Troy Cox accepts position as coordinator of the newly established Language Sciences Laboratory.
Associate Professor Troy Cox (Language Learning and Assessment) recently accepted the role of coordinator of the new Language Sciences Laboratory in the Joseph F. Smith Building.
The lab will serve as the principal site for language science research at BYU. Cox says, “We've had faculty doing research at the College for a long time, but it's been in different locations. Now we're going to have everything in a centralized location, which should make it easier for faculty to coordinate with each other to do research into the language sciences.”
Among the different types of language science research, the lab will house eye tracking tests, which determine how participants interact with written texts by detecting eye movement patterns while they read, and EEG (electroencephalogram) tests, which measure electrical activity in the brain.
The lab can also facilitate six oral proficiency tests at a time. Cox says, “I do a lot of research with oral proficiency, which is the real-world use of language. I think it's going to be fascinating to see what we can do to help students that are learning languages make a connection between what they do in the classroom and how they can use the language when they leave BYU.”
Students will also have the opportunity to participate in the lab through mentored projects that align with faculty research interests. Cox hopes that it will be a launching point to help students get into graduate programs and do further research, and he looks forward to working more with both students and faculty in all of the language departments to help them with their academic endeavors.
Visit the new Language Sciences Laboratory at B161 and B163 in the JFSB.