Lee-Ann Vidal Covas

Lee-Ann Vidal Covas

Language Scientist (PhD, Boston University) with expertise in sociolinguistic research, dataset curation, and applied data science.

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Experience

Doctoral Researcher | Project & Lab Manager

Boston University

  • Trained 10+ student researchers and developed reusable R & Praat workflows that automated dataset updates, reduced manual processing, and improved data quality & workflow consistency across multiple speech datasets.
  • Led all aspects of a multi-year research project on covariation & salience in linguistic contact; developed annotation guidelines to label the data for 12 properties and built reproducible R pipelines to clean & analyze 20k+ data points with mixed-effects modeling, resulting in 1 monograph, 1 paper, and 8 presentations.
  • Developed and implemented an online experimental study on word order preference in Spanish; recruited participants via Prolific, hosted the study in Qualtrics, wrote design documents & guidelines, and analyzed results using linear & logistic mixed-effects models in R, resulting in 1 paper & 2 presentations.
  • Co-organized conference (~1,000 participants), successfully transitioning the international event to virtual format during COVID-19. Oversaw talk selection & programming. Supported publication of proceedings.

Data Annotator | Machine Learning Annotation

Cogito Corporation

  • Produced high-quality annotated speech datasets to support ML model training.
  • Labeled conversational audio (engagement, energy, pace), boosting model calibration.
  • Evaluated pre-trained models & provided actionable feedback, boosting accuracy.
  • Suggested workflow improvements, reducing annotation turnaround time.
View portfolio

Secondary Spanish & Technology Educator

Academy of the Sacred Heart

  • Developed & implemented a technology curriculum for middle school students, teaching digital literacy, typing basics, and responsible online behavior.

Secondary Spanish & Technology Educator

St. Joseph’s Academy

  • Automated assessments by coding self-grading grammar quizzes, improving feedback speed & freeing class time for project-based learning.
  • Implemented onboarding workshops for 250+ incoming high school students per year, guiding digital setup & proficiency in Microsoft Office & school platforms.
  • Leveraged instructional technology to streamline lesson delivery, enhance student engagement, & modernize evaluation processes.
  • Planned & led multiple international immersion programs for 40+ students, ensuring safety, cultural exchange, & logistical coordination.
  • Organized statewide Spanish conferences with 200+ participants annually, raising interest in Spanish learning across Louisiana schools.
  • Moderated extracurricular programs, expanding student engagement opportunities & leading teams to national-level competitions.

Graduate Researcher | Project Manager | Spanish Instructor

Louisiana State University

  • Conducted sociolinguistic fieldwork in Puerto Rico & Louisiana, collecting & analyzing speech data to investigate variable subject pronoun use in Puerto Rican Spanish; resulting in 1 paper & 8 presentations.
  • Developed and taught multiple courses in Spanish; designed curricula, lecture notes, assignments, and assessments for >500 enrolled students.

Administrative Coordinator | Office & Production Manager

Communications on Hold

  • Oversaw daily office operations ensuring efficient workflows & project delivery.
  • Managed billing, AP/AR, & QuickBooks reporting, improving financial accuracy.
  • Copyedited client scripts for clarity & brand consistency before production.
  • Streamlined content delivery, cut turnaround time & boosted client retention.
  • Served as main client contact, building relationships & resolving issues promptly.

Education

PhD Linguistics

Boston University

Dissertation: Covariation & Salience in Linguistic Contact: A Sociophonetic Study of Liquid Variation in Spanish in Boston

MA Linguistics

Boston University

MA in Hispanic Studies & Linguistics

Louisiana State University

Thesis: El uso variable de los pronombres sujetos en el castellano puertorriqueño hablado en Luisiana y Puerto Rico

BA in Hispanic Studies & Literatures

Louisiana State University

Technical Toolkit
Data & Analysis
R
Python
Regex
Excel / Google Sheets
Linguistic & Research Tools
Praat
ELAN
LaTeX
Overleaf
Workflow & Version Control
Git
GitHub
Bash / Terminal
Web & Documentation
HTML
Markdown
HugoBlox
Research Platforms
Qualtrics
Prolific
Research & Professional Skills
Data Science & Research
Statistical Analysis
Experiment Design
Data Creation & Sampling
Data Cleaning
Data Visualization
QA & Annotation
Quality Assurance (QA)
Data Labeling
Guideline Creation
Linguistic Data Analysis
Automated Data Extraction
Research & Project Leadership
Project & Team Management
Strategic Thinking
Problem Solving
Interdisciplinary Collaboration
Event Coordination
Communication
Academic Writing
Conference Presentations
Grant Proposals
Stakeholder Communication
Languages
100%
English Native
100%
Spanish Native
40%
Brazilian Portuguese Basic
Awards
Teaching Award
Saint Joseph's Academy ∙ May 2019
Student-nominated recognition acknowledging positive academic and personal impact
Outstanding Graduate Presentation
Universidad de Puerto Rico - Río Piedras ∙ April 2013
Awarded for outstanding conference presentation on sociolinguistic research at the 2nd Graduate Symposium