Dr. Lauren Miller received her B.S. in Foreign Language Education with a specialization in Spanish from the University of Oklahoma in 2010, where she also had the opportunity to study abroad three times in Spain, at the Universidad Alcalá de Henares and the Universidad Complutense de Madrid. She then earned both her M.A. and Ph.D. from Purdue University in Spanish Applied Linguistics with a specialization in Spanish as a heritage language and second language acquisition.
Dr. Miller’s current research explores how variables such as age, exposure and structure type affect language acquisition among children and adults. One major project explores Spanish language acquisition and maintenance among Spanish-English bilingual children growing up in the US. Her other main line of research currently explores how an adult learner’s second language affects their first language, especially at the earliest stages of proficiency. She also serves as the Spanish Community Engagement Liaison, connecting students to local volunteer opportunities where students can practice their Spanish.
In her free time, she enjoys working on her podcast, listening to reggaetón music, drinking wine and playing trivia.