About CATIE Center
In 2021, the CATIE Center was awarded a U.S. Department of Education, Rehabilitation Services Administration grant to increase the number of working interpreters who are trained and qualified to interpret in healthcare settings, reducing the gaps in equity in healthcare communication for Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind, individuals.
This site is maintained by the CATIE Center, with funding from the U.S. Department of Education, Rehabilitation Services Administration, grant #H160D210004. Although the contents were developed under a grant from the Department of Education, these contents do not necessarily represent the policies of the Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the federal government.
For more information about St. Catherine University CATIE Center, visit the CATIE Center website at stkate.edu/catie
LaTanya is a nationally certified sign language interpreter with seventeen years of experience. She has worked in many professional and video relay settings and specializes in healthcare interpreting. Currently, she is the Principal Investigator and Project Director of Project Level Up: Increasing Healthcare Interpreter Competencies at the CATIE Center of St. Catherine University in St. Paul, MN. LaTanya is an adjunct professor in the Interpreter Education Program at the Community College of Philadelphia and has taught at the University of Southern Maine and Camden County College. She presents nationally on topics and issues concerning the sign language interpreting profession.
In addition to interpreting, LaTanya is a pre-licensed professional who offers LGBT+ knowledgeable, trauma-focused psychotherapy, Brainspotting, and problem gambling counseling services to individuals over 18.
A staunch, lifelong advocate for education, LaTanya earned an Associate in Applied Science in American Sign Language/English interpreting from the Community College of Philadelphia, a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the Fox School of Business at Temple University, and continued her studies in ASL Linguistics at Gallaudet University. She had earned a Master of Science in Management from Rosemont College and a Master of Social Work and a Master of Education in Human Sexuality from Widener University.
LaTanya enjoys giving back by volunteering her time and talents. As such, LaTanya sat on the board of the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) as the Member at Large, served as the Region I Representative for RID, and served on the board of the District of Columbia’s chapter of the National Alliance of Black Interpreters (NAOBI-DC). LaTanya served as of the Pennsylvania Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (PARID). In addition, she serves on the Bylaws and Professional Development committees for the Delaware Valley Association of Black Psychologists (DVABPsi), on the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee for the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG), and the American Association of Sexuality Counselors, Educators, and Therapists (AASECT). LaTanya holds several professional memberships in organizations focusing on interpreting, Deaf advocacy, Social Work, and mental, behavioral, and sexual health.
In her free time, LaTanya enjoys reading, cooking, learning Arabic, and spending time with family and friends.
Paula MacDonald, M.S, NIC, QMHI is a reflective English/ASL Interpreter practitioner specializing in; Deaf Professional/Designating Interpreting, legislative, government, conference, mental health and DeafBlind (ProTactile, Tactile and Low Vision) settings since 2009. She holds a Certificate in Deaf Studies, an A.A.S. in English/ASL Interpreting and Transliteration, B.A. in Multicultural Interpreting and a M.S. in Interpreting Pedagogy-completing her teaching practicum at Karl-Franzens University, Graz, Austria. Since 2013, she has worked as an instructional designer and online educator using a variety of learning management systems. She intentionally applies evidence-based best practices to culturally relevant pedagogical, andragogical, and heutagogical curricula design for adult and non-traditional learners.
Taryn works as a program specialist for the CATIE Center’s Project Level Up grant. She graduated from Gallaudet University in 2013 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. Taryn is a LGSW (Licensed Graduate Social Worker) and obtained her Master of Social Work degree at St. Catherine University in 2022. Taryn has 5+ years of experience working in the mental health field serving Deaf, Deafblind, and Hard of Hearing. She is happy to be a part of the CATIE Center team and its mission to diversify and increase the number of qualified healthcare interpreters.
As an instructional designer for the Dive In project, Doug seeks innovative ways to support recent graduates on their journey to becoming practicing professionals. He worked on the CATIE Center team from 2017-2021 with the Graduation to Certification program and collaborated on many CATIE projects before becoming a staff member. In addition to working with the CATIE Center, he interprets in the community when he can, provides mentoring services, and serves on the executive board of the Duluth Branch of the NAACP. He received his MA in Interpreting Studies and Communication Equity in 2019 from St. Catherine University with a project focused on understanding best practices for teaching interpreters about power, privilege and oppression.
Doug lives in Duluth, MN with his partner, Holly. His best thinking often happens while he is on a bicycle, and so is grateful for any chance to be out on the roads and trails on two wheels.
Dr. Swabey is a Professor of Interpreting and Executive Director of the CATIE Center at St. Catherine University. Her doctorate is in linguistics from the University of Minnesota. Her current research interests include interpreting in the healthcare context and interpreting pedagogy. Dr. Swabey’s research has been published in several journals, most recently in Sign Language Studies (2017); International Journal of Research and Practice in Interpreting (2016); Journal of Interpreting (2016); International Journal of Interpreter Education (2016, 2015); Journal of Healthcare Quality (2016); and the International Journal of Translation and Interpreting (2014). Dr. Swabey is also the co-editor of two books: Advances in Interpreting Research (Benjamins, 2011) and Educating Healthcare Interpreters (Gallaudet University Press, 2012). She has served as an advisor to the National Council on Interpreting in Health Care and the Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters, as well as on the board of directors for Conference of Interpreter Trainers and American Translation and Interpreting Studies Association. Dr. Swabey’s most recent national and international conference presentations include Critical Link in Edinburgh, Scotland (2016); the 6th International Conference on Public Service Interpreting and Translating in Madrid, Spain (2017); and the International Symposium on Signed Language Interpreting Research in Washington, DC (2017).