The Division of Educational Outreach salutes Elena Gandia Garcia, Ph.D. for teaching excellence. Garcia is the recipient of the 2017 Division of Educational Outreach Faculty Excellence Award for being at the forefront of addressing a need for the state of Nevada and providing students with the skills to be successful legal interpreters. Garcia was indispensable to the development and implementation of the Legal Interpretation: Spanish Certificate Program for UNLV Continuing Education.
As developer and instructor of some of the courses in this certificate, Garcia developed a curriculum to instruct bilingual students in the techniques and procedures of producing an accurate, efficient translation, particularly in the legal field. Students completing this certificate are well-prepared for a career providing high quality interpretation to serve individuals with limited English skills.
In addition to being on the faculty at UNLV as Assistant Professor in Residence at the Department of World Languages and Cultures, Garcia’s research interest is focused on legal translation and interpreting. She is also Vice President of the Nevada Interpreters and Translators Association (NITA). Garcia received her Ph.D. in Translation and Interpreting (Estudios Avanzados de Traducción e Interpretación) at Universitat Jaume I, Castellón, Spain. The Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs appointed Garcia Sworn Interpreter and Translator in 2003.