Research Interests

• Statistical natural language processing
• Computer-assisted language learning
• Computer science pedagogy

Education

• PhD in natural language processing, University of Groningen, The Netherlands
• MPhil in linguistics, Trinity College, Ireland
• BA in English literature, University of Washington

Biography

Tony Mullen received his PhD from the University of Groningen, where he worked on applying machine learning techniques to syntactic parsing of human language. He holds an master’s in linguistics from Trinity College, Dublin and a bachelor’s in English literature from the University of Washington. He carried out postdoctoral research in named-entity extraction for biomedical texts at the National Institute of Informatics in Tokyo. Since 2005, he has been a faculty member in computer science departments, first at Tsuda College, Tokyo and then at the University of Puget Sound before coming to Northeastern. He has written several books on 3D graphics software and related subjects.

About Tony

Where did you grow up or spend your most defining years?

Vashon, Washington

What is your research focus? Is your current research path what you always had in mind for yourself, or has it evolved?

My research has mainly been in the fields of machine learning for natural language processing and in computer-assisted language learning. In NLP, my research has focused specifically on statistical parsing, named entity recognition, and sentiment analysis. In CALL, my research has focused on the development of virtual environments to facilitate language learning.

What courses/subjects do you teach?

I teach web development, programming, and computer graphics.

What do you find most rewarding about what you teach?

I have taught many subjects in many environments, and to students with a wide variety of nationalities, interests, and aptitudes. Whatever their background, it is a pleasure to work with students who are curious and eager to learn.

Where did you study?

I did my master’s degree in Ireland and my PhD in The Netherlands. I carried out postdoctoral research and a decade of university teaching in Japan. I have always valued international experience as a means of broadening my perspective.

What are the specifics of your industry experience?

I have worked as a software engineer in the logistics industry in Seattle and as a software/UX designer in digital media in Tokyo.