A Visionary Supporter from the Start

La Monica Everett-Haynes
Nov. 15, 2012

Agnese Haury has been the primary patron of the UA's National Center for Interpretation, Testing, Research and Policy for decades.

"Her interest in social justice has shaped an entire field and changed the life opportunities of millions of persons who now have access to justice and other critical social institutions because of Mrs. Haury’s support for this unique UA Center," said Roseann Dueñas González, the outgoing director of the National Center for Interpretation, or NCI.

A researcher, historian, editor, author and philanthropist, Haury met González in 1980s. During that time, González was leading the development, validation, and administration of the federal court interpreter certification exam. 

Through her United Nations network, Haury heard of the new federal project to provide quality interpretation in the courts for traditionally marginalized non-English speaking populations. She ultimately offered to help, beginning a 30-year collaboration with González. 

The connection led to the creation of an internationally renowned legal and medical institute. Also developed was a rigorous undergraduate major in translation and interpretation at the UA and several testing and training grants for Navajo and trilingual interpreters. Other outcomes included the development of translation and interpretation high school curricula and materials collaboratively funded by Haury, the UA, the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education and key Tucson area school districts.

Also, Haury and González established the UA Agnese Haury Institute for Interpretation in 1983, the longest running intensive Spanish and English interpreter training program in the nation, which has trained more than 2,500 individuals toward becoming federally certified interpreters in various languages.

"Mrs. Agnese Haury has shown unflagging support for upholding non-English speakers’ opportunity for justice through the training of proficient court and medical interpreters," González said.

Before her retirement, González completed the second edition of "Fundamentals of Court Interpretation Theory, Policy and Practice" with Victoria F. Vasquez, who directs the Arizona Superior Court's Office of the Court Interpreter, and Holly Mikkelson, a faculty member at the Monterey Institute of International Studies at Middlebury College.

About the text, Stanford professor Guadalupe Valdes said it "accomplished the formidable task of defining and shaping the field of court interpretation," also noting that the 2012 edition "refines and expands these standards, incorporating lessons learned to announce best practices, revealing new empirical data, and offering a brief review of case law that demonstrates the continuing problems resulting from the use of inadequate interpreter services as well as erroneous judicial and attorney practices."

Haury funded the research and production of the book, which is considered a seminal text in the field and has helped shape standards. In honor of her support of the 2012 edition, the text was dedicated in honor of Haury.

"When Agnese understood we were trying to create national policy standards and norms of practice as well as document all the myriad changes in the field, current scholarship, as well as new  language access policies, she again committed her generous support," González said.

González calls Haury a visionary and said her support has been invaluable, not only for the UA, but for the field of court interpretation.

"The field has grown so much over the years, and there are many new changes on the horizon," González said."We hope that every federal court and state court in the country will acquire the new edition in order to improve interpreter, attorney and judicial practice."

Photo courtesy of Roseann Dueñas González

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