Assistant Professor of English Susan Crane-Laracuente, Ph.D., has received a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to attend a three-week NEH Summer Institute entitled “What is Gained in Translation: Learning How to Read Translated Texts.” The institute will take place from June 7 to June 27 at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio.
Institute participants will study texts translated into English alongside their originals, partly with the guidance of a small group of seasoned faculty scholars who work in Arabic, Chinese, Russian, French, Persian, and Spanish languages. Participants will also read work from the field of Translation Studies to understand theoretical underpinnings that guide the work of translators and teachers. Finally, Crane-Laracuente and other participants will bring in texts to study together to expand ways they teach translated texts.
According to Summer Institute materials, the goal of the institute is “to develop systematic approaches to teaching translated texts so readers can perceive the world views to which those texts give us access while acknowledging the important mediating role of the translators.”
Crane-Laracuente is excited for the opportunity and said the Institute “allows me to offer new and improved material to students in English and Newman Studies Program classes. This institute aims to cultivate cross-disciplinarity and cross-cultural literacy, which aligns with the Newman University Core Values of Academic Excellence and Global Perspective.”
In addition, NEH will provide Crane with a $2,700 stipend to help cover the cost of her travel, books she must buy, and lodging for the three-week period. Crane-Laracuente applied for the competitive grant and was selected for the excellence of her application.
