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PROFESSIONAL FOCUS

I am a data scientist with wide expertise in data processing, machine learning, and statistical modelling. My work focused on the analysis of complex data applied to speech research and policy making. I make strong use of programming languages, mainly R, to create effective and accurate processes for data extraction, analysis and visualisation.

EDUCATION

TECHNICAL EXPERTISE

PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES

R, Shiny (java web-based apps), SAS, Python, SQL, Praat, and MatLab, in order of proficiency

MACHINE LEARNING AND ALGORITHMS

Design of new models and algorithms for machine learning projects

DATA MODELLING AND EVALUATION

Data analysis and interpretation

SIGNAL PROCESSING TECHNIQUES

Speech and text processing for analysis

CORPORA & DATA SETS

Creation and maintenance of corpora and data sets

NATURAL LANGUAGE PROCESSING

Entity, organisation and location recognition, text processing and classification

SPEECH DATA MODELLING

Acoustic and statistical modelling of speech data, dynamic vowel modelling

FORCED-ALIGNMENT

Automatic alignment of audio and transcription files; Implementation, testing, and enhancing of forced-alignment at the word and phonemic level

ACOUSTIC PHONETICS

Signal processing, visualization and analysis of speech data, waveform and spectrogram analysis, acoustic-articulatory correlates

SOCIO-PHONETICS

Data collection, data annotation, data analysis, phonetic variation, speaker variability, intra-speaker variation

LABORATORY PHONOLOGY

Tongue ultrasound analysis, articulatory phonology, English coronal obstruents

WEB-APPS DEVELOPED

Awarded Three Honourable Mentions in the GovHack 2021 Competition

Finance HUB

2021PRESENT

Real-time and accurate finance data (Stocks, Forex and Crypto)

Easy Journal

2021PRESENT

Where searching news articles is made simple

Succer Hub

2021PRESENT

A small visualisation hub for great soccer matches.

TTCOVID19AU

20202020

Twitter Tracker of COVID19 in Australia

Vowel Map

2018PRESENT

Visualisation of acoustic data using networks

WORK EXPERIENCE

Research Officer

Implementing Machine Learning Algorithms to assist in program policy making

Creating statistical models for analysis in evidential analysis

Assisting in the implementation of advanced computational tools in program research

Research Officer and Casual Academic

Building the main R Shiny App for analysis

Applying Natural Language Processing to text and audio files

Managing Large Speech Corpus

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Writing R algorithms and packages to facilitate annotation, analysis, and output of conversational natural speech

Developing computational analysis tools to assist research on large speech corpora

Research Assistant

Building solid methods for delivering high-quality, cost-efficient programming solutions and tools for acoustic analysis.

Creating and managing of online applications for data analysis and presentation.

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

PUBLICATIONS

Simon Gonzalez

To Appear2021

Gridlines approach for dynamic analysis in speech ultrasound data: a multimodal app

Journal of the Association for Laboratory Phonology

Grama, James, Catherine E. Travis, & Simon Gonzalez

Accepted2021

Ethnolectal variation ov(er) time: A real-time study of word-final (er) in Australian English

Australian Journal of Linguistics

Grama, James, Catherine E. Travis, & Simon Gonzalez

To Appear

Ethnic variation in real time: Change in Australian English diphthongs

Tenth International Conference on Language Variation in Europe (ICLaVE 10)

Gonzalez, Simon, JamesGrama, & Catherine E. Travis

2020

Comparing the performance of major forced aligners used in sociophonetic research

Linguistics Vanguard

Barth, Danielle, James Grama, Simon Gonzalez, & Catherine E. Travis

2020

Opening the door to forced alignment for minority languages

University of Pennsylvania Working Papers in Linguistics

Oliver Niebuhr, Simon Gonzalez

2019

Do Sound Segments Contribute to Sounding Charismatic? Evidence from a Case Study of Steve Jobs’ and Mark Zuckerberg’s Vowel Spaces

International Journal of Acoustics and Variation

Gerard Docherty, Simon Gonzalez, Nathaniel Mitchell & Paul Foulkes

2019

An acoustic analysis of short front vowel realizations in the conversational style of young English speakers from Western Australia

ICPhS 2019, Melbourne, Australia

James Grama, Catherine Travis & Simon Gonzalez

2019

Initiation, progression, and conditioning of the short-front vowel shift in Australia

ICPhS 2019, Melbourne, Australia

Chloè Diskin, Debbie Loakes, Rosey Billington, Hywel Stoakes, Simon Gonzalez & Sam Kirkham

2019

The /el/-/ael/ merger in Australian English: Acoustic and articulatory insights

ICPhS 2019, Melbourne, Australia

Gonzalez, S., Travis, C., Grama, J., Barth, D. & Ananthanarayan, S.

2018

Recursive forced alignment: A test on a minority language

Speech Science and Technology, Sydney, Australia

Gonzalez, S.

2018

Acoustic Characteristics of Pre-Aspiration in Australian English

Speech Science and Technology, Sydney, Australia

Docherty, G., Foulkes, P., Gonzalez, S., & Mitchell, N.

2018

Missed Connections at the Junction of Sociolinguistics and Speech Processing

Topics in Cognitive Science

Docherty, G., Gonzalez, S., & Mitchell, N.

2015

Static vs Dynamic Perspectives on the Realization of Vowel Nucleii in West Australian English

ICPhS 2015, Glasgow, Scotland

Simon Gonzalez

2009

La ciencia de un arte

In Hočevar, Drina (ed.) Piedra de Toque (Touch Stone), Universidad de Los Andes, Merida, Venezuela.

REFEREED CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS

Catherine Travis, James Grama & Simon Gonzalez

February 2020

Chinese Australian English?: Testing for ethnolectal features

New ways of Analyzing Variation Asia-Pacific 6, Singapore

Chloé Diskin, Deborah Loakes, Rosey Billington, Simon Gonzalez, Ben Volchok & Josh Clothier

October2019

Sociophonetic variability in the /el/-/ael/ merger in Australian (Melbourne) English: Comparing wordlist and conversational data

New Ways of Analyzing Variation 48, Oregon USA, October 2019

Elena Sheard, Catherine Travis, James Grama & Simon Gonzalez

July2019

Using ethnic orientation to circumscribe the Chinese-Australian speech community in Sydney

Forum on Englishes in Australia, Melbourne

Chloé Diskin, Deborah Loakes, Rosey Billington, Simon Gonzalez & Ben Volchok

July2019

Sociophonetic variability in the /el/-/æl/ merger in Melbourne English: Comparing wordlist and sociolinguistic interviews

Forum on Englishes in Australia, Melbourne

James Grama, Catherine Travis & Simon Gonzalez

July2019

The role of ethnolectal variation in language change: A real-time study of vowels in Sydney English

International Conference on Historical Linguistics

Catherine Travis, James Grama & Simon Gonzalez

June2019

The role of ethnolects in variation and change: Vowels in Sydney English

International Conference on Language Variation in Europe

Catherine Travis, James Grama & Simon Gonzalez

December2018

Ethnolectal variation ov(er) time

Australian Linguistic Society Conference, Adelaide 

Simon Gonzalez, Catherine Travis, James Grama, Danielle Barth, Sunkulp Ananthanarayan

October2018

Opening the door for forced-alignment to minority languages

New Ways of Analyzing Variation 47 (NWAV47), New York

Simon Gonzalez & Gerry Docherty

July2018

Enough is enough: measuring the stabilisation point of uncorrected forced-aligned data in sociolinguistic corpora

SocioPhoAus Workshop 2, Brisbane 

James Grama, Simon Gonzalez & Catherine Travis

July2018

Insights from spontaneous speech for the characterisation of vocalic change over time in Sydney

SocioPhoAus Workshop 2, Brisbane 

Gerry Docherty, Simon Gonzalez, Nathaniel Mitchell & Paul Foulkes

July2018

Social and contextual influences on variability in the realisation of vowels in conversations between young people from

SocioPhoAus Workshop 2, Brisbane 

James Grama, Simon Gonzalez & Catherine Travis

June2018

Ethnolectal variation in word-final (er) in Australian English: Minority communities as leaders in language change

Sociolinguistics Symposium 22, Auckland 

Simon Gonzalez, James Grama &Catherine Travis

February2018

Comparing forced aligners for sociolinguistics

NWAV-AP, Brisbane 

Catherine Travis, Simon Gonzalez & James Grama

December2017

General Extenders over time in Sydney English: From or something to and stuff

Australian Linguistic Society Conference, Sydney

James Grama, Catherine Travis & Simon Gonzalez

November2017

Class, gender and ethnicity in Sydney: Revisiting social conditioning in 1970s Australia

New Ways of Analyzing Variation 46 (NWAV47), Madison 

Gerard Docherty, Simon Gonzalez, Nathaniel Mitchell & Paul Foulkes

July2016

A dynamic perspective on sociophonetic variability in the realisation of vowels in Australian English

Laboratory Phonology 15 Satellite Workshop, Ithaca, NY

Gerard Docherty, Simon Gonzalez, Nathaniel Mitchell & Paul Foulkes

June2016

A study of the realisation of word-medial and word-final pre-pausal (t) in the conversational speech of young people from Perth

SocioPhoAus Workshop 1, Brisbane

Gerard Docherty, Simon Gonzalez, Nathaniel Mitchell & Paul Foulkes

June2016

Variability in the realisation of vowels in the conversational speech of young people from Perth

SocioPhoAus Workshop 1, Brisbane

Gerry Docherty, Simon Gonzalez & Nathaniel Mitchell

December2015

The realisation of vowels in conversations by speakers of West AusE

Australian Linguistic Society Conference, Parramatta

Simon Gonzalez, Gerry Docherty & Nathaniel Mitchell

October2015

Social and phonological dimensions of /l/ vocalisation in West Australian English

New Ways of Analyzing Variation 44 (NWAV44), Toronto

Gerry Docherty, Simon Gonzalez & Nathaniel Mitchell

August2015

Static vs dynamic perspectives on the realisation of vowel nuclei in West Australian English

18th International Congress of Phonetic Sciences, Glasgow

Gerry Docherty, Simon Gonzalez & Nathaniel Mitchell

December2014

Variability in the realisation of vowels in West Australian English

Australian Linguistic Society Conference, Newcastle

Simon Gonzalez, Mark Harvey, Katherine Demuth & Susan Lin

October2013

Articulatory variation in English coronal obstruents: An ultrasound study

Australian Linguistic Society Conference, Melbourne

Simon Gonzalez

December2011

Consonantal Space-Compensation Processes: an approach to understanding phonemic adjustments in world sound systems

Australian Linguistic Society Conference, Canberra

Simon Gonzalez

August2008

Correlation of Linguistic and Literary Forms in Poetry: an Approach to Literary Linguistics

6th National Conference on Literature and Linguistics, The Autonomous National University of Mexico (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico

Simon Gonzalez

May2008

Linguistic and Literary Forms: An approach to Linguistics and Literature

National Conference of Teachers and Researchers in Linguistics, FUNDAENDIL, Merida, Venezuela

CONFERENCE POSTERS

Simon Gonzalez, James Grama, Catherine Travis & Saliha Muradoglu

February2019

Enhancing forced-alignment in minority languages

CoEDL Fest 2019, Western Sydney University, Australia

James Grama, Catherine Travis & Simon Gonzalez

February2019

Initiation, progression and conditioning: Short front vowels in Australian English

CoEDL Fest 2019, Western Sydney University, Australia

James Grama, Simon Gonzalez & Catherine Travis

December2018

Phonological conditioning in rotation of short-front vowels in Australian English

Seventeenth Australasian International Conference on Speech Science and Technology, Sydney

Simon Gonzalez, James Grama & Catherine Travis

February2018

Comparing the accuracy of forced-aligners for sociolinguistic research

CoEDL Fest 2018, University of Melbourne, Australia

Simon Gonzalez, James Grama & Catherine Travis

February2018

CoEDL Vowel Mates!: Integrating phonetic measurements and network analysis in vowel visualizations.

CoEDL Fest 2018, University of Melbourne, Australia

Sasha Wilmoth & Simon Gonzalez

February2018

Glossing a CHAT corpus: a ‘Shiny’ new interactive tool

CoEDL Fest 2018, University of Melbourne, Australia

Simon Gonzalez, James Grama & Catherine Travis

February2017

Hypothesis testing automation in the sociophonetic analysis of vowel variation

CoEDL Fest 2017, University of Queensland, Australia

Gerard Docherty, Simon Gonzalez, Nathaniel Mitchell & Paul Foulkes

December2016

Sociophonetic variability in the realization of /t/ in West Australian English

Australasian International Speech Science and Technology Conference, Sydney

Simon Gonzalez, Mark Harvey & Michael Proctor

July2014

Posterior cavity and aperture distance oppositions in English coronal fricatives

14th Laboratory Phonology Conference, Tokyo

Simon Gonzalez, Mark Harvey, Katherine Demuth & Susan Lin

November2013

Segment Constants and Speaker Constants in English Coronal Obstruents

Ultrafest VI, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh

Simon Gonzalez, Mark Harvey & Katherine Demuth

December2012

The duration of English coronal obstruent segment types

14th Australasian International Conference on Speech Science and Technology, Sydney

SEMINAR PRESENTATIONS

Simon Gonzalez

April2021

Hybrid Methods in Programs Evaluation Research

Department of Education, Skills and Employment

James Grama & Simon Gonzalez

September2018

Expanding the study of linguistic variation through forced alignment

Linguistics Seminar, Macquarie University, Australia

James Grama, Simon Gonzalez & Catherine Travis

September2018

Expanding the study of linguistic variation through forced-alignment for major and minority languages

Linguistics Seminar, The Australian National University, Australia

Travis, Catherine, Grama, James, González, Simón, Johnstone, Cale

September2017

Language, variation, change, ‘n that: General Extenders in Sydney English

MARCS Speech and Language Seminar, University of Western Sydney, Australia

Simon Gonzalez

March2016

Methods on dynamic analysis of vowel realisations

Linguistics Seminar, University of Melbourne, Australia

Simon Gonzalez

March2016

Socio-phonetic methods for analysing vowel realisations: challenges and advantages of current approaches

Linguistics Seminar, University of Newcastle, Australia

Simon Gonzalez

October2015

Taming the Tongue: when phonological theory meets articulatory evidence

Research Seminar Series, Griffith University, Australia

Simon Gonzalez

December2013

Articulatory variation in English coronal obstruents: An ultrasound study

Speech Pathology Research Symposium, University of Newcastle, Australia

Simon Gonzalez

September2013

Articulatory variation in English coronal obstruents: An ultrasound study

Linguistics Seminar, University of Newcastle, Australia

WORKSHOPS

Simon Gonzalez & James Grama

September2018

Keeping up to date with forced-alignment: the Montreal Forced-Aligner

Forced-alignment Workshop, Macquarie University, Australia

Chloé Diskin, Debbie Loakes, Rosey Billington, Simon Gonzalez & Sam Kirkham

May2018

Ultrasound tongue imaging in production and perception: implications for second language and second dialect acquisition

Ultrasound Workshop, The University of Melbourne

Simon Gonzalez

May2007

Teaching Literature, Essential for Foreign Language Teaching and Training

Human Sciences and their Impact on Social Transformation, The University of Los Andes, Merida, Venezuela

GRANTS AND FUNDING

Lead Investigator

2020

CoDirectS: A Collective Directory of Speech Databases

International Association for Forensic and Acoustics

Lead Investigator

2019

An acoustic description of the vocalic space of Venezuelan Spanish

International Association for Forensic Phonetics and Acoustics

Lead Investigator

20182019

Forced-alignment protocols for minority languages

Transdisciplinary and Innovation Grant, CoEDL

Collaborator

2018

Ultrasound tongue imaging in production and perception (Lead investigator: Dr Chloé Diskin - The University of Melbourne)

Transdisciplinary and Innovation Grant, CoEDL

Collaborator

2016

Analysis tools for large speech corpora (Lead investigator: Professor Gerard Docherty - Griffith University)

Transdisciplinary and Innovation Grant, CoEDL

Recipient

20112014

Postgraduate Research Scholarship (UNIPRS)

The University of Newcastle, Australia

Recipient

20112014

Postgraduate Research Scholarship

The University of Newcastle, Australia

Recipient

2008

Scholarship Internship to carry out a Thesis Research Project Development

Universidad de Los Andes, Venezuela

SUPERVISION AND ADVISORY ROLES

Ph.D. Advisory Panel Member

20192020

Ph.D. Candidate Project: Development of a feasible CAPT system to help foreign language learners improve pronunciation

The Australian National University

Ph.D. Advisory Panel Member

20192020

Ph.D. Candidate Project: Building and Analysing Datasets: Speech Recognition for Indonesian Language Classrooms and Resources

The Australian National University

Ph.D. Advisory Panel Member

20192020

Ph.D. Candidate Projec: A Finite-State approach to Nen verbal morphology

The Australian National University

Project Supervisor

20182019

ARC Centre of Excellence for the Dynamics of Language, Transdisciplinary Innovation Grant Forced-alignment protocols for minority languages

The Australian National University

Project Advisor

20182019

ARC Centre of Excellence for the Dynamics of Language, Summer Scholar position focussing on automated natural language processing

The Australian National University

Project Supervisor

20172018

Developing tools for analysis and visualisation of Sociolinguistic data

The Australian National University

EXPERT CONSULTATION

Masters Student

2019

Project: A Comparison of Machine Learning Algorithms and Native Speaker Perceptual Frameworks in the Discrimination of Phonemic Contrasts

The Australian National University

Ph.D. Candidate

2019

Project: L2 acquisition of interface properties: Case of Japanese wa and ga

The Australian National University

Honours Student

2019

Project: An acoustic analysis of fricatives in Light Warlpiri

The Australian National University

Summer Scholar Student

2019

Project: Investigating a century of variation and change in Sydney English

The Australian National University

Summer Scholar Students

2019

Project: An acoustic analysis of Light Warlpiri

The Australian National University

PROFESSIONAL SERVICE

COURSES AND SEMINARS ATTENDANCE

An Introduction to Mixed Methods research Design, Australian Consortium for Social & Political research Inc.

Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA): Part 1: An Introduction, Australian Consortium for Social & Political research Inc.

Introduction to Software Engineering 1, School of Electrical Engineering and Computing, University of Newcastle, Australia

Statistics for the Sciences, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Newcastle, Australia

Introduction to Procedural Programming, School of Engineering, University of Newcastle, Australia

Introduction to Engineering Computations, School of Engineering, University of Newcastle, Australia

LANGUAGES

Spanish - Native
English – Fluent

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