Caleb KelleyVisiting Assistant Professor, Spanish

Caleb H. Kelley is a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at Emory University. He earned his Ph.D. in Romance Languages from The University of Alabama in 2024. Dr. Kelley is a sociolinguist and phonetician whose research centers on language variation and change, with a special focus on sociophonetic features that construct and reflect social identities, particularly those related to gender, sexuality, and marginalized communities. His dissertation, titled “Sounding gay and straight in Seville: A variationist perspective on persona and syllable-final /s/ realization," investigated the sociophonetic variation of syllable-final /s/ among LGBTQ+ and non-LGBTQ+ Sevillian Spanish speakers, exploring how frication patterns, segment durations, and sibilant acoustics contribute to the phonetic construction of social personae.

In addition to his research, Dr. Kelley is dedicated to teaching Spanish and has extensive experience designing innovative curricula for language learners. His courses prioritize practical communication skills while also encouraging students to critically examine the intersections of language, identity, and culture. Outside of the classroom, you can often find Dr. Kelley enjoying iced coffee and spending time with his dachshund, Charlie.