Dr. Karen Stollznow

Dr. Karen Stollznow is an Australian-American linguist, author, researcher, and public speaker whose work explores the intersection of language, culture, identity, and social justice. Stollznow studied linguistics and history at the University of New England in Armidale, New South Wales, earning First Class Honors in Linguistics and a doctorate in lexical semantics. She served as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, Berkeley, where she contributed to the Script Encoding Initiative, focusing on endangered writing systems for the Department of Linguistics and Unicode. Stollznow holds dual roles as visiting scholar at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and Griffith University, conducting research on prejudice and discrimination in language with the Griffith Centre for Social and Cultural Research.

Stollznow is the author of several books that bridge academic scholarship and popular nonfiction. Her book, "Bitch: The Journey of a Word," published by Cambridge University Press, examines the history, culture, and evolving meaning of a controversial term. She also wrote "On the Offensive: Prejudice in Language Past and Present," recognized as an Outstanding Academic Title by the American Library Association. Other works include "Beyond Words: How We Learn, Use, and Lose Language," "Missed Conceptions: How We Make Sense of Infertility," "God Bless America," "Language Myths, Mysteries and Magic," and "Haunting America." Stollznow has published numerous scholarly works on language and linguistics, including lexical semantics, intercultural communication, and applied linguistics, with particular focus on taboo language, discrimination, prejudice, gender, sexism, and women's health.

Stollznow is active as a media contributor and science communicator. She has appeared as an expert on TV shows such as the History Channel's "History's Greatest Mysteries" and Netflix's "Files of the Unexplained." She co-hosts "MonsterTalk," a podcast that critically examines the science behind cryptozoological creatures and received the Parsec Award for Best Fact Behind the Fiction Podcast. Stollznow contributes regularly to The Conversation and Psychology Today, and has written for Aeon, Scientific American Mind, Women's Health, Australasian Science, Fortean Times, and Reader's Digest. Her industry experience includes consulting for companies such as Amazon and LeapFrog.

Stollznow is known for her work in skepticism and social activism. She was an investigator and writer for Australian Skeptics and served as editor of their magazine, The Skeptic. She is a contributing editor for Skeptical Inquirer magazine, a fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, and a member of its executive council. Stollznow has written the "Naked Skeptic" column for the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and served as the "Bad Language" columnist for Skeptic magazine. Her career is marked by a commitment to examining language, power, and belief through a scientific and critical lens.