Please join us in congratulating UMass alum Andries Coetzee for being named the Judith T. Irvine Collegiate Professor of Linguistics at the University of Michigan.

Professor Coetzee graduated the UMass Linguistics PhD program in 2004, and he joined the University of Michigan Department of Linguistics in the same year. From his own message on Facebook announcing this honor:

“As I start my 21st year as a professor at University of Michigan, it will be as the Judith T. Irvine Collegiate Professor of Linguistics. Being named as a collegiate professor is a recognition that Michigan bestows on senior faculty for sustained contributions across all aspects of the profession. But here is what makes it particularly interesting and special: When awarded a collegiate professorship, you get to name it after a former Michigan faculty member. I chose Judy Irvine to name my professorship after. Judy is a leading thinker of 20th century linguistic anthropology. But more important to me personally, she has done significant work on the linguistic ecology of Africa, and has given African languages a prominent place at Michigan, in the US, and beyond. Judy has even done important work on South African languages. It is an honor to have her and my names connected for the rest of my career. I hope that I can continue Judy’s work of making Africa (and South Africa in particular) more visible and present on our campus and in US academia.”

Congratulations, Andries!