Jessica Rett appointed inaugural Thomas Bye and David Bohne Professor of Linguistics

UCLA Humanities Division | June 29, 2026

Jessica Rett, whose research combines formal semantics, pragmatics and the philosophy of language, has been named the inaugural Thomas Bye and David Bohne Professor of Linguistics.

The endowed chair was established following a $1.5 million gift from Thomas J. Bye, who earned a doctorate from UCLA in 1976, and his husband, David R. Bohne. The gift is intended to support linguistics research that not only advances linguistic theory, but also demonstrates its applications and relevance beyond academia — areas in which Rett’s work has been especially influential. 

“We are very grateful to Tom and David for enabling our department’s pursuit of innovative ideas to deepen our understanding of the world through language,” said Megha Sundara, UCLA’s Bruce Hayes Centennial Professor of Linguistics and chair of the department of linguistics.

In her research, Rett uses logical frameworks to model how people understand meaning in real time. Her work explores how meaning is constructed not just from words themselves, but from context, inference and speaker intent — examining phenomena such as implicature, illocutionary content and expressive meaning. By focusing on the “semantics–pragmatics interface,” Rett investigates how abstract linguistic structures interact with ordinary communication, revealing how even subtle shifts in phrasing can change interpretation and understanding. 

Jessica Rett with Thomas Bye (left) and David Bohne.

Bye and Bohne’s generous support of the new endowed chair is deeply rooted in both personal connection and sustained involvement with the department of linguistics. The couple has built a legacy of giving that reflects their long-standing commitment to advancing the field, including a 2019 gift of $2 million to establish the Thomas J. Bye Linguistics Laboratory Program. Their 2019 gift supports the Language Acquisition and the Language Processing Laboratories, providing funding for a laboratory manager position and serving to enhance graduate student research.

But their approach to philanthropy goes beyond financial support. Bye and Bohne are active members of the Bruin community, regularly engaging with linguistics faculty and students. Central to their giving is a belief in the impact of applied linguistics and its ability to address real-world questions, a vision shaped by both their shared “linguistics love story” and their desire to support innovative research that connects language, knowledge and everyday life.  

Rett’s academic expertise exemplifies the bridging of theoretical linguistics with practical problems of language use in everyday life — precisely the kind of approach Bye and Bohne envisioned when making their gift to establish the chair.  

Related story: Study co-led by Jessica Rett examines how language shapes our perception of reality