Shannon Uplinger

Shannon Uplinger has provided language services to government agencies and private sector firms and organizations since 1987. Her recent professional background includes employment and pro bono work with healthcare organizations and law firms in the Washington, DC area. Ms. Uplinger's reseach and writing experience covers a range of subject matter, to include medical, legal, and technical subjects. Trained in medical terminology and certified as a medical interpreter, Ms. Uplinger is also presently earning certification as a paralegal.

Now an independent contracting business, Uplinger Technical Services, which Ms. Uplinger founded, was originally incorporated in 1993 with a mission of providing Russian language consulting and import/export services. The company supported firms and government organizations with infrastructure development projects in Russia, and conducted trade in crystal and medical devices with Russian and CIS firms. Ms. Uplinger actively managed the business and personally edited dozens of reports, contracts, proposals, training packages and other formal documents for the company's language services clients.

Prior to establishing Uplinger Technical Services, Ms. Uplinger researched, drafted and edited intellignece reports for the National Security Agency, as a civilian employee, and the U.S. Air Force, where she held the military rank of captain. Later, as a civilian employee of the Air Force, she was responsible for the administration of language training contracts.

Originally from Indiana, Ms. Uplinger holds a bachelor's degree in Russian Language and Literature from the University of Texas at Austin and a master's degree in Russian and Eastern European Studies from the George Washington University. A Defense Language Institute graduate, Ms. Uplinger also studied classics and linguistics at the University of Chicago.

Ms. Uplinger is the recipient of a number of military honors and academic awards. Her article "English language training for air traffic controllers must go beyone ATC vocabulary" was published by the Flight Safety Foundation in 1997.