Executive Committee

The role of the IASCL Executive Committee is to run our Association. There are 11 ex-officio members and 15 elected members. 

First off, more than half of the ex-officio members are part of the Board. They do the "daily" work, so to speak. The immediate Past President is also an ex-officio member (post held by Annick De Houwer, 2024-2027). The Child Language Bulletin editor, appointed by the President, likewise is an ex-officio member. The editors of the IASCL-affiliated journals First Language and the Journal of Child Language are the last 3 ex-officio members (currently, respectively: Chloe Marshall, Elma Blom, and Melanie Soderstrom). 

The Board is helped by 15 elected members. These elected members are the pool of possible members for the working Committees of IASCL. These include the following committees:

  • Nominating and Appointing Committee (chaired by an elected member appointed by the President): responsible for the preparation of the ratification of new Board Members and for the election of new Executive Committee members

  • Roger Brown Committee (chaired by the President): responsible for eliciting nominations for and selecting the winner of the Roger Brown Award 

  • Early Career Award Committee (chaired by the Vice President): responsible for eliciting nominations for and selecting the winner of the Early Career Award

  • Travel Award Committee (chaired by the President): responsible for soliciting applications for and selecting recipients of Travel Awards to attend the tri-annual IASCL Congress

Additional Committees may be formed as needed.  

Apart from serving on a working Committee, elected members may be asked to vote on a range of issues in the three years between Business Meetings. Any member of the Executive Committee can ask for an issue to be voted on, but only elected members have voting privileges. At the initiative of the Nominating and Appointing Committee, elected Executive Committee members play an important role in deciding which nominations for Board members are put forward for ratification by the membership.

The elected members of the Executive Committee for the period 2024-2027 are:

  • Eva Aguilar-Mediavilla

    Spain
    2024-2030

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  • Alejandra Auza

    Mexico
    2024-2030

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  • Elena Babatsouli

    United States
    2024-2030

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  • Daniela Gatt

    Malta
    2021-2027

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  • Natalia Meir

    Israel
    2024-2030

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  • Celia Rosemberg

    Argentina
    2021-2027

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  • Meredith Rowe

    United States
    2021-2027

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  • Alessandra Sansavini

    Italy
    2024-2030

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  • Sabine Stoll

    Switzerland
    2021-2027

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  • He Sun

    Singapore
    2024-2030

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  • Mele Taumoepeau

    New Zealand
    2021-2027

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  • Sharon Unsworth

    the Netherlands
    2024-2030

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  • Katie Von Holzen

    Germany
    2024-2030

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  • Marleen Westerveld

    Australia
    2024-2030

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  • Gillian (Jill) Wigglesworth

    Australia
    2021-2027

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Past Elected Executive Committee Members

  • Time of service: 2021 - 2027

    • Daniela Gatt, University of Malta (Malta)

    • Celia Rosemberg, National Science & Technology Research Council (Argentina)

    • Meredith Rowe, Harvard University (United States)

    • Sabine Stoll, University of Zurich (Switzerland)

    • Mele Taumoepeau, Victoria University Wellington (New Zealand)

    • Gillian Wigglesworth, University of Melbourne (Australia)

    Time of service: 2024 - 2030

    • Eva Aguilar-Mediavilla, University of the Balearic Islands (Spain)

    • Alejandra Auza, Hospital General Dr Manuel Gea Gonzalez (Mexico)

    • Elena Babatsouli, University of Louisiana at Lafayette (United States)

    • Natalia Meir, Bar-Ilan University (Israel)

    • Alessandra Sansavini, University of Bologna (Italy)

    • He (Sabrina) Sun, Nanyang Technological University (Singapore)

    • Sharon Unsworth, Radboud University (the Netherlands)

    • Katie Von Holzen, Technische Universität Braunschweig (Germany)

    • Marleen Westerveld, Griffith University (Australia)

  • Time of service: 2017 - 2024

    • Reili Argus, Tallinn University (Estonia)

    • Sharon Armon-Lotem, Bar Ilan University (Israel)

    • Laura Bosch, Universitat de Barcelona (Spain)

      Patricia Brooks, The City University of New York (United States)

    • Lourdes de Léon, Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios Superiores en Antropología Social (Mexico)

    • Yuki Hirose, University of Tokyo (Japan)

    • Aliyah Morgenstern, Université Sorbonne Nouvelle (France)

    • Ciara O'Toole, University College Cork (Ireland)

    • Filip Smolik, Czech Academy of Sciences (Czech Republic)

    Time of service: 2021 - 2027

    • Daniela Gatt, University of Malta (Malta)

    • Celia Rosemberg, National Science & Technology Research Council (Argentina)

    • Meredith Rowe, Harvard University (United States)

    • Sabine Stoll, University of Zurich (Switzerland)

    • Mele Taumoepeau, Victoria University Wellington (New Zealand)

    • Gillian Wigglesworth, University of Melbourne (Australia)

  • Time of service: 2014 – 2021

    • Dorthe Bleses (Denmark)

    • Christopher Fennell (Canada)

    • Natalia Gagarina (Germany)

    • Tina Hickey (Ireland)

    • Sophie Kern (France)

    • Courtenay Norbury (United Kingdom)

    • Hrafnhildur Ragnarsdottir (Iceland)

    • Elena Tribushinina (The Netherlands)

     Time of service: 2017 - 2024

    • Reili Argus (Estonia)

    • Sharon Armon-Lotem (Israel)

    • Laura Bosch (Spain)

    • Patricia Brooks (USA)

    • Lourdes de Léon (Mexico)

    • Paula Fikkert (The Netherlands)

    • Yuki Hirose (Japan)

    • Aliya Morgenstern (France)

    • Ciara O'Toole (Ireland)

  • Time of service: 2011 – 2017

    • Virginia Mueller Gathercole (USA)

    • Ewa Haman, (Poland)

    • Maya Hickmann (France)

    • Erika Hoff (USA)

    • Mutsumi Imai (Japan)

    • Anat Ninio (Israel)

    • Susana Lopez Ornat (Spain)

    • Barbara Blaha Pfeiler (Mexico)

    • Sharon Unsworth (The Netherlands)

    • Marilyn Vihman (UK)

    • Virginia Volterra (Italy)

    • Marit Westergaard (Norway)

    Time of service: 2014 - 2021

    • Dorthe Bleses (Denmark)

    • Christopher Fennell (Canada)

    • Natalia Gagarina (Germany)

    • Tina Hickey (Ireland)

    • Sophie Kern (France)

    • Courtenay Norbury (United Kingdom)

    • Hrafnhildur Ragnarsdottir (Iceland)

    • Elena Tribushinina (The Netherlands)

  • Time of service: 2008 – 2014

    • Anne Baker (Netherlands)

    • Annick DeHouwer (Germany)

    • Katherine Demuth (USA)

    • Aylin Kuntay (Turkey)

    • Anat Ninio (Israel)

    • Susana Lopez Ornat (Spain)

    • Edy Veneziano (France)

    • Marilyn Vihman (UK)

    Time of service: 2011 - 2017

    • Virginia Mueller Gathercole (USA)

    • Ewa Haman, (Poland)

    • Maya Hickmann (France)

    • Erika Hoff (USA)

    • Mutsumi Imai (Japan)

    • Anat Ninio (Israel)

    • Susana Lopez Ornat (Spain)

    • Barbara Blaha Pfeiler (Mexico)

    • Sharon Unsworth (The Netherlands)

    • Marilyn Vihman (UK)

    • Virginia Volterra (Italy)

    • Marit Westergaard (Norway)

  • Time of service: 2005 - 2011

    • Dominique Bassano (France)

    • Barbara Bokus (Poland)

    • Nancy Budwig (USA)

    • Esther Dromi (Israel)

    • Fred Genesee (Canada)

    • Donna Jackson-Maldonado (Mexico)

    • Hiroko Kasuya (Japan)

    • Gisela Klann-Delius (Germany)

    • Jürgen M. Meisel (Germany)

    • Gary Morgan (UK)

    • Ulrika Nettelbladt (Sweden)

    • Irina Ovchinnikova (Iceland)

    • Eugenia Sebastián (Spain)

    Time of service: 2008 – 2014

    • Anne Baker (Netherlands)

    • Annick DeHouwer (Germany)

    • Katherine Demuth (USA)

    • Aylin Kuntay (Turkey)

    • Anat Ninio (Israel)

    • Susana Lopez Ornat (Spain)

    • Edy Veneziano (France)

    • Marilyn Vihman (UK)

  • Time of service: 2002 - 2008

    Our records of the members serving during this time period are incomplete.

    • Miguel Perez-Pereira (Spain)

    Time of service: 2005 - 2011

    • Dominique Bassano (France)

    • Barbara Bokus (Poland)

    • Nancy Budwig (USA)

    • Esther Dromi (Israel)

    • Fred Genesee (Canada)

    • Donna Jackson-Maldonado (Mexico)

    • Hiroko Kasuya (Japan)

    • Gisela Klann-Delius (Germany)

    • Jürgen M. Meisel (Germany)

    • Gary Morgan (UK)

    • Ulrika Nettelbladt (Sweden)

    • Irina Ovchinnikova (Iceland)

    • Eugenia Sebastián (Spain)

  • Time of service: 1999- 2005

    Our records of the members serving during this time period are incomplete.

    Time of service: 2002- 2008

    Our records of the members serving during this time period are incomplete.

  • Time of service: 1996- 2002

    • Shanley Allen (the Netherlands)

    • Kim Plunkett (UK)

    • Cecelia Rojas Nieto (Mexico)

    • Sven Stromqvist (Norway)

    Time of service: 1999- 2005

    Our records of the members serving during this time period are incomplete.

  • Time of service: 1996- 2002

    • Shanley Allen (the Netherlands)

    • Kim Plunkett (UK)

    • Cecelia Rojas Nieto (Mexico)

    • Sven Stromqvist (Norway)

    Time of service: 1993 – 1999

    • Tatiana Akhutina (U.S.S.R.)

    • Martyn Barrett (UK)

    • Edith Bavin (Australia)

    • Steven Gillis/Annick DeHouwer (shared position, Belgium)

    • Brian MacWhinney (USA)

    • Kerstin Naucler (Sweden)

    • Zita Reger (Hungary)

    • Judy Reilly (USA)

    • Svenka Savic (Yugoslavia)

    • Magdalena Smoczyynska (Poland)

    • Susan Suzman (South Africa)

  • Time of service: 1990 – 1996

    • Gina Conti-Ramsden (USA)

    • Philip Dale (USA)

    • Els Oksaar (West Germany)

    • Leonor Schiar-Cabral (Brazil)

    • Miguel Siguan (Spain)

    Time of service: 1993 – 1999

    • Tatiana Akhutina (U.S.S.R.)

    • Martyn Barrett (UK)

    • Edith Bavin (Australia)

    • Steven Gillis/Annick DeHouwer (shared position, Belgium)

    • Brian MacWhinney (USA)

    • Kerstin Naucler (Sweden)

    • Zita Reger (Hungary)

    • Judy Reilly (USA)

    • Svenka Savic (Yugoslavia)

    • Magdalena Smoczyynska (Poland)

    • Susan Suzman (South Africa)

  • Time of service: 1987 – 1993

    • Ruth Berman (Israel)

    • Richard Cromer (UK)

    • Stan Kuczaj (USA)

    • Kieth Nelson (USA)

    • Jan Vorster (South Africa)

    Time of service: 1990 – 1996

    • Gina Conti-Ramsden (USA)

    • Philip Dale (USA)

    • Els Oksaar (West Germany)

    • Leonor Schiar-Cabral (Brazil)

    • Miguel Siguan (Spain)

  • Time of service: 1984 – 1990

    • Toni Cross (Australia)

    • John Gilbert (Canada)

    • David Ingram (Canada)

    • Grace Shugar (Poland)

    • Carol Thew (Canada)

    Time of service: 1987 – 1993

    • Ruth Berman (Israel)

    • Richard Cromer (UK)

    • Stan Kuczaj (USA)

    • Kieth Nelson (USA)

    • Jan Vorster (South Africa)

  • Time of service: 1984 – 1990

    • Toni Cross (Australia)

    • John Gilbert (Canada)

    • David Ingram (Canada)

    • Grace Shugar (Poland)

    • Carol Thew (Canada)

Call for Nominations for IASCL Executive Committee Members

The IASCL Nominating & Appointing Committee seeks nominations for six elected member positions on the IASCL Executive Committee, to replace the six outgoing members. The positions to be filled are tenable for six years (2027-2033). For more details, see Relevant Information below.

How to Nominate

Nominations MUST include:

  • Email address of the nominee

  • Country in which that person is located

  • A brief statement of his/her qualifications for membership on the Executive Committee including areas of child language research, involvement in the child language community, previous involvement in IASCL (if any), and previous relevant administrative experience (if any)

  • Evidence of his/her agreement (signature or email correspondence)- Signature/details of the nominator who must be or become an IASCL member

Nominations should be communicated in writing via email to elena.babatsouli@louisiana.edu by February 1, 2027 at midnight anywhere on the planet. The Nominating and Appointing Committee will finalize the list of nominees in April 2027. IASCL members will then be invited to vote online for their chosen candidates (no later than May 15, 2027). The new appointments to the Executive Committee will be ratified at the 2027 IASCL Business Meeting in São Paolo.

We look forward to hearing from you on this important aspect of continuing the work of IASCL.

Elena Babatsouli (Chair), Alexandra Auza & Sharon Unsworth (IASCL Nominating & Appointing Committee)