I am a PhD student in Linguistic Anthropology at the University of British Columbia, where my research explores Tojol-ab’al Mayan dreaming and dream narratives. My research interests revolve around the intersection of language and culture, and include dreaming, affect, the anthropology of emotions, Indigenous ontologies, intersubjectivity, digital storytelling, audiovisual production, language reclamation, migration, and socio-phonetics.

I completed my Master of Science in Natural Resources and Rural Development at El Colegio de la Frontera Sur in Chiapas, Mexico, where my thesis examined intersubjectivity in digitalized Tojol-ab’al narratives. I hold a BA in Linguistics and Spanish (double major) from UBC, where I graduated on the Dean’s List and worked for three years as a research assistant in the Speech in Context socio-phonetics lab under Dr. Molly Babel.

My work has been supported by the SSHRC Doctoral Canada Graduate Scholarship (Bombardier), a National Geographic Young Explorer’s Award, and multiple UBC awards for teaching and research. I have presented my research internationally at the American Anthropological Association, the Society for Linguistic Anthropology, and the International Conference on Languages, Linguistics, and Translation at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. My publications include articles in Laboratory Phonology, volumes on Indigenous languages and a Tsotsil Mayan filmmaker.

At UBC, I have served as a Senior Teaching Assistant and Graduate Academic Assistant in the Department of Anthropology, supporting courses on linguistic anthropology, religion, media, and ethnographic methods. Beyond the university, I have collaborated extensively with Indigenous and youth-focused NGOs in San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico, particularly on projects related to language reclamation and community-based storytelling.

Dreaming, Dream Narratives

Journals/Articles (Peer Reviewed)

2023 Walters, S., Sojob, María. La trayectoria de María Sojob: desdibujando la brecha rural/urbana a través del cine tsotsil comunitario. In Voces del Sur, Keck, C., Gracia Sain, A. (eds.)
2016 Cruz Gomez, H., Walters, S. Sk’e’ulab’il k’umal Tojol-ab’al Consejo estatal para las culturas y las artes de Chiapas. Chiapas: Centro estatal de lenguas, arte y literatura indígena. San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico.
2014 Babel, M., McGuire, G., Walters, S., & Nicholls, A. Novelty and social preference in phonetic accommodation. Laboratory Phonology, 5(1), 123-150.
2013 Walters, S., Babel, M.E., McGuire, G. The role of similarity in accommodation. Proceedings of Meetings on Acoustics 19 (1).
2012 Babel, M., McGuire, G., Nicholls, A., Walters, S. Imitation of individual voices varying in attractiveness and prototypicality. Conference on sources of individual linguistic differences. University of Ottawa.

Presentations

2012 Babel, M., McGuire, G., Walters, S., and Nicholls, A., Variability in Imitation based on voice profile, Presentation at the 2nd Annual Workshop on Sound Change. Seeon-Seebruck, Germany.

2025 AGSA-AGSC Special Travel Award, Department of Anthropology, UBC
2024 President’s Academic Excellence Initiative PhD Award
2023 President’s Academic Excellence Initiative PhD Award
2023 Graduate Teaching Assistant Award, Exemplary Student Support, UBC
2023 Community Engaged Documentation and Research, UBC, Audio Production Training Award
2022 President’s Academic Excellence Initiative PhD Award
2022 Travel Award, Department of Anthropology, UBC
2022-2025 SSHRC PhD Canada Graduate Scholarship (Bombardier)
2022-2026 4 Year Fellowship for PhD studies, UBC
2018-2020 CONACYT Postgraduate Master’s Level Scholarships (Mexico)
2017 National Geographic Storytelling Grant, Young Explorer’s Award
2013 Dean’s List, Bachelor of Arts, UBC, Vancouver
2013 Arts Undergraduate Research Awards, UBC
2012 Arts Undergraduate Research Awards, UBC
2009 President’s Entrance Scholarship, UBC