Robert Podesva is a linguistics professor at Georgetown University.  He holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in linguistics from Stanford University and a B.A., also in linguistics, from Cornell University.  His research examines the intersection of phonetics and social identity, focusing on the meanings encoded in sociolinguistic variation.  Viewing speech as a resource for constructing multifaceted identities and personae, he is currently investigating the linguistic practices of politicians, gay professionals, residents of Washington, DC, and adolescent girls in northwestern England.  He teaches a variety of courses such as sociolinguistic variation, language and identity, language and gender, phonetics, and phonology.  Outside of academia, he has worked in the field of speech technology, as a researcher at SRI International.  He lives in Washington, D.C.