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Language and Health Symposium

Second Annual Language and Health Symposium

10:00 AM - 3:15 PM

October 1, 2025

University of Houston-Downtown

The Second Language & Health Symposium (2025) is scheduled to take place October 1 at the University of Houston-Downtown (One Main Street, 77002). This year, we have planned the symposium in collaboration with HITA (Houston Interpreters & Translators Association) to coincide with International Translators' Day."
Globe and stethoscope

Register to Attend

  • HITA members should select the first ticket.
  • If you are NOT a HITA member, but would like CEUs, then select the second ticket.
  • Presenters, UHD students, and UHD faculty should select the third ticket.
  • If you are NOT a HITA member nor affiliated with UHD, you should select the fifth ticket.
  • UHD students and professional translators/interpreters who would like to participate in the interactive luncheon (Meet a Translator/Interpreter) should ALSO register using the fourth ticket, as this will allow us to keep track of participant numbers. 
If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Rey Romero at romerore@uhd.edu

Register by selecting your correct ticket type
REGISTER

Plenary Speaker: Ludmila Golovine

Ludmila GolovineLudmila Golovineis the President and CEO of MasterWord Services, Inc., a top-ranked LSP globally. She has dedicated over 30 years to the language services industry, and for the past 15 years has been an international speaker/advocate for language rights and social justice. She is the Strategic Partnerships Manager for the Global Community Programs of Women in Localization, a founding member of the Global Coalition of Language Rights, member of TBAT (Texas Business Against Human Trafficking), active participant in the UN Global Compact Initiative, and chairs the Advisory Subcommittee for the Translation and Interpretation Program at the Houston Community College. Her work has been recognized by numerous awards, including California Healthcare Interpreting Association (CHIA) Trainer of the Year Award 2021, Houston Business Journal’s Women Who Mean Business Award, and Congressional Recognition G7 “Excellence in International Service" award.

Symposium Agenda

10:00 - 10:30 AM

  • Registron and Sign-in
  • Coffee

10:30 - 10:45 AM

  • Welcome Remarks:
    Rebeca Nini - HITA
    Rey Romero - UHD, BA in Translation

11:00 AM - 12:30 PM

  • Presentations (Sessions A, B, C) 

Sessions A, B, & C

Moderator: Yajaira Ceciliano-Navarro

11:00-11:30 AM

LGBTQ+ Forced Migrants and the Intersectional Failure of Language Access in US Detention Centers
Melissa Wallace - UT San Antonio

11:35 AM-12:05 PM

The Language of Resilience
María A. Nunez M. - Clinical Psychologist

12:10-12:40 PM

Language Policy, Health Literacy, and Equity in Mental Health: The Impact of English-Only Norms on Multilingual Patients
Cinzia Olivanti - Casiano Psychological Services

Moderator: Carolyne Gascoigne

11:00-11:30 AM

When Words Shape Diagnosis: Overcoming Spanish-Language Challenges in Autism and Behavioral Health Interpretation
Amairany Amador - Texas Children's Hospital

11:35 AM-12:05 PM

Language Communication in the Emergency Department
Juana Espinosa - Pasadena Academy

12:10-12:40 PM

Help! I Need Clarification: The Interpreter's Role in Clinical Trial Consents
Erika Saldana - UT Southwestern Medical Center 


Moderator: Toni Hoang

11:00-11:30 AM

Reflecting on Five Years of Teaching Spanish for Healthcare: Pedagogical Shifts, Student Diversity, and Structural Challenges 
Lillie Padilla - Sam Houston State University

11:35 AM-12:05 PM

Breaking Barriers: Pioneering a Path to Double Majoring in Health Sciences and Spanish through Experiential Learning
Tiffany Robayna & Havilah Couvillion - Samford University

12:10-12:40 PM

Interpreting in Me'phaa: Creating a Trilingual Medical Dictionary for Providers and Patients
Naomi Galindo Galarza - University of Kansas 

12:40-1:30 PM

  • Lunch & Meet a Translator/Interpreter (Registered participants only)

1:30 - 3:10 PM

  • Presentations - (Sessions D, E, F)

Sessions D, E, F

Moderator: Edmund Cueva

1:30-2:00 PM

Language, Communication, and Culture and Professional Development for Community Health Workers in San Antonio
Zachary D. Zambrano - Texas A&M San Antonio


2:05-2:35 PM

Death, Disease and Healing in Latin American Literature: Reclaiming the Ancestral Voice 
Albert DeJesús Rivera - University of Houston-Downtown


2:40-3:10 PM

Cultural Competence Case Studies: Their Importance in the Medical Field 
Yesenia Chávez, Nisha Mathews, & Karen E. Alexander - San Jacinto College-Central; University of Houston-Clear Lake

Moderator: Paul Mandell

1:30-2:00 PM

Spanish for Health Professionals: A Communicative and Community-Based Approach to Developing Practical and Effective Professional Skills in Second Language
Jamile Forcelini - Sam Houston State University


2:05-2:35 PM

Words That Work: Exploring Language Variation in Written Arabic Healthcare Communication
Matt Mudaris - Children's Hospital of Philadelphia


2:40-3:10 PM

Expanding Opportunities in Medical Spanish: Virtual Practicum and AI-Driven Clinical Simulations
Jessica Y. Morones-Patel - Rice University

Moderator: Melissa Wallace
 
1:30-2:00 PM
 
From Classroom to Clinic: Teaching Ethics to Medical Interpreters
Graciela Zozaya - MasterWord Services
 
 
2:05-2:35 PM
 
Enhancing Interpreting Training with AI tools and GoREACT for Effective Feedback in Medical Settings
Elisa Perez - Utah State University
 
 
2:40-3:10 PM
 
Technology-Based Learning and Evaluation: Applying Adult Learning Theory to Advance Healthcare Interpreter Training 
Valerie Huang - Nationwide Children’s Hospital
 

3:10 - 3:25 PM

  • Coffee Break

 3:25 - 4:25 PM

  • Reviewing the SAFE AI Task Force’s Guidance and AI Interpreting Evaluation Toolkit
    Plenary Speech 
    Ludmila Golovine - SAFE-AI; MasterWord Services

4:25 - 4:35 PM

  • Closing Remarks
    William Nowak -  University of Houston-Downtown History, Humanities, & Languages, Chair

Sponsored by:

Houston Interpreters and Translators Association logoUHD logo