Ceremony Program
Class of 2022 List

Keynote Speaker

Kamil Deen

Professor in Linguistics at University of Hawaii at Manoa

Kamil Deen is currently a Professor in the Department of Linguistics at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, researching and teaching on child language acquisition. Born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya, Professor Deen came to UCLA as a freshman intending to study economics and business administration. He discovered linguistics in his second year, and eventually declared himself a Linguistics major. His BA in linguistics opened many doors, but he took the academic route, obtaining an EdM from Harvard University in 1995 and then a return to his alma mater to receive his PhD in 2002. He has received numerous teaching and research awards, and has held a number of research grants over the 20 years of his time at the University of Hawaii. He credits much of his success to the outstanding education in linguistics he received at his beloved UCLA.

Undergraduate Student Speaker

Joan Kim

Joan Kim is a second-year transfer student from Saddleback College. She is graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Applied Linguistics and she hopes to be a Speech Pathologist one day. She found her calling to Speech Pathology after taking care of her grandmother who had suffered from multiple strokes. When she is not doing school work, she likes to spend time with her friends and loved ones. She particularly likes beach walks with her dog who she rescued during her time in Korea during Fall 2020!

A Message from Our Chair

Dear 2022 Linguistics Grads,

Let me offer, on behalf of your Linguistics Department, my sincere congratulations for receiving your UCLA degree. We offer a very challenging program, and you have met our expectations! We wish you the very best for the future, wherever your interests and your degree lead you.

The faculty, TAs, and staff are thrilled that this year we are able to offer you and your families an on-campus, in-person commemorative event. In fact, we will be having our first-ever Royce Hall Commencement ceremony, with as much pomp, circumstance, and joy as possible. I hope to see all of you, and your families, at this historic event for UCLA Linguistics!

Do keep in touch with us, especially if life takes you in unexpected directions. You know by now that the top question a linguistics major gets asked is, “What can you do with linguistics?”, and we rely on our alums to keep us informed about the many possible answers to that question. We would be delighted to hear yours!

 With very best wishes,

 Pat Keating

Distinguished Professor and Chair