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Robert Frank, professor of linguistics at Yale University, will deliver the 2026 Freeman Lecture in Linguistics on April 14 from 4-5:30 p.m. in the Integrative Learning Center, S240.

Presented by the Department of Linguistics in the College of Humanities and Fine Arts, Frank’s lecture is titled “What Can Computers Teach Us About Human Language Learning and What Can Humans Teach Us About Computer Language Learning?”

A member of the Computational Linguistics at Yale (CLAY) Lab, Frank is a renowned expert in both computational linguistics and syntax whose research focuses on the relationships between natural language grammar and notions of mathematical and computational restrictiveness, especially in the domain of syntax.

The Freeman Lecture, held annually at UMass Amherst, is named in honor of the founding head of the linguistics department, Donald C. Freeman, and his wife Margaret Freeman. The talks are designed for a broad, cross-disciplinary audience of students and faculty across campus.

More information about Frank and his lecture can be found on the Department of Linguistics website.