The ATA Chronicle - January/February 2023 - 23

ATA Innovation Award
Maha El-Metwally
Maha El-Metwally is the recipient of the 2022 ATA
Innovation Award, which recognizes a person or entity that
has worked in a particularly innovative way to benefit ATA
and/or the language professions. Maha is being honored
for what you might call " creative innovation. "
When the pandemic struck in 2020, one of the areas of
our profession that was hit the hardest was conference
interpreting. With the increased reliance on technology
brought about by remote work, Maha developed a variety
of training courses on remote simultaneous interpreting
in response to emerging needs. These courses provided
interpreters with the necessary skills to use online
interpreting platforms with confidence. She also highlighted
new tools and technologies that interpreters could use
during assignments. Maha's creative way of thinking
enabled many interpreters to generate income during
the pandemic as they learned new skills that helped them
continue working remotely.
ATA Impact Award
David Stephenson
David Stephenson is the recipient of the 2022 ATA Impact
Award, which recognizes a person or entity that has
demonstrated outstanding leadership having an impact with
ATA through work on a specific project or initiative.
There were several worthy nominees for this award, but
one name stood out immediately. David has been involved
in ATA's Certification Program for 20 years, starting as a
grader and eventually becoming chair of the Certification
Committee. Under David's guidance, the program has
expanded to offer more language combinations and
become more widely recognized and respected both
nationally and internationally. Under his leadership, the
long-awaited online, on-demand computerized exams have
become a reality.
In accepting the award in Los Angeles, David said: " Any
praise that comes my way must be shared by and reflect on
the hundreds of hard-working individuals who have served
as certification graders over the years. And especially the
many committed and dedicated people it's been my pleasure
and privilege to work with on the Certification Committee. "
In addition to his work for the Association, David is an
ATA-certified Croatian>English, German>English, and
Dutch>English translator. He works as a freelance translator
of German, Dutch, Croatian, Serbian, and Bosnian into
English, specializing in civil litigation, business law, and
creative nonfiction, and has recently added subtitling to his
range of services.
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American Translators Association 23
Maha's courses continue to be a huge asset for all
interpreters due to their innovative design that responds
to a rapidly changing world. Her courses are so inclusive
that they enable the extensive participation of interpreters
working in different languages from all over the world.
In addition to her teaching activities, Maha is an Arabic
conference interpreter who works for a wide range of
international organizations, including the European
Institutions and the United Nations. In addition to ATA, she
is a member of the International Association of Conference
Interpreters and a fellow of the Chartered Institute of
Linguists. She served on the Board of the Institute of
Translation and Interpreting for two terms. She is associated
with a number of universities in the U.K. and abroad, where
she contributes to the curricula.
The ATA Chronicle - January/February 2023

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