- Sponsor
- Translation and Interpreting Studies
- Speaker
- Hadi Umayra
- Registration
- Link
- Contact
- Melody Qian
- xjqian@illinois.edu
- Originating Calendar
- The Program in Translation & Interpreting Studies
TIS Career Talks – Spring 2026
Translating Across Worlds: Literary Practice, Professional Pathways, and Intellectual Growth
Date: Thursday, April 16, 2026
Time: 3:30–4:30 p.m. Central Time
Speaker: Hadi Umayra (TIS Alumnus, Class of 2018)Join us for the TIS Career Talks - Spring 2026, featuring alumnus Hadi Umayra (Class of 2018). Hadi is currently a Ph.D. candidate in English at Old Dominion University, where he specializes in Rhetoric, Writing & Discourse Studies and Technology & Media Studies.
In this talk, Hadi will share his journey from graduate studies to professional practice in literary translation and academia. Drawing on his interdisciplinary background, he will discuss how translation can open pathways across languages, cultures, and intellectual fields. Students will also gain insight into career possibilities related to translation, research, and creative work.
Hadi holds master’s degrees in Literature, Political Science, and Translation & Interpreting Studies from the University of Texas at Dallas and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. A U.S. Army veteran and former linguist and cultural advisor, he is the author and translator of several books, including Mind’s Gravity: Pandemic Has No Smell (2021). His work connects literary translation with interdisciplinary research and creative theory.
The talk will conclude with practical advice for students and an open Q&A session.
Everyone interested in translation, literature, research, and international careers are warmly encouraged to attend.