Biography
I am Professor of Language and Communication at the University of Bern, Switzerland where I am also an affiliate professor in the Center for the Study of Language & Society. I am an Associate Researcher in the Wits Centre for Diversity Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa and the 2026 Ander Visiting Professor in Geomedia Studies at Karlstad University, Sweden.
Before moving to Switzerland in 2014, I was Full Professor at the University of Washington in the USA, having spent three years in the School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences and eight years in the Department of Communication. During this time, I also held adjunct appointments in Linguistics and in Anthropology. Prior to working in the USA, I had been a lecturer for three years in the Centre for Language & Communication Research at Cardiff University in Wales.
My earlier academic background was in social and applied psychology. Having started out at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa (1985-1990), I was eventually registered as an academic psychologist with the British Psychological Society. I have a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and Marketing, an Honours degree in Clinical Psychology and a Masters degree in Educational Psychology. I also have a background in the theatre, having trained for two years as an actor at The Poor School in London (1990-1992) and having qualified as a teacher of Speech & Drama through Trinity College London (Licentiate diploma, 1985-1989). After several years of travelling and working at various jobs in London (including a stint at the British Council), I returned to academia, completing another masters degree - in Communication Studies at Sheffield Hallam University in England (1995-1996) - followed by my doctorate in Language and Communication at Cardiff University, Wales (1997-2001).