master Of Arts - Ma, Linguistics

Bachelor Of Arts (B.A.), Mathematics