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 she 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.

Anaya is associate professor of psychology at St. Catherine University. Her area of specialization is biological psychology and she received her doctorate from the University of Florida. Her doctoral work examined the impact of maternal obesity on fetal development, using a rodent model. She also holds a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Florida. Her master’s thesis examined smoking cessation outcomes at the local public health department, following dissemination of information regarding the adverse effects of smoking on one’s health and on one’s wallet. Following her doctoral work, she did a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Minnesota and the Veterans Administration Medical Center. She has been on the faculty at St. Catherine University since 2011, and she joined the CATIE Center in 2017. Anaya’s research interests include neural regulation of energy intake and expenditure and understanding the sociocultural and environmental factors which influence food intake and physical activity. She is also interested in, and learning more about, factors which influence maternal health, especially as they pertain to malnutrition, obesity, and infertility.