Scholar, Translator, Teacher, Leader: In Honor of Laurel Rasplica Rodd - Sponsored by the American Association of Teachers of Japanese (AATJ)

Session Submission Type: Roundtable Session

Abstract

Laurel Rasplica Rodd has been a colleague, mentor, and inspirational leader to many in the Japanese language and literature field. On the occasion of her retirement from the University of Colorado, this panel reflects on the impact she has had. Many know of her work as scholar, translator, teacher, and mentor. Her leadership and advocacy, on behalf of Japanese and other foreign languages, have also earned her the thanks and respect of colleagues nation- and world-wide.

The members of this round table will discuss her impact as a teacher of both language and literature; her prize-winning translations of both the classical Japanese poetry anthologies Kokinshu and Shinkokinshu and the Meiji-era feminist poet Yosano Akiko; her role in expanding and strengthening programs in Japanese at two leading public universities; and the innovative courses and study programs she developed for both students and teachers.

Laurel became President of the Association of Teachers of Japanese (ATJ) in 1996 (a position she served in until 2002), and she was instrumental in transforming the organization from a small volunteer-managed group to the internationally respected organization of more than 1,400 teachers at all levels of instruction that it is today. She built bridges between teachers of language and teachers of literature and between teachers at all levels of instruction. She established a program to encourage more American students to study abroad in Japan and to fund them with scholarships. She was instrumental in developing an Advanced Placement program for high school students of Japanese that encouraged them to continue to more advanced study of the language. And she continued her work of translating works of classical, modern, and contemporary literature. Her many contributions will have a lasting resonance in our field.

The discussants will describe Laurel’s contributions in classical literature translation (Arntzen), modern and contemporary literature translation (Heinrich), language pedagogy (Saegusa), mentorship and program administration (Snyder), and leadership and advocacy for Japanese language learning (Tabuse).

Area of Study

• Japan

Session Organizer

• Susan Schmidt, American Association of Teachers of Japanese

Chair

• Amy Vladeck Heinrich, Columbia University

Discussants

• Amy Vladeck Heinrich, Columbia University

• Stephen Snyder, Middlebury College

• Motoko Tabuse, Eastern Michigan University

• Sonja Arntzen, University of Toronto

• Kyoko Saegusa, University of Colorado Boulder