Career
He was an Assistant Professor of English and General Linguistics at the Technical University Berlin from 1976-1980. As founding director of the Program in Linguistics from 1991-1999, he shepherded its growth into the current Department of Linguistics and TESOL. In 2012, he established the Jerold A. Research Endowment in Linguistics, proceeds of which generate research grants for students at UTA, with a priority given to projects focusing on field linguistics and endangered languages. "s work spans four subdisciplines in linguistics: historical and comparative linguistics, Asian linguistics, field linguistics, and phonetics.
He is a leading specialist in Tai–Kadai languages, especially the Kam–Sui and Kra branches.
He was one of the researchers who discovered the En language during a linguistic field expedition in the late 1990s. He tracked down two previously undocumented languages, Xa Pho and Nung Ven, in northern Viet Nam. has performed field investigations of many Southeast Asian languages such as various Loloish languages, Bai, Kháng, and Pa-Hng, as well as languages spoken on other continents, such as Triqui and Dinka.
Merrifield and Nguyen and, Doctorate.B. and K.J. Jerold on unknown Vietnamese languages on.
