2024 Mark and Heather Rosenker Lecture featuring Joe Mazza
October 10, 2024
Joe Mazza presents "Enduring Words" for the 2024 Rosenker Lecture
On Wednesday, October 9, Joe Mazza presented his talk, "Enduring Words" for the 2024 Rosenker Lecture. The Lecture was co-sponsored by the Mark and Heather Rosenker Center for Political Communication and Civic Leadership, the Department of Communication, the Department of Spanish and Portuguese, and the School of Languages, Literatures and Cultures.
From L to R: Dr. Manel Lacorte (Program Head, Spanish and Portuguese), Dr. Shawn Parry-Giles (Chair, Department of Communication), Joe Mazza (Guest Speaker), Dr. Mary Ellen Scullen (Director, School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures)
The Rosenker Lecture series and Mazza's talk reflected the COMM Department's mission of using communication for the public good. Mazza discussed the history, theory, and cultural implications of language and certain words. Attendees even iterated words and phrases in various languages!
After 18 years as Chief of the Translating Division at the State Department's Office of Language Services, Mazza has seen hundreds of millions of words move through his office, in dozens of languages. He also taught at UMD for eight years.
Photo of Mazza speaking
Mazza described words, communication, and language studies as a process with "well-healed scar tissue"-- it is a lot of labor, and a lot of rewards. We are "collectors of words" and it can be "selfish" not to use our words; sometimes, we even "wait a long time to get the right word."
Mazza had a number of lessons, or parables as he called them, for listeners, including "trust, but verify," "beware of the naysayers," "arm yourself with experts," and relish in the "joys of serendipity" (one of his all time favorite words).
Mazza stressed the importance of human skill in making technology work for us in the age of artificial intelligence.
Students, faculty, friends, and families attended the lecture in person and over Zoom. Refreshments were provided and a lively Q&A session left us all with much to think about! Here's to the power of words!
From L to R: Guest Speaker Joe Mazza with Dr. Shawn Parry-Giles, Chair of the Communication Department and Director of the Mark and Heather Rosenker Center