Robert Fiorentino
Assistant Professor
Dept. of Linguistics
University of Kansas
421 Blake Hall
1541 Lilac Lane
Lawrence, KS 66044
Phone: (785) 864-4091
fiorentino
AT ku DOT edu

Lab Website

 


My research concerns the basic nature of linguistic representations and the operations they undergo, with a major focus on how these ingredients of language are neurally implemented and recruited in real-time processing.  I address these issues primarily using psycholinguistic and neurolinguistic research methods, with an emphasis on the application of brain imaging techniques such as MEG, EEG, and fMRI to linguistic research. My primary languages of research are English and Japanese.

 

Education

 

 

    2001-2006 Ph.D., Department of Linguistics, University of Maryland, College Park
    Dissertation: Lexical Structure and the Nature of Linguistic Representations

    1998-2001 Part-time Student, Department of Psychology, San Francisco State University

    1991-1995 B.A., Department of English, Boston College

 

Extramural Funding

 

 

    Fiorentino, R. NIH/NIDCD. Timing and neural bases of complex word recognition: electrophysiological studies.

    Fiorentino, R. General Research Fund, University of Kansas. The Processing of Japanese Spoken Compounds: A Cross-method Approach.

    Fiorentino, R. New Faculty General Research Fund, KU. ERP Investigation of Word Structure in Language Processing.

    Fiorentino, R. Processing Japanese NPs: Incrementality and Functional Organization. National Science Foundation, EAPSI Grant #0513253.

 

Courses

 

 

    2008

    Seminar in Neurolinguistics (LING492/910, KU), Spring
    Introductory Linguistics, Honors (LING107, KU), Spring

    2007

    Introduction to Neurolinguistics (LING438/738, KU), Fall
    Brain Bases of Language (LING492/791, KU), Spring
    Introductory Linguistics, Honors (LING107, KU), Fall/Spring

    2006

    Psycholinguistics of Word and Sentence (LING492/791, KU), Fall
    Introductory Linguistics, Honors (LING107, KU), Fall

    2005

    Seminar in Psycholinguistics (LING499, UMD), Fall
    Introduction to Linguistics, Teaching Assistant (LING200, UMD
    ), Spring

    2002

    Introduction to Linguistics, Teaching Assistant (LING200, UMD), Fall
    Introduction to Linguistics, Guest Lecturer (LING200, UMD), Fall

 

Publications

 

 

    Monahan, P., Fiorentino, R., and Poeppel, D. (2008). Masked repetition priming using magnetoencephalography. Brain and Language, 106, 65-71.

    Fiorentino, R. and Fund-Reznicek, E. (2008). “Effects of constituency on the processing of lexicalized and novel compound words”. In B. C. Love, K. McRae, & V. M. Sloutsky (Eds.), Proceedings of the 30th Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society (p. 201). Austin, TX: Cognitive Science Society.

    Fiorentino, R. and Poeppel, D. (2007a). Compound words and structure in the lexicon. Language and Cognitive Processes, 12, 953-1000.

    Fiorentino, R. and Poeppel, D. (2007b). Processing of compound words: An MEG study. Brain and Language, 103, 18-19.

    Fiorentino, R. (2006). Unexpected pair-list readings in plural indefinites: a new generalization. In Rebecca T. Cover and Yuni Kim, (eds.) Proceedings of the 31st Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society, 121-132. Ann Arbor, MI: Sheridan Books.

    Fiorentino, R. (2006). Plural indefinites and unexpected pair-list readings. U. Penn Working Papers in Linguistics, 12, 69-82.

    Beretta, A., Fiorentino, R., and Poeppel, D. (2005). The effects of homonymy and polysemy on lexical access: an MEG study. Cognitive Brain Research, 24, 57-65.

    Fiorentino, R. and Poeppel, D. (2004). Decomposition of compound words: an MEG measure of early access to constituents. In Richard Alterman and David Kirsch (eds.) Proceedings of the 25th Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society, 1342. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

 

Conference Presentations

 

 

    Fiorentino, R. “Identifying the ‘parts list and process’ of complex word recognition: A cognitive neuroscience approach”. Presentation, Theoretical & Experimental Neuropsychology (TENNET) Conference. (June, 2009).

    Aldwayan, S., Fiorentino, R., and Gabriele, A. “Processing wh- movement in L2 English: Evidence for syntactic constraints”. Presentation, Second Language Processing and Parsing: State of the Science Conference (May, 2009).

    Aldwayan, S., Fiorentino, R., and Gabriele, A. “Using syntactic constraints in the acquisition and processing of wh-movement: A study of Najdi Arabic learners of English”. Presentation, GASLA-10: 10th Generative Approaches to Second Language Acquisition Conference (March, 2009).

    Fiorentino, R. and Fund-Reznicek, E. “Effects of constituency on the processing of lexicalized and novel compound words”. Poster Presentation, Cognitive Science Society Annual Meeting (July, 2008).

    Fiorentino, R. and Poeppel, D. “Processing of compound words: An MEG study”. Invited Talk, 45th Annual Meeting of the Academy of Aphasia (October, 2007).

    Monahan, P., Fiorentino, R., and Poeppel, D. “Spectrotemporal analysis of immediate repetition priming using MEG.” Poster Presentation, 15th International Conference on Biomagnetism (August, 2006).

    Sakai, H., Miyatani, M., Tanaka, J., Yoshimura, M., Maruishi, M., Muranaka, H., Fiorentino, R., and Poeppel, D. (2006). “Cortical Structures for Compound Processing in Auditory Language Comprehension: An fMRI Investigation.” Poster Presentation, KIT International Symposium on Brain and Language (March, 2006).

    Sakai, H., Yoshimura, M., Tanaka, J., Fiorentino, R., and Kazanina, N. “Online processing of allomorphic alternation in compound words.” Poster Presentation, Annual Meeting of the Linguistic Society of Japan (November, 2005).

    Fiorentino, R. "Masked priming of compound constituents: Implications for morphological decomposition." Presentation, 11th AMLaP conference (September, 2005).

    Fiorentino, R. "Psycholinguistic and neurolinguistic approach to the investigation of word structure." Invited talk, CBL Summer Seminar, ZAO, Japan (August, 2005).

    Fiorentino, R. "Plural indefinites and unexpected pair-list readings." Presentation, 29th Penn Linguistics Colloquium (February, 2005).

    Fiorentino, R. "Unexpected pair-list readings in plural indefinites." Presentation, 31st Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society (February, 2005).

    Fiorentino, R. & Poeppel, D. "Compound words and structure in the lexicon." Poster Presentation, BIOMAG: 14th International Conference on Biomagnetism (April, 2004).

    Beretta, A., Fiorentino, R., and Poeppel, D. "The effects of homonymy and polysemy on lexical access: an MEG study." Poster Presentation, 11th Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Neuroscience Society (April, 2004).

    Fiorentino, R. & Poeppel, D. "MEG evidence for early decomposition of compound words." Presentation, EPIC XIV: The Evoked Potentials International Conference XIV (March, 2004).

    Fiorentino, R. & Poeppel, D. "MEG investigation of decomposition in English noun-noun compounds." Invited talk, KIT 3rd International Symposium on Brain and Language (December, 2003).

    Fiorentino, R. & Poeppel, D. "Morphosyntactic and semantic information in building Noun Phrase structure." Poster Presentation, KIT 3rd International Symposium on Brain and Language (December, 2003).

    Fiorentino, R. & Poeppel, D. "MEG investigation of phrase structure building in noun phrases." Poster Presentation, 2003 Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience (November, 2003).

    Ozawa, K., Fiorentino, R. & Poeppel, D. "Lexical Frequency and the M350 MEG Response." Poster Presentation, 2003 Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience (November, 2003).

    Fiorentino, R. & Poeppel, D. "Decomposition of compound words: an MEG measure of early access to constituents." Poster Presentation, 25th Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society (July, 2003).

    Fiorentino, R. & Poeppel, D. "Two routes to phrase structure building: self-paced reading evidence and
    neurolinguistic implications." Poster Presentation, 10th Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Neuroscience Society (March, 2003).

    Fiorentino, R. "Word recognition in words and phrases." Invited talk, MIT Workshop on MEG Methods and Analysis (January, 2003).