Dr. Halcyon Lawrence was a transformative scholar who advocated for the importance of language justice, inclusion, and accessibility in technical communication. Her research helped technical communicators recognize, and intervene in, linguistic bias in technology design. Most recently, in her article, “Technical and Professional Communicators as Advocates of Linguistic Justice in the Design of Speech Technologies,” Dr. Lawrence called on all technical communication scholars, teachers, and practitioners to take an active role in the (re)design of speech technologies. As Dr. Lawrence states: “I argue that technical communicators —both researchers and practitioners—are in an ideal position to advocate for a more socially just design of speech devices and to assess and mitigate potential harms to marginalized communities with varying language backgrounds” (p. 1).
To extend and honor Dr. Lawrence’s research and contributions, in collaboration with Dr. Lawrence’s family, ATTW is pleased to announce this annual award to support those whose research, practice, and/or pedagogy focus on language justice in technical communication. This includes scholars and teachers focusing on technical communication and translation, language diversity, the intersections of race, technology, community, and language, and diasporic and global languages in technical communication.
Researchers, teachers, and practitioners working to advance language justice in technical communication are eligible for this award. Preference will be given to Black women and femme applicants working on issues of language diversity and technical communication. Graduate students, community members, and industry practitioners are also encouraged to apply.
To apply, please submit an extended abstract (not more than 750 words) that summarizes the applicant’s work in language justice and technical communication. The Awards Selection Committee will prioritize abstracts that are clearly defined, engage with Dr. Lawrence’s scholarship, and offer significant pedagogical, theoretical, and/or methodological contributions to the field of technical communication.
Completed applications should be sent to G. Edzordzi Agbozo (agbozog) and Erin Clark (froste), the award co-chairs, by 11:59 PM PST on March 24, 2025.
Important Dates
Application deadline: March 24, 2025
Notification of recipients: May 2025
ATTW Conference: June 14-15, 2025
Questions
Please feel free to contact the co-chairs with any questions.
Dr. Halcyon Lawrence, we give you your flowers and we honor you!
– G. Edzordzi Agbozo & Erin Clark
ATTW 2025 Award Co-chairs