My research interests encompass two different disciplines: Translation Studies (translation technology); and Political Discourse Analysis (with a special focus on American presidential discourse). I am also combining these areas through my work on the translation of political language and political terminology.

My research on translation ultimately aims at the modernization of international curricula through the development of comprehensive theoretical models of an increasingly industrialized field. Here, I am particularly interested in the 'human side' of translation technology, i.e. the impact that technology has on individual translators, including translation students. Related to that is my interest in a critical analysis of the discourse of the localization industry. I have so far published two sole-authored books on translation theory and translation technology and co-edited three books on learning approaches in translation studies and language learning. I currently have under contract with St. Jerome a completely revised version of my 2001 Electronic Tools for Translators. In addition, I have published ten book chapters, all by invitation with reputable international publishers, and eleven articles in refereed journals, and carried out editorial work for three research journals.

My second research focus, the start of which was supported by a Fulbright Fellowship at the American Library of Congress, culminated in the 2014 monograph the Great American Scaffold: Identity and Intertextuality in American Presidential Discourse, which was published by Benjamins in their prestigious Discourse Approaches to Politics, Society and Culture series. I am currently working on a second monograph analyzing the role of the Jeremiad in American presidential election campaign discourse. Other aspects of this research have been published internationally (three book chapters, one research articles, one internet publication) and presented at international conferences. My presentation at the 2008 Annual Conference of the German Association of American Studies was short-listed for the German Science Foundation best presentation prize.

I am the Programme Director for Aston's MA in Translating for Business and International Institutions and Co-Programme Director for the MA in TESOL and Translation Studies.

I regularly teach into a number of modules of these two MA degrees. These include, among others, the following:

LIM106 and LIM107: The Translation Industry: Theoretical and Practical Perspectives I and

LIM109 and LIM110: Translation Technology I and II

LIM104: Specialised Translation Practice: German – English

Furthermore, I contribute to the following UG modules in translation:

LI3205: Advanced Translation German

LI3206: Contemporary Translation Theories

LI2009: Translation and Technology

2005 – 2015    Associate Professor, The University of Auckland, New Zealand

1998 - 2005     Senior Lecturer (Akademischer Rat), University of Mainz, Germany

1995 - 1998     Tutor (Lehrbeauftragter), University of Heidelberg, Germany

Deputy Dean, School of Languages and Social Sciences

Head of Translation Studies

Progamme Director: MA Translating for Business and International Institutions

Aston Representative of the European Masters in Tranlsation (EMT) Network

Aston Representative of the International Doactoral Network in Translation Studies (ID-TS) Network

Member of Senate, Aston University

Member of Aston University's Senior Management Group

Board Member of the European Master's in Translation (EMT)

Member of the editorial board of the Journal The Interpreter and Translator Trainer. Routledge (since 2017)

Advisory board of the journal Asia-Pacific Translation and Intercultural Studies. Routledge (since 2013).

Member of the advisory board of the journal Translation Spaces: A multidisciplinary, multimedia, and multilingual journal of translation and editor of the journal's Translation, Globalization, and Communication Technology track. John Benjamins. (since 2012).

Co-Editor of the online journal T21N - Translation in Transition (www.t21n.com) (since 2010).

Durao, R. conneXions: international professional communciation journal. Reviewer for two sections (1. Tools and Technologies; 2. Translation, internationalization, globalization, controlled language) (since 2009).

I have also reviewed manuscripts dealing with Translation Studies and Critical Discourse Analysis for Perspectives, the Journal of Language and Politics, and East European Politics and Societies, and reviewed research proposals for the British Academy, the Hong Kong Research Council, the Spanish Ministry of Economic Development, and the British Academy.

Founding Member of the Asia-Pacific Forum on Translation and Intercultural Studies

Member of the European Society of Translation Studies (EST)

Member of the International Doctoral Network in Translation Studies (ID-TS)

Member of the German Association of American Studies

Member of Humanities Academia