Elizabeth Lowe

Elizabeth Lowe is Professor and Founding Director of the Program in Translation & Interpreting Studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, housed within the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, School of Literatures, Cultures & Linguistics. Her career bridges rigorous scholarship in translation theory with award-winning literary translation practice.

Education

• Ph.D., City University of New York

Research Interests

Lowe’s work orbits three interlocking domains: literary translation, translation theory and terminology, and Inter-American literary studies. She interrogates how translations shape hemispheric literary canons, explores the ethics and aesthetics of retranslation, and investigates the global circulation of terminologies.

Her publications chart a trajectory from foundational studies in terminology theory to major translations of canonical and contemporary Latin American texts, highlighting the role of translation in mediating cultural memory across the Americas.

Scientific Awards & Grants

• NEH Summer Institute for College and University Teachers

Grants & Advising

While specific doctoral advisees are not listed, Lowe directs the Program in Translation & Interpreting Studies, mentoring cohorts of graduate students in both the M.A. in Translation & Interpreting and related graduate minors. She has secured external funding such as the NEH Summer Institute to advance curricular development and teacher training in translation studies.

Laboratories & Teams

As Founding Director, Lowe leads the Program in Translation & Interpreting Studies, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration among faculty in linguistics, comparative literature, and area studies, while also engaging with the Center for Latin American & Caribbean Studies.