Linguistic profiling conference on campus

April 24, 2006 -- The Linguistic Profiling and Linguistic Human Rights conference will be held on campus April 28-29.

Sponsored by African and African American Studies in Arts & Sciences and the Ford Foundation, the conference will explore issues surrounding legal considerations of linguistic profiling, fair housing, language restriction on the job and racial, sexual and deaf discrimination, among others.

The conference, from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. today and 8:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Sat. in Goldfarb Hall, is organized by John Baugh, Ph.D., chair of African and African American Studies and the Margaret Bush Wilson Professor in Arts & Sciences.

Baugh is a renowned expert on the study of linguistics. His most recent work is on identification of the race of speakers from characteristics of their voices during telephone conversations, a process he termed "linguistic profiling."

Baugh received a Ford Foundation grant while at Stanford University to work on his study of linguistic profiling. The grant was recently renewed and extended until June 2007.

Researchers from around the United States, including two from WUSTL, will speak at the conference.

Steven Gunn, JD, associate professor of law, will present "The Persistence of Racial Discrimination in Housing: Section 8, Steering and Subprime Lending."

Iyabo Osiapem, Ph.D., instructor in African and African-American Studies, will discuss "Caribbean Perspectives: Linguistic Diversity among African Americans."

The conference is free and open to the public. For a full schedule, call 935-5690.