Hi Ethan, what is your background and job role at AU?

I lived the first half of my life in the U.S., where I got a BA at Hampshire College, in Amherst Massachusetts. My major was in Ecology and I did a BA thesis on the effects of forest fragmentation on the reproductive success a little warbler called the Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla). I have spent the second half of my life in Aarhus, where I got a second BA in Spanish, an MA in Cognitive Semiotics, and a PhD in Linguistics. I used to just be an American, but now I'm also a Dane. Sometimes life is like that.  

I am Associate Professor of Linguistics.  

What are your main areas of research?

My main areas of research are on speech, language, and communication disorders. I collaborate with wonderful colleagues at the University of Connecticut in the U.S. and the wonderful Riccardo Fusaroli here in Aarhus studying voice, prosody, and language acquisition in people with Autism Spectrum Disorder, and I collaborate with outstanding colleagues at Macquarie University in Australia and at the Rådgivnings- og støttecentret at Aarhus University studying Dyslexia.

Are you involved with any teaching at the moment?

Yes, I teach regularly in the BA and MA programs at Linguistics.

How did you hear about Cognition and Behavior Lab?

I was around when COBELab was just a twinkle in Dan Mønster's eye.  

Have you used the Lab? If so, what are the benefits for researchers?

I haven't really used the lab yet, although I would like to - it's a great resource.

Is there a particular recommendation you would like to pass on to other researchers? Something you wish you had known before you started, or just a useful trick.

Something I figured out when I was doing my PhD many years ago, is that the number of substantial things you can achieve in a single day is shockingly small. So, pick one thing to get done each day, and if get that thing done, you are doing great. And if you're not sure what thing you should be working on today, what are you even doing reading this interview? Close the tab, and make a to-do list!

Could you recommend one academic book to fellow colleagues that you think is of great interest?

I recently read "Proust and the Squid" by Maryanne Wolf. It's maybe more pop science than academic, but it does a great job of illustrating why research on reading is exciting and relevant. 

Away from your research, what do you enjoy doing?

Biking, reading, listening to podcasts. Long walks on the beach. The usual stuff.

Finally, which Associated Researcher would you like to see under 'Spotlight' next time?

Alexandra Regina Kratschmer