Colleagues – My Blog

Professional Volunteer Work

Robert is a current member of the American Translators Association Board of Directors (term: 2020-2023). He serves on the ATA Advocacy Committee and the National Registry Committee. He is also a frequent proctor, organizing certification exam sittings for ATA members.

Robert welcomes comments, questions and feedback from ATA members and from anyone considering joining ATA. He may be reached by email with any comments or to schedule a phone call or zoom session.

Robert served one previous term on the Board of Directors of the American Translators Association
(2001-2004). He also has served as a Spanish-English certification exam grader and chaired the
ATA Nominating Committee.

Conference Presenter

Robert is an experienced conference presenter. He frequently presents at conferences held by the ATA and by the European Language Industry Association (ELIA).

You can find a list of Robert’s upcoming presentations here.

If you are planning a conference or seminar, whether in-person or virtual, please contact Robert to
inquire about potential presentation topics.

Translation-related topics of recent presentations Robert has offered

Honorifics in European source languages: To translate or not to translate
I now pronounce you… – Handling the language of civil unions and same sex marriage in vital records documents
Refining your translation in the target language
Identifying and avoiding 3rd language syndrome in your translations
False friends and foes in translation
Corporate entities and related language

Translation-related topics of recent presentations Robert has offered

Power networking for the freelance language professional – The perks of not being a wallflower
Working as a quality-oriented translator in a technology-oriented world
The importance of unique branding for the freelance professional
The freelance–agency dating game… Knowing what effective communication means in
practical terms
Leveraging MS Word tools to enhance your translation productivity
Translating on a Mac in a PC-oriented world.

Presentations for non-translators

Robert has spoken at business and professional events and in university settings about the workings of the translation and interpretation professions. From general orientation to the language services industries to hints and tips for navigating your translation needs, Robert can prepare a presentation to suit your organization’s needs.

Resources for Translators

While many translators maintain personal libraries comprising tens or even hundreds of volumes, much of the most current terminology is now found online from monolingual or multilingual websites. In addition to his own extensive library, some of Robert’s preferred websites for researching terminology are listed below by language:

Language learning

Robert has studied Russian for 3 years at the University of Pittsburgh and for one summer at Moscow State University.

Additionally, during the COVID pandemic he has been studying the Lithuanian language.

Other interests

Robert is actively interested in a variety of activities, including photography, domestic and foreign travel, dog training (obedience and agility).

Robert has served on the boards of several community non-profit associations, and he currently volunteers as a Denver Ambassador at Denver International Airport. He has also volunteered for dog and cat rescue organizations and regularly fosters dogs that are awaiting adoption.