AMWA Journal / V36 N1 / 2021 / amwa.org    3

W elcome to the 2021 Spring issue of the AMWA Journal. As I write this, AMWA is in the final 

stages of selecting the Journal’s new Editor in Chief (EiC), who will be in place at the time this 

issue is published. I hope you are as excited as I am to “meet” the new EiC in the next issue and 

see how they will work with the editorial board to help guide and shape the Journal in the coming years.

 In this issue, you will find both articles featuring 2020 AMWA award winners and session reports from 

AMWA’s successful 2020 Annual Medical Writing & Communication Conference. Despite this event being 

held virtually, attendance was high, and attendee reviews have been excellent. Once again, the volume of 

rich content included in the plenary sessions, open sessions, and roundtables was too large to capture in 

a single issue—so be on the lookout for other content inspired by our conference presenters as upcoming 

AMWA Webinars, Knowledge Builders, and other activities in AMWA Online Learning.

 Speaking of AMWA Online Learning, have you checked out the catalog lately? Our education depart-

ment has been very busy, continuing its momentum from 2020 into the new year by delivering fresh 

content and developing new webinars, Knowledge Builders, and other offerings. And the valuable opportu-

nities to learn are not just limited to the Online Learning catalog! New posts are continually being added to 

the AMWA blog (https://blog.amwa.org), and AMWA’s Medical Communications News, which is delivered 

to your inbox on a regular basis, has recently gotten a new look. Did you know that AMWA has a YouTube 

channel (https://www.youtube.com/c/AmericanMedicalWritersAssociation) that houses videos highlight-

ing members discussing trends in medical writing and the features of AMWA? Be sure to open your emails 

from AMWA and follow AMWA on social media so you don’t miss any of this valuable content!

 When this issue is published, it will mark about a year since our daily lives were changed dramatically 

due to COVID-19–related stay-at-home orders. For those of who have lost loved ones or whose lives and 

livelihoods have otherwise been forever changed, please accept my condolences. I never expected my term 

as AMWA President to start entirely from my home, without a single in-person interaction or hug. Yet I’ve 

so enjoyed the smiles I get from my AMWA colleagues at virtual chapter networking events and governance 

meetings, as well as chatting on Engage, on LinkedIn, and in the conference platform. Thanks once again 

to our chapter leaders for keeping the online networking and programming going so that AMWA members 

can continue to feel like a part of the amazing community that is AMWA.

Yours,

Gail

FROM THE PRESIDENT
Gail V. Flores, PhD / 2020–2021 AMWA President

https://blog.amwa.org
https://www.youtube.com/c/AmericanMedicalWritersAssociation