2020 Conference Schedule

Sharpening your Tools for a Successful T&I Business

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 MICATA Conference was canceled. 


How to use this schedule page: Click on the hyperlinked session descriptions and presenter names to access descriptions and bios. 

Continuing Education Units (CEUs): The ATA and CCHI are offering continuing education points for portions of our conference. Visit this page for details.


Friday, March 27

Pre-conference Workshops
Times: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (one hour break for lunch)

Interpreter Workshops
Morning: Medical Ethics for Real Life (3 CCHI CE points)
Afternoon: Secrets of the Medical History (3 CCHI CE points)
Gloria Rivera
RC 101A

T&I Business Workshops:
Morning: How to Rock your Solo Biz
Julie Cortés
RC101B

Afternoon: Business 101 for Translators & Interpreters
John Matthews
RC101B

Conference Welcome Reception
Sponsors: GermanContext and Beehive Projects
5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
RC 270


Saturday, March 28

Continental Breakfast and Registration
Sponsors: VLP, Interlingual Interpreting Services
7:45 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.
Atrium

Welcome
Cristina Wolff, Johnson County Community College
8:30 a.m. to 8:45 a.m.
NM Hudson Auditorium

Plenary Session
Madalena Sánchez Zampaulo, ATA President-elect
Promoting Your Value and Professionalism in a Dynamic Marketplace (1 CCHI CE point)
8:45 a.m. to 9:45 a.m.
NM Hudson Auditorium

Morning Break and Refreshments
Sponsor: Propio LS and TranslationPerfect
9:45 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
Atrium

Concurrent Session 1
All times: 10:00 a.m. to 10:55 a.m.

Getting Started in T&I
Jean Marie Trujillo and Rosario Garriga
RC 101A

Interpreting for Immigration Interviews
Tingting Qin
NM Hudson Auditorium

Interpreting in Pediatric Primary Care Settings (1 CCHI CE point)
Paul Spacek
RC 101B

Concurrent Session 2
All times: 11:00 a.m. to 11:55 a.m.

Finding and Keeping Direct Clients as a Translator
Frieda Ruppaner-Lind and Abigail Dahlberg
RC 101A

Biz Basics for Interpreters (1 CCHI CE point)
Gloria Rivera
NM Hudson Auditorium

Hands-on Practice for Interpreting in a Legal Setting
Marcela Renna
RC 101B

Luncheon
Sponsor: InterPreters, Inc.
Translating a Colombian Reconciliation Project for Kansas
Laura Kanost and Yasmin Gavigan
Noon to 1:30 p.m.
RC101C 

Concurrent Session 3
All times: 1:30 p.m. to 2:25 p.m.

Diversifying Your Language Services: How to Know What to Offer, When, and to Whom
Madalena Sánchez Zampaulo
RC 101A

Intro to Firearms and Ballistics – Part One
Lonnie R. Cox
NM Hudson Auditorium

Hands-on Practice for Interpreting in a Medical Setting (1 CCHI CE point)
Francisco Martinez
RC 101B

Concurrent Session 4
All times: 2:30 p.m. to 3:25 p.m.

Introduction to Arabic Translation: Challenges and Tips (1 CCHI CE point)
Hiba Gharib
RC 101A

Intro to Firearms and Ballistics – Part Two
Lonnie R. Cox
NM Hudson Auditorium

Translation: From Theory to Practice
Abigail Dahlberg
RC 101B

Afternoon Break and Refreshments
Sponsors: VLP, Children’s Mercy
3:30 p.m. to 3:45 p.m.
Location: Atrium

Concurrent Session 5
3:45-4:40

Brainstorm Networking: Speed Networking Meets Ethical Conundrums
Abigail Dahlberg, facilitator
Location TBD

Conference Wrap-Up
4:45-5:00
NM Hudson Auditorium

Dinner
On your own. Go out with friends!


Sunday, March 29

ATA Certification Examination
Time: The exam begins at 9:00 a.m. Registered test-takers should arrive by 8:30 a.m.
Location: RC Room 183

Please note: Separate registration is required with the ATA for the examination. Please visit
www.atanet.org/certification/index.php or call (703) 683-6100 to register.


Session Descriptions

Medical Ethics For Real Life

Gloria Rivera

In healthcare interpreting, Ethics and Standards of Practice set the environment for the practice of our profession in the United States. They help us tell right from wrong and guide our professional behavior. Unfortunately, there are some situations when applying these ethics and standards of practice is not as easy as it seems. During this 3-hour language neutral workshop, participants will become familiar with NCIHC’s Ethics and Standards of Practice, IMIA’s Ethics and Standards of Practice, and we will apply them in practical, real life situations.

Secrets of the Medical History

Gloria Rivera

The medical history record is a medical-legal document and the main source of information for a healthcare provider. Medical interpreters are the conduit that helps a patient express his or her symptoms and the provider understand the patient’s condition and provide treatment. Therefore, when we interpret the medical history intake, we can “make it or break it.” During this 3-hour language neutral class participants will become familiar with the general medical history, its parts, and the terminology related to the most common child and adult illnesses.

How to Rock your Solo Biz

Julie Cortés

Running your own business can be intimidating. You may offer the best service, but if you don’t know HOW to run a business, success is not going to come easy. Having the right tools in your back pocket can help guide you in the right direction. From getting (and staying!) motivated to promoting yourself in the best light, there’s a lot that goes into it. And, if done right, can do wonders for your business. Whether you’re just starting out or have been at it for a while, you’ll walk away with:

  • Motivational Tips
  • Branding Basics
  • Promotional Tricks
  • And More

Come learn how to stand out, how to stay focused, and how to succeed in running your own business.

Business 101 for Translators and Interpreters

John Matthews

We translators and interpreters have fine-tuned our skills related to our professions.  But how do we take care of the nitty-gritty aspects of our T&I businesses? That’s a completely different set of skills.  Elvis Presley’s motto was “TCB,” Taking Care of Business, and that’s what this seminar focuses on. In this afternoon session for seasoned T&I professionals as well as newcomers to the business, we will learn the Business Basics of our profession.  We will focus on business aspects that we all face: independent contractor vs. employed translator/interpreter; Income – Expenses = Profit; income & expenses and record-keeping; SSN vs. EIN; what the heck are 1099’s; easy ways to keep track of time spent on the job and to count words in a translation; creating and keeping track of invoices; easy ways to keep a mileage log and deduct expenses for a home office; taxes; saving for retirement; office set-up & professional development; putting on a professional business face, and much more.  Share your ideas & experiences with your fellow T&I professionals, and learn your colleagues’ strategies to resolve problems that you also may face. Come and learn how to keep more of the money you make in your own pocket, and how to efficiently run your business so you can devote more time to making money in your profession.

Keynote: Promoting Your Value and Professionalism in a Dynamic Marketplace

Madalena Sánchez Zampaulo

We live in a time when technology and politics are changing the landscape of our professions as translators and interpreters. While we can and should adapt to these changes, we must also continue to add value—not only in the realm of our own professional development, but in the work we produce for our clients. By understanding the evolving fields in which we work and the needs of those we serve, we have the ability to differentiate ourselves as professionals in such a way that we become the best option for our clients to achieve the outcomes they desire. This ability to evolve and add value means that we remain relevant and essential in a dynamic marketplace.

Getting Started in T&I

Jean Marie Trujillo and Rosario Garriga

If you are interested in the nuts and bolts of starting up in translation or interpreting, plan to attend this joint session by Jean Marie Trujillo and Rosario Garriga. Jean works primarily as a translator, and her presentation will be “Getting Started as a Translator: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.” Rosario works primarily as an interpreter, and in her presentation, “Entering the Interpreting Profession,” she will speak about how she got started in the field, what she has learned in her many years of experience, and her recommendations for new interpreters. 

Interpreting for Immigration Interviews

Tingting Qin

This session is about interpreting for green card interviews through marriage and asylum. The presenter will discuss the general process of these two types of immigration interviews, the requirements for interpreters, and ethical issues that may arise during these interviews. The presenter will also touch on how to get immigration interview jobs, and the skills that interpreters may use to successfully complete the assignments. 

Interpreting in Pediatric Primary Care Settings

Paul Spacek

This session will provide an overview of the pediatric primary care setting and will focus on concepts and vocabulary that are helpful for an interpreter to know when working in that setting.  This will include discussion of the different medical professionals that work in a primary care clinic, vaccines, growth and nutrition, anticipatory guidance, screening tests, psycho-social services and more. Additionally, special mention will be given to cultural and ethical situations that may arise.

Finding and Keeping Direct Clients as a Translator

Frieda Ruppaner-Lind and Abigail Dahlberg

Many translators want to add direct clients to their portfolio, but don’t know where to find them or how to set themselves up for success. In this presentation, two translators who have several years of working with direct clients will delve into the ins and outs of working with this type of customer. You will also learn more about how and where to find direct clients and strategies to keep direct clients once you have worked for them for the first time.

Biz Basics for Interpreters

Gloria Rivera

As an interpreter we are not only the talent. We are customer care, marketing, accounting, etc. We have to wear many hats and make sure we do it correctly if we want to remain in business. Unfortunately, we learn the importance of these processes along the way through trial and error. This 1-hour class will teach the basics tips and tricks any new interpreter should be aware of:  

  • Define how to prepare for an assignment
  • Explain fundamental marketing tools for interpreters
  • Apply what was learned into their own life

The material in this class is based on my experience as a medical and court interpreter of over 12 years. I researched about marketing, IRS exemptions for independent contractors, and asked agencies about good practices in our profession.

Hands-on Practice for Interpreting in a Legal Setting

Marcela Renna

This session will provide an opportunity to practice interpreting in real time and get feedback from instructor and fellow participants. This session is geared to beginning interpreters. We will go over the steps to acquire, retain and use new vocabulary, through the practice of shadowing and actual interpreting. The documents provided will be in English, but participants will be encouraged to interpret into their native languages. We will work in groups according to languages represented. Language neutral session.

Luncheon Presentation: Translating a Colombian Reconciliation Project for Kansas

Laura Knost and Yasmin Gavigan

Memorias a Color (Memories in Color) is a Colombian peace and reconciliation project founded by Edwin Rodríguez that generates dialogue between victims and victimizers through artistic representations of home. Through a selection of these symbolic images, we provide an overview of the project and its context, and discuss the role of Spanish translation students in extending this dialogue to the Kansas State University community.

Diversifying Your Language Services: How to Know What to Offer, When, and to Whom

Madalena Sánchez Zampaulo

As translators, we have a unique set of skills that few other professionals possess. In fact, our skills are adaptable to other service offerings that might not seem all that obvious at first. Whether you’ve considered offering translation services in another area of specialization, or you’d like to offer complementary services to your clients in addition to translation, the possibilities are endless. Diversifying your language service offerings allows you to avoid the pitfalls of “slower” months in your business while taking a practical and strategic approach to building a sustainable and diverse translation business that provides your clients with additional value.

Intro to Firearms and Ballistics – Parts 1 and 2

Lonnie R. Cox

These sessions will provide an introduction to firearms. The instructor will talk about the different types of firearms, parts of firearms, types of ammunition, parts of a bullet, forensic evidence involving firearms and general vocabulary related to firearms. There will be parts of firearms on display for easier identification. Language neutral sessions.

Hands-on Practice for Interpreting in a Medical Setting

Francisco Martinez

This is hands-on session for Spanish Healthcare Interpreters. All 3 modes of interpretation will be reviewed and practiced: consecutive, sight translation, and simultaneous. Interpreters attending this session need to bring a headset with microphone, and two electronic devices (laptop, iPad, tablet, android phone, or iPhone) to be able to record their interpretations in the digital classroom of the session. Both devices will used for the simultaneous translation practice. After each translation practice, we will volunteer samples from the attending interpreters for constructive feedback. This session will abide by the motto: “All teach, all learn.”

Introduction to Arabic Translation: Challenges and Tips

Hiba Gharib

Arabic is the seventh most important language online, with 166 million speakers in the world. Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) is the language used in all written works, as printed material and taught in schools across Arabic-speaking regions. It is generally understood by most Arabic speakers, regardless of their home dialect. The various dialects and regional vernaculars Arabic has pose a challenge for the translators in addition to cultural, linguistic and syntactic and structural challenges the translator need to deal with in the process of translation. This presentation will deal with the numerous obstacles the translators will face in their attempts to render a text from Arabic into English or vice versa and proposing some tips and instructions that would ease and facilitate the translation task.

Translation: From Theory to Practice

Abigail Dahlberg

This hands-on session will be split into two parts. The first section, theory, will cover some of the pitfalls that might trip up translators working from Roman and Germanic languages into English. Examples will be provided in several languages, but the principles should be beneficial for any translator working with English. The second section, practice, will give translators the chance to test out these skills by working in language-based teams to tackle a short translation project.

Brainstorm Networking: Speed Networking Meets Ethical Conundrums

Abigail Dahlberg, facilitator

As translators and interpreters, we often come across thorny ethical issues in our work. It can be hard to know what to do without talking the situation over with other professionals. In this fun and fast-paced networking event, we will discuss ethical conundrums in small groups. Don’t forget to bring your business cards, as there will be a chance to network in the midst of your discussions.


Presenter Bios

Gloria Rivera

Gloria M. Rivera is a Peruvian physician, English/Spanish translator, California Certified Court Interpreter, Certified Medical Interpreter (CMI and CHI), conference interpreter, and instructor. She obtained her physician/surgeon degree from Universidad San Martin de Porres (Lima, Peru). She holds a Professional Certificate of Translation and Interpretation from UCSD Extension and has taught courses for the certificate. Dr. Rivera is Core Faculty of the National Center for Interpretation (University of Arizona). She is also the owner of Blue Urpi, a company focused on providing medically accurate training for certified and aspiring medical interpreters. She is the recipient of CHIA’s 2018 Instructor of the Year Award.

Julie Cortés

An award-winning advertising/marketing copywriter, Julie Cortés has run her own freelance business for more than 20 years. Best known as the founder of The Freelance Exchange of KC, Cortés created her own much-needed college-level course, Freelancing 101, and teaches as an adjunct professor at the world-renowned KC Art Institute. Recognized with awards dozens of times over for her work, leadership, volunteerism and community involvement, this freelance rockstar is regularly sought out for media interviews, public speaking, and professional coaching for freelancers as well as those who hire them. Cortés is loving life, living out her passion of helping others succeed.  

John Matthews

John Matthews has been a member of MICATA for 30+ years, is a Life Member of the ATA, and has been ATA-certified in Japanese > English translation since 1987.  He periodically writes a column in the MICATA Monitor, “Business 101 for Translators & Interpreters.”  With an MBA from Thunderbird focusing on East Asia and a BS from Georgetown University in Japanese and Applied Linguistics, he worked for 20 years at the Consulate General of Japan at Kansas City where duties included in-house translation.  He is a fulltime freelance translator focusing on legal, pharmaceutical, automotive, electronics and general business matters, and uses SDL Trados Studio frequently in his translation business.

Madalena Sánchez Zampaulo

Madalena Sánchez Zampaulo is ATA President-Elect and chairs the Membership Committee and Governance and Communications Committee. She is the owner of a boutique translation agency, Accessible Translation Solutions, and is a Spanish > English and Portuguese > English medical and life sciences translator. She has served as chair of ATA’s Public Relations Committee (2014–2018) and administrator of ATA’s Medical Division (2011–2015). She holds a BA in Spanish from the University of Southern Mississippi and an MA in Spanish from the University of Louisville. She is also a consultant for the University of Louisville Graduate Certificate in Translation.

Jean Marie Trujillo

Jean Marie Trujillo, an ATA Certified Translator (Spanish>English; Portuguese>English) and a CCHI Certified Healthcare Interpreter™ professional (Spanish<>English), completed her Ph.D. in Spanish at The University of Kansas in 2016, with a focus on Latin American Literary and Cultural Studies.  She currently balances translation and interpretation work with part-time language teaching at Baker University and serves on the MICATA board of directors.

Rosario Garriga

Rosario Garriga is a native of Argentina who came to the United States in 1999. She is a federally certified court interpreter and a certified court interpreter for the Missouri State Courts. She holds a degree in Communication Sciences with a focus in journalism from the University of Buenos Aires and an M.A. in Print Journalism from Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts. She has worked as a freelance interpreter since 2008 and as an editor and translator since 2001. Most of her work these days is done in the federal courts, MO State Courts, attorney-client meetings and legal matters. However, she also has experience in conference, medical and business interpreting. Ms. Garriga is a member of MICATA, ATA and NAJIT.

Tingting Qin

Tingting Qin has been a professional Chinese translator and interpreter since 2007. She is a CCHI certified healthcare interpreter, Missouri Court certified interpreter, immigration court interpreter, CATTI (China Accreditation Test for Translators and Interpreters) certified translator, and secretary of MICATA. Some highlights of her past translation and interpretation experience include: simultaneous interpreter for the 2018 Omaha Summit, liaison and interpreter for the Finnish sailing team in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and co-translator of five books published by Qingdao Publishing Group in China. With an MA in English linguistics and an MBA, Tingting’s goal is to bridge language and cultural gaps among people through translation, interpretation, and education.

Paul Spacek

Paul Spacek is a Senior Medical Interpreter at Children’s Mercy Hospital where he has worked for over six years.  In his role as Senior Medical Interpreter Paul serves as a coach and mentor for interpreting students and new hires, and is also involved in the development and presentation of continuing education classes.  Paul has been nationally certified as a Medical Interpreter through CCHI since 2015. Paul is a member of the University of Kansas class of 2010 and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish with a Co-major in International Studies and a Minor in Sociology.  He received his certificate in Medical Interpretation from Johnson County Community College in 2013. He is currently in the Masters of Science degree program for Adult Learning and Leadership through Kansas State University Olathe.  In his current role Paul works mainly at the Children’s Mercy Broadway Clinics where he has extensive experience interpreting in the primary care setting.

Frieda Ruppaner-Lind

Frieda Ruppaner-Lind is an ATA-certified translator from English into German and German into English. She has been working as a full-time freelance translator for both agencies and direct clients for nearly three decades. She is a graduate of the Translators and Interpreters Institute at the University of Heidelberg, Germany, with a degree in English and Spanish with economics as a minor. Her main areas of specialization are technology, including medical technology, business and related areas. She has been active in ATA both on the regional and national level for many years as chapter president, ATA committee chair, and ATA board member in addition to giving presentations at regional events and the ATA conference.

Abigail Dahlberg

Abigail Dahlberg is a German-English translator and copywriter specializing in environmental issues, primarily recycling and waste management. After completing an MA in Translation and Interpreting in 2001, she worked as a staff translator in Germany for several years before relocating to Kansas City and launching a freelance business in 2005. Over the past 15 years, she has helped dozens of direct clients in Germany, Austria and Switzerland communicate with an English-speaking audience. Abigail currently serves as MICATA President.

Marcela Renna

Marcela Renna is a federally and state certified English-Spanish court interpreter and an ATA certified English > Spanish translator. She has been working as a freelance interpreter/translator in the Kansas City metropolitan area for the last 20 years. She is an Adjunct Professor at Johnson County Community College in the Legal Interpreting Certificate Program and an instructor for the Missouri Foreign Language Court Interpreter Orientation Program. When she’s not working, she loves to travel with her family, read books, listen to audiobooks and learn Italian.

Laura Kanost

Dr. Laura Kanost is an associate professor of Spanish at Kansas State University, where she teaches and writes about translation and Latin American literature. She is an ATA-certified translator (Spanish>English), and serves as the advisor for the K-State Spanish translation minor program. Her translations include Las guionistas: A Bilingual Anthology of Mexican Women Screenwriters (Bilingual Press, 2017) and A Dead Rose by Aurora Cáceres (Stockcero, 2018). With MICATA member Dr. Julie A. Sellers, she co-authored the open-access textbook Intermediarios: Introduction to Spanish<>English Community and Legal Translation and Interpreting (New Prairie Press, 2018).

Yasmin Gavigan

Yasmin Diaz Gavigan is from Bogota, Colombia.  She has a Master’s degree in Second Language Acquisition from Kansas State University.  She is currently the Interim Spanish Coordinator for the Basic Spanish Program and Instructor at Kansas State University, and has worked teaching from basic to Intermediate levels of Spanish in the same institution for more than 15 years.

Lonnie R. Cox

Lonnie R. Cox is a retired special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI). He received training in the following areas: Violent crimes investigations, crime scenes, evidence collections, etc. He acted as an FBI Firearms Instructor and was a Swat Team member. Since retiring from the FBI, he has continued teaching Firearms Safety classes in the community.

Francisco Martinez

Francisco J. Martinez, or Paco, has been working for the last 5 years at Children’s Mercy Kansas City, as Healthcare Interpreter and for the last 4 years as the manager of the Culture & Language Coaching (CLC) program, coaching the bilingual residents is the Hispanic primary care clinic, CHiCoS, Clínica Hispana para Cuidados para la Salud. Paco trains future Spanish speaking pediatricians improve their medical and colloquial Spanish, and cultural and regional Healthcare beliefs that Hispanic/Latino patients and their families bring to their doctor visits, as well as behavioral healthcare therapists and social workers through the Adelante branch of the CLC program both in Missouri and Kansas. Paco has a background in Higher Education as a Foreign Language Instructor at Northwest Missouri State University and in Mexico before moving to Missouri. Paco is a commissioner with the Commission for the Certification of Healthcare Interpreters, and a member of the MICATA Board.

Hiba Gharib

Dr. Hiba Gharib holds a Ph.D. linguistics. She received her Ph.D. and M.A. from The University of Kansas. She has another M.A .from the University of Sulaymany (Iraq). She obtained her BA in translation and interpretation. Dr. Gharib was one of the teaching staff members in the English department of the University of Sulaimany for more than 19 years. At the same time, she worked as a translator and an interpreter in different fields. Dr. Hiba has a number of published articles in different international and local journals. She speaks three languages fluently: Kurdish, Arabic and English. She has participated in many conferences and workshops as a translator; she also has translated many booklets and brochure from Kurdish to English or Arabic and vice versa. Dr. Gharib participated in many language courses and has a handful of certificates in teaching English to foreign learners. Currently, she works with many companies and organizations as an onsite, on phone interpreter and a translator. She resides in Kansas City, Kansas.