My research focuses on African languages in the diaspora, with particular attention to the intergenerational transmission of language and culture among African immigrant communities. My work examines how linguistic structures and cultural practices are maintained, transformed, or lost across generations, and how these processes shape language competence and identity among diaspora populations.

A central focus of my research is Yoruba, one of the major languages of West Africa and an influential language of the African diaspora. I investigate how specific linguistic features, especially phonological structures, are transmitted across generations, and how cultural practices serve as important spaces for language use and learning. Grounded in experimental methodologies, my research adopts a mixed-methods approach that combines qualitative and quantitative methods.  My dissertation, supported by the NFMLTA-NCOLCTL Research Award, advances heritage language phonology and makes empirical and theoretical contributions to models of speech perception, including the Perceptual Assimilation Model (PAM), the Speech Learning Model (SLM), and Second Language Linguistic Perception (L2LP).

In addition to my work on language transmission, I explore how technological tools can support the documentation, teaching, and revitalization of African languages. As many African languages face challenges related to limited pedagogical resources and uneven transmission in diaspora communities, digital technologies offer new opportunities for preservation and learning. My research considers how tools such as digital corpora, multimedia archives, language-learning platforms, and artificial intelligence can be leveraged to document linguistic structures, capture cultural practices, and support innovative methods for teaching African languages. 

I earned my Ph.D. in Linguistics from Indiana University, where I specialized in phonological perception and African linguistics. I currently serve as a Visiting Lecturer in the African Studies Program at Indiana University, where I teach Yoruba language and culture and contribute to curriculum development and community engagement.