The ATA Chronicle - January/February 2022 - 25

ATA HONORS AND AWARDS
InterpretAmerica cofounders Katharine Allen and Barry Slaughter Olsen accept the Alexander
Gode Medal on behalf of InterpretAmerica during ATA's 62nd Annual Conference.
Alexander Gode Medal
InterpretAmerica
ATA Past President David Rumsey delivered the following remarks during ATA's 62nd Annual Conference.
InterpretAmerica cofounders Katharine Allen and Barry Slaughter Olsen were present to accept the award.
T
he American Translators
Association awarded the
2021 Alexander Gode
Medal to InterpretAmerica for
its outstanding contributions
to the field of interpreting
and translation. ATA also
recognized cofounders
Katharine Allen and Barry
Slaughter Olsen for their roles
leading InterpretAmerica
through a transformational
decade for the profession.
InterpretAmerica was
established in 2009 to raise
the profile and reach of the
interpreting profession.
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Through national and
international conferences,
webinars, publications,
and other activities,
InterpretAmerica sought
to facilitate the sharing of
information and resources,
provide networking
opportunities, and support the
critical work of professional
associations, vendors,
academic institutions, and
researchers across the field.
Until it ceased operation
in 2020, InterpretAmerica
provided a place where
interpreters could come
together, be counted, and
focus on innovative and
effective ways to support the
craft of interpreting. During
its 11-year existence, mutual
awareness, understanding,
and collaboration blossomed
among a wide variety of
interpreting stakeholders.
The increasingly unique and
public profile of interpreting
is not just due to a more
interconnected world with a
growing demand for language
services, but also from the
increasing awareness and
self-confidence among
interpreters in understanding
the critical role they play for
society as a whole. Through
its activities, InterpretAmerica
had an impact on this
transformation.
" We started InterpretAmerica
when Barry was in his
second year of teaching
in the MA in Translation
and Interpretation degree
program at the Middlebury
Institute of International
Studies at Monterey and I
was just graduating from
the program, " said Allen, a
community and conference
interpreter with over three
decades of experience
interpreting, training, and
designing curricula. " For
me, those 10 years were
completely transformational. "
" I hope InterpretAmerica's
legacy will be that we were
able to see what was coming
and help rally people together
to create connection, envisage
the future, and then mobilize
and inspire them to move, "
Olsen said. " We didn't change
the world, but I think we
were able to empower people
and inspire them to go out
and make a difference in
the profession. "
The Alexander Gode Medal, ATA's
highest honor, is named for ATA's
founder and guiding spirit, who was the
first recipient. The medalists represent
a record of achievement in a variety
of linguistic fields, including not only
translators and interpreters, but also
lexicographers, theorists, association
leaders, and institutions. This award
may be given annually.
American Translators Association 25

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The ATA Chronicle - January/February 2022

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