Shelby Miller, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

Dr. Shelby Miller has dedicated nearly 20 years to higher education. Her career began at Tabor College, where she worked as an Admissions Counselor. After a few years, she transitioned to East Texas A&M , where she served as a Graduate Recruitment Specialist in the College of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Arts. During her time at ETAMU, Dr. Miller also pursued her Ph.D., a journey that would later lead her back to the institution as an Assistant Professor in the very department that had shaped her academic and professional growth. Dr. Miller’s primary research centers around the intersection of personality traits and linguistic production. Additionally, she is a Gallup-certified CliftonStrengths coach, utilizing this tool to guide students and professionals in harnessing their unique talents for personal and professional development.

A Conversation with Dr. Shelby Miller

Why do you like teaching?

One of my favorite things about teaching is seeing students make the connection between the course content and the outside world. I love it when students send me stories, memes or screenshots about experiences they have or things they find in their daily lives that reflect things we've covered in class. This is also one of the reasons why I love linguistics: language is everywhere, so real-world connections are everywhere.

What do you like most about your career?

The fulfillment of ideas. In my career, any idea is worth exploring because it may turn into a research endeavor, a new lecture for a class, or even a partnership with another department. The field of linguistics fits perfectly within this notion of ideas and creativity because it’s so interdisciplinary.

Tell us about an influential professor or person on campus during your time at East Texas A&M.

Dr. Sal Attardo. I cannot even count how many times Dr. Attardo rooted for me, supported me, encouraged me, and, when needed, had the ‘tough’ talks with me to get me in gear. He was and continues to be a pillar in my professional and personal endeavors.

What would you tell a student who is thinking about attending East Texas A&M?

Find where you “fit.” For me, that was East Texas A&M. “Fit” pertains to more than whether a university has the right program for your career goals or right labs for your research. “Fit” also includes finding your place and envisioning yourself in the program's community. I had more than just academic support at East Texas A&M and in the Department of Literature and Languages. I had a community. Whether you are going to be an online student or a face-to-face student, there is a community for you to fit into.

What did you want to be when you were a child?

As a child, I vividly remember playing loan officer. We had a sectional sofa, and I would take the cushions and stack them up to serve as my office furniture. I had pens and paper and would have my brother sit across from me at my “desk” to take out a loan. I often reflect on the connection between that world of play and my real career journey. While seemingly unrelated (I've yet to get a desk made of pillows in the real world), I think there are shared themes: I enjoy being of service to people and helping them take steps toward their dreams (whether those dreams are fulfilled by a pretend loan from a 10-year-old or by pursuing an education).

Educational Background

• Ph.D., English (Applied Linguistics), East Texas A&M University (Formerly Texas A&M University-Commerce), 2019
• M.S., Higher Education, East Texas A&M University (Formerly Texas A&M University-Commerce), 2012
• B.A., Psychology and Business Administration, Tabor College, 2008

Research Interest

• Pragmatics
• Computer text analysis
• Accessibility
• Personality Theory

Featured Courses

• ENG 697: Personality and Second Language Acquisition

Honors and Awards

• International Society for Humor Studies Service Award 2024
• ETAMU Student Affairs Leadership Team Lion High Five Award, 2024
• 2nd place, Texas A&M University-Commerce, Annual Research Symposium, 2018

Selected Publications

• Miller, S., Ergül, H., & Attardo, S. (TBD). Laughter and embarrassment in a complicated task. In Alba, L., & M. Haugh (Eds.), Sociopragmatics of Emotion (pp. TBD). Manuscript under review by Cambridge University Press.
• Ergül, H, Miller, S., Kramer, K., and Attardo, S. (TBD). “Alternative Conceptualizations of the Smiling Intensity Scale (SIS) and their Application to the Identification of Humor.” In B. Priego-Valverde (Ed.), Multimodal Approaches of Humor in Interaction (pp. TBD). Manuscript under review by Mouton De Gruyter.
• Miller, S., Ergul, H., & Attardo, S. (2022). Dr. Miller, that's a world record! Frame breaking in experimental settings. Pragmatics & Cognition, 29 (1). https://doi.org/10.1075/pc.22009.mil
• Miller, S. (2021). ADA compliance and teaching linguistics online. Proceedings of the Linguistic Society of America – Special Issue on Scholarly Teaching in the Age of COVID and Beyond, 6 (2), 1-6. https://doi.org/10.3765/plsa.v6i2.5095
• Miller, S. (TBD). Introversion and extraversion: What every second language teacher needs to know. University of Michigan Press. Contracted book proposal, manuscript in progress.
• Miller, S., Durham, C., & Fones, A. (TBD). Creating accessible and equitable learning opportunities for teachers of multilingual learners. TESOL Quarterly (pp. TBD). Manuscript under review.
• Skalicky, S., Miller, S., Loomis, J., and Attardo, S. (2025). Satire, honey, and tears: How the Onion and the Babylon Bee do satire. International Journal of Humor Research. doi.org/10.1515/humor-2024-0053
• Miller, S., Ergül, H., & Attardo, S. (2025). Laughter and embarrassment in a complicated task. In Alba, L., & M. Haugh (Eds.), Sociopragmatics of Emotion (pp. 194-218). Cambridge University Press.