Sethu Karthikeyan

I joined Pace University as an Assistant Professor in 2013. I enjoy teaching topics that fall within the realm of behavioral sciences. My teaching is informed by my research, which adopts an evolutionary approach to human behavior.

I am originally from Kerala, India. My mother tongue is Malayalam; I am moderately fluent in Kannada and Hindi (and can manage a bit of Tamil, too). I grew up in Abu Dhabi, UAE, completing my primary and secondary education in Indian schools there. I am a recently naturalized US citizen. I continue to return to Kerala every summer to spend time with my extended family.

The first principle is that you must not fool yourself - and you are the easiest person
to fool. -Richard Feynman

PhD, Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences
The Graduate School and University Center, The City University of New York,
New York, NY
2012

MS, Speech and Hearing
All India Institute of Speech and Hearing
Mysore, Karnataka, India
2003

BS, Speech and Hearing
Dr. MV Shetty College of Speech and Hearing
Mangalore, Karnataka, India
2001

• College of Health Professions Dean's Scholarship Award, Pace University (2023)
• Martin Gitterman Excellence in Teaching Award, The Graduate Center, CUNY (2010)
• Moe and Hannah Bergman Award for first-authored conference presentations, The Graduate Center, CUNY (2009)

• Dean’s Summer Research Grant (2024)
• Dean’s Award for Outstanding Research/Scholarship (2023)
• SRC award: research funds (2023)
• Classroom-based Research Award (2022)
• SRC Award: research funds (2017)
• College of Health Professions Dean’s Research release time (2016–2018)
• Scholarly Research Committee (SRC) Award: release time (2015)
• Kenan Grant for conference presentation (2014–2024)
• Dyson Faculty Summer Research Grant (2013)
• Provost’s Summer Student-Faculty Research Grant (2013)
• Undergraduate Faculty-Student Research Program Grant (2013)

• University New York Faculty Council, elected 1st vice chair (2023–2025)
• Allied Health Search Committee, elected co-chair (2021–2024); committee member (2015–2020, 2024)
• Course Evaluation Committee, elected chair (2020–2021)
• Council of Deans and Faculty on Promotion and Tenure, elected alternate member (2020–2023)
• Scholarly Research Committee, elected member (2015–2017); (2022–2024)

• Karthikeyan, S. Mating rituals and rules in a historical matrilineal community: Why should we care? Paper presentation at the inaugural Historical Psychology Preconference, Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP), Atlanta, February 2023.
• Karthikeyan, S. The language of human mating: Effects of voice pitch and speech articulation on mating-relevant perceptions. Evolutionary Studies (EVOS) Seminar Series . SUNY, New Paltz. 2022
• Karthikeyan, S. Iconic pitch manipulations and protowords. Paper presentation at International Society for Human Ethology (ISHE), Santiago, Chile, September 2018.
• Karthikeyan, S. Was arbitrariness selected in language evolution? Clues from a variant form of the Bouba-Kiki test. Paper presentation at NorthEastern Evolutionary Psychology Society, St. Mary’s University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, June 2016.
• Karthikeyan, S., & *Ficalora, S. Regional dialects influence listeners' help seeking tendencies depending on the nature of the situation. Paper presentation at American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) convention, Denver, November 2015.

• Scientific Reports (Human Behaviour), Editorial Board member

• International Society for Human Ethology (ISHE)
• NorthEastern Evolutionary Psychology Society (NEEPS)
• American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)

• Karthikeyan, S. & Puts, D. (2023). Voice Pitch. Shackelford, T.K (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Sexual Psychology and Behavior. Springer, Cham.
• Karthikeyan, S., Puts, D. A., Aung, T., Link, J., Rosenfield, K., Mackiel, A., Casey, A., Marks, K., Cristo, M., Patel, J., Santos, A. & Geher, G. (2023). Articulatory effects on perceptions of men’s status and attractiveness. Scientific Reports.
• Ramachandra, V. & Karthikeyan, S. (2023). ‘Shape’ and ‘taste’ of words may make them easier to learn and remember. The ASHA Leader.
• Karthikeyan, S. & Fisher, M. L. (2022). A case study of a historical matrilineal community from an evolutionary perspective. Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences.
• Karthikeyan, S. & Ramachandra, V. (2017). Social eavesdropping: Can you hear the emotionality in a “Hello” that is not meant for you? i-Perception.
• Karthikeyan, S. & Ficalora, S. (2017). Women’s tendency to approach men speaking standard and non-standard accents varies with the nature of the help-seeking situation: Some initial findings. North American Journal of Psychology.
• Karthikeyan, S. & Ramachandra, V. (2016). Are vocal pitch changes in response to facial expressions of emotions potential cues of empathy? A preliminary report. Journal of Psycholinguistic Research.
• Karthikeyan, S., Rammairone, B. & Ramachandra, V. (2016). The bouba-kiki phenomenon tested via schematic drawings of facial expressions: Further validation of the internal simulation hypothesis. i-Perception.
• Karthikeyan, S. & Locke, J. L. (2015). Men’s evaluation of women’s speech in a simulated dating context: Effects of fertility variations on fundamental frequency and attractiveness. Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences.
• Datta, H., Karthikeyan, S., Obler, L. K., Karanth, P. & Karpur, P. (2007). Agrammatics’ sensitivity to inflectional optionality. Brain and Language.

• Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences

I am interested in the human capacity for spoken language, social evaluations based on speech, vocal-verbal flexibility, and cultural diversity.

One of my recent projects used the evolutionary psychology framework to weave together findings from sociolinguistics, speech science, and phonetics to address speech-based social evaluations. This was done in collaboration with two labs: Evolutionary Psychology Lab, SUNY, New Paltz, directed by Glenn Geher, and Behavioral Endocrinology and Evolution Lab, Penn State, University Park, directed by David Puts.

Another project explored the utility of culturally diverse samples and a historical outlook in research on mate choice. Although counterintuitive, the project has implications for research on spoken language. This was a collaboration with Maryanne Fisher, Saint Mary’s University, Nova Scotia.

• PSY 277: Evolutionary Psychology
• CHP 243: The Psychology of Language
• CHP 277: The Science of Speech Sounds
• CSD 140: Introduction to Communication Disorders
• CSD 223: Psycholinguistics
• CSD 240: Introduction to Communication Disorders
• CSD 251: Early Language Development
• CSD 256: Phonetics
• CSD 357: Speech Science
• CSD 480: Research in Communication Science Disorders
• CSD 654: Disorders of Voice and Resonance
• CSD 670: Neuroscience for Communication Sciences and Disorders
• CSD 680: Applied Research for Communication Science and Disorders