Kate Farmer, B.A. Linguistics ’10, M.A. Linguistics ‘14

Kate Farmer, B.A. Linguistics ’10, M.A. Linguistics ‘14

GSK, Director of NLP/Voice of Customer

Kate Farmer has consistently found herself at the cutting edge of language technologies. Kate completed her studies in 2014, when UNT’s Department of Linguistics merged with the College of Information. Although crossdisciplinary courses in computational linguistics were not yet established, Kate’s interest in computation and cognitive processing led her to work as a research fellow in Dr. Neilson’s computer science lab. This lab focused on natural language processing and artificial intelligence, fueling Kate’s ambition to pursue a Ph.D. in computational linguistics and cognitive science. While waiting for a spot in the program, she volunteered at an AI lab at UC Boulder in Colorado.

Afterward, Kate decided to explore industry opportunities, quickly realizing the relevance of her skills. She secured her first job as a computational linguist at LexisNexis in North Carolina. During this time, Kate taught herself Python and machine learning. Subsequently, she embarked on a new venture with two startup companies. At the first startup, she served as a Senior Data Scientist in marketing analytics but discovered her true passions are in language-based data. This realization led her to a role at Edify, where she led an engineering team working on a chat bot integrated with Slack to streamline the on-boarding process for new team members.

Currently, Kate serves as the Director of NLP/Voice of Customer at GSK, a pharmaceutical company. In this role, she leads a team that collects unstructured data in the form of text, such as call notes, clinical notes, and social media posts. Their goal is to analyze this data, identify gaps in care, and pinpoint barriers to implementing research-based care strategies. Kate’s position showcases the intersection of linguistics, natural language processing, and data analysis, allowing her to leverage her skills to improve healthcare outcomes.

Reflecting on her time at UNT’s Department of Linguistics, Kate commends the professors and the fascinating classes she attended. While specializing in cognitive and computational linguistics, she appreciated the program’s flexibility, enabling her to explore courses from various disciplines. Notably, sociolinguistics classes taught by Dr. Cukor-Avila had a profound impact on her. One course, focusing on language and gender, shed light on the complexities of linguistic discrimination, providing insights into biases and societal challenges.

Kate also had the privilege of studying under Dr. Haj Ross, a professor who made a lasting impression. In a memorable seminar on semantics, students were challenged to define a chair, encompassing all objects that qualify as chairs while excluding non-chairs. After a three-hour debate, the class failed to reach a definitive answer. Kate often recounts this anecdote to emphasize the complexity of natural language processing (NLP) problems when discussing challenges with colleagues.

For current linguistics students, Kate emphasizes the importance of continuous learning. As NLP and computational linguistics rapidly evolve, individuals must evaluate new techniques and approaches, determining their applicability. Kate highlights the significance of a strong theoretical foundation, as the fundamentals remain constant even as specific methodologies change. A robust understanding of linguistics enables computational linguists to anticipate complexities and societal biases, setting them apart in the job market.

Kate Farmer’s journey from UNT to her current role exemplifies the fusion of linguistics and technology. By pushing boundaries and bridging gaps, she continues to make valuable contributions in the field of language technologies, underscoring the transformative potential of this interdisciplinary field.

Read more UNT College of Information 15th Anniversary stories: https://ci.unt.edu/15-years