Bruce Maylath, NDSU professor of English and upper-division writing coordinator, has received the Jay R. Gould Award for Excellence in Teaching Technical Communication from the Society for Technical Communication.

Maylath was recognized May 18 during the society’s annual convention. Originally scheduled for Seattle, the event was held online due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Maylath is the co-founder of the Trans-Atlantic and Pacific Project, known as TAPP, which connects students in writing and translation courses across five continents. The students gain valuable experience by preparing texts for translation and working with source materials and authors.

The citation on Maylath’s award reads, “For substantive, long-ranging contributions to the profession including the design and development of international student collaborations, and for connecting students to the kinds of cutting-edge theory and praxis that have helped them to succeed in a number of industries.”

“I see the Gould Award as honoring not only me but my TAPP co-founder, Prof. Sonia Vandepitte at Ghent University, Belgium, and the scores of instructors and thousands of students who have participated in TAPP collaborations over the past 20 years,” said Maylath, who teaches linguistics and technical communication. “Since the 1999-2000 academic year, when Sonia and I first linked her translation class to my technical writing class, TAPP’s international partnerships have been conducted at more than 40 universities in more than 20 countries. My main role has been mainly to play matchmaker and coordinator.”

Maylath joined the NDSU faculty in 2007. He earned his bachelor's degree at Kalamazoo College, master's degree from Michigan State University and doctorate at the University of Minnesota.

The Society for Technical Communication has 6,000 members worldwide, and has a goal of advancing the theory and practice of technical communication across all media.

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