The ATA Chronicle - March/April 2021 - 5

2021 Honors and Awards
Now Open!
to a 100% " pull " or ondemand system, as proctors
are still required, but it will
bring certification testing
into the candidate's home
office. On-site exam sittings
will continue to be offered.
Also at the January Board
meeting, the Board approved
the members of two ad hoc
committees, both tasked
with investigating and
making recommendations on
the establishment of two new
potential offerings by ATA.
One is a national registry
of freelance translators and
interpreters in the U.S. This
is in response to legislative
proposals in California
regarding exemptions from
the automatic classification
of translators and
interpreters as employees
under California Assembly
Bill 5 (AB 5). State legislators
in California have focused on
recognition by a translator
or interpreter association as
de facto evidence of being a
professional service provider.
If established, the sole
purpose of the registry would
be to provide such evidence
of independent contractor
status for individual
freelance translators and
interpreters for worker
classification purposes only.
In no way would it represent
any kind of recognition
of the " capabilities "
or " qualifications " of
those registered.
" Sons of AB 5 " legislation
is certain to appear in other
states (one has already
been reintroduced in New
Jersey), so the battle over

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worker classification is not
over. Such a registry could
be a great help in gaining
exemptions for practitioners
where such legislation is
enacted, possibly at the
federal level as well.
The second potential
offering under investigation
is the establishment of a
" basic " credential, which
would be of particular
interest to those who work
in languages for which ATA
does not offer certification.
This is an extremely difficult
nut to crack and it's entirely
possible that the committee
will report that it's not
feasible or practical. But
even if that's the case, ATA
will at least have taken a
serious look at the issue
and can have an answer to
those practitioners working
in other languages who ask:
" Why can't you offer me
some kind of recognition? "
Finally, as I look at the
second half of my term, I
look forward to seeing many
of the projects and initiatives
launched in the past three
years either coming to
fruition or maturing. I
especially look forward to
attending ATA62 in
Minneapolis in person. I miss
seeing my ATA friends and
colleagues. I even miss being
buttonholed in the hallway or
elevator! But I'll admit I
don't miss all the hugging.
But after a year of lockdowns
and video-only interactions,
odds are good I'll dislike
having my personal space
invaded far less than
pre-COVID.

ATA and the American Foundation for Translation and
Interpretation (AFTI) present annual and biennial awards
to encourage, reward, and publicize outstanding work
done by both seasoned professionals and students.
Awards and scholarships for 2021 include:
The Alexander Gode Medal, ATA's most prestigious
award, is presented to an individual or institution for
outstanding service to the translating and interpreting
professions. This award may be given annually. Nominations
are solicited from past recipients of the Gode Medal and the
membership at large.
The Alicia Gordon Award for Word Artistry in
Translation is given for a translation (from French or
Spanish into English, or from English into French or Spanish)
in any subject that demonstrates the highest level of creativity
in solving a particularly knotty translation problem. Open to
ATA members in good standing.
The ATA Dynamo Award recognizes a person or entity
that has worked in a particularly energetic way to benefit ATA
and/or the language professions. This award is given in oddnumbered years.
The ATA Mentoring Award recognizes a person or
entity that has provided outstanding mentoring to the next
generation of translators and interpreters, either through the
ATA Mentoring Program or another channel. This award is
given in odd-numbered years.
The ATA Rising Star Award recognizes an early-career
translator, interpreter, or entity that has already " made
a mark " on ATA and is seen as having great potential to
positively impact ATA and the language professions in the
future. This award is given in odd-numbered years.
The S. Edmund Berger Prize is offered by AFTI to
recognize excellence in scientific and technical translation by
an ATA member. The award may be given annually.
The Student Translation Award is presented to any
graduate or undergraduate student, or group of students, for
a literary or sci-tech translation or translation-related project.
The award may be given annually.

For complete entry information and deadlines,
visit http://bit.ly/honors-and-awards.
American Translators Association

5
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The ATA Chronicle - March/April 2021

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