Michel DeGraff

Michel DeGraff is a Professor of Linguistics at MIT, where he has been teaching since July 1996.1 He is also the Director of the MIT-Haiti Initiative, a project funded by the National Science Foundation to develop and disseminate active-learning resources and methods for science and mathematics in Haitian Creole.12

Born in Haiti in 1963, DeGraff is a Haitian creolist whose scholarship focuses on Creole studies and the role of language and linguistics in decolonization and liberation.3 He advocates for the recognition of Haitian Creole as a full-fledged language and believes that Haitian children should be taught in their native language at all levels of instruction.3

DeGraff's academic career includes:

• A Ph.D. in Computer Science and Linguistics from the University of Pennsylvania (1986-1992)1
• A post-doctoral fellowship at the Graduate Center of City University of New York (1992-1993)1
• An Assistant Professor position at the University of Michigan (1993-1996)1

In addition to his work at MIT, DeGraff is a founding member of the Haitian Creole Academy.23 His research interests encompass linguistic theory, Creole studies, and the relationship among linguistics, ideology, education, human rights, and development.2

DeGraff has received significant recognition for his work, including a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation in 2012 to introduce online Creole language materials in STEM teaching in Haiti.3 In 2022, he was elected as a fellow of the Linguistic Society of America.3