Awardee: Michael Diercks is a linguist who studies languages of East Africa. He specializes in areas of syntax and morphology, investigating the possible cognitive structures that human language can take. His Hahn project was typesetting a syntax textbook that will be made available Open Access online, and is already in use for courses at Pomona College.
Title: Open Access Syntax Textbook
Goal: Michael’s project goal aims to address the issue of equitable access to textbooks in higher education by creating an Open Access textbook in syntax, Michael’s sub-field within linguistics. The project aims to convert a existing textbook drafts into LaTeX format for proper typesetting which will then allow for the publication and distribution through the library’s Pressbooks platform. This Open Access textbook will be used in his courses at Pomona College while also being freely accessible to all students, the public, and scholars worldwide.