V38 N3 / 2023 

©2023 American Medical Writers Association. All rights reserved.  
ISSN 2163-5315

AMWAJournal.org     38

AMWA Fellowships are awarded to members in recognition 
of their significant contributions to the goals and activities of 
AMWA. The 2023 Fellows are leaders within AMWA with dis-
tinguished service at chapter and national levels.

Barbara O. Lightfoot
Barbara O. Lightfoot has been 
an AMWA member since 2009 
and has served in many posi-
tions in the Indiana Chapter, 
including president-elect, 
president, secretary, treasurer, 
education committee co-chair, 
and program chair. In 2019, 
she received the Indiana 
Chapter Leadership Award.
 At the national level, 
Barbara has served as a chapter delegate to the AMWA 
Board of Directors (BOD), a member of the National 
Chapter Advisory Task Group, and a chapter representa-
tive on the national Chapter Advisory Council. She has also 
given presentations at local chapter educational events and 
Indiana/Ohio Valley AMWA Conferences.
 Currently, Barbara is a manager in Science 
Communication and Regulatory at Eli Lilly and Company.

Anita Misra-Press
Anita Misra-Press, PhD, 
attended her first AMWA 
meeting in 2010 and has since 
been an active and engaged 
member. Anita served in many 
positions in the Northwest 
Chapter before it dissolved, 
including president, pres-
ident-elect, treasurer, and 
chapter delegate. She also served on and led several chapter 
workgroups.
 At the national level, Anita is an active member of 
the AMWA Constitution and Bylaws Committee. She has 
led roundtables and educational sessions for the AMWA 

Conferences and contributed to the AMWA Journal as a 
peer reviewer. Despite the loss of her chapter, Anita has 
remained active and has continued to seek out meaningful 
contributions.
 Anita has worked as a freelancer for 13 years.

Shawn Watson
Shawn Watson, PharmD, PhD, 
BCPS, RPh, has been an AMWA 
member since 2012. At the 
chapter level, Shawn served 
as president, immediate past 
president, and chapter delegate 
of the New England Chapter. 
He also served on the Chapter 
Nominating Committee.
 Shawn has served on the 
board as a director at large since 2019. As a director at large, 
he has served on the Diversity and Inclusion Task Force and 
as the liaison for the Engage Committee. He has assisted 
with virtual conferences and publications on salary sur-
veys. Shawn has also served on the National Nominating 
Committee and the National Educational Committee. He 
has authored or contributed to multiple AMWA Journal  
articles and has led roundtables and sessions at the chapter 
and national conference levels.
 Shawn is currently a senior director of Clinical 
Development, program team lead, and interim head of 
Medical Writing at Recursion Pharmaceuticals.

Please join AMWA in congratulating Barbara, Anita, and 
Shawn as they receive their awards this fall at the Medical 
Writing & Communication Conference in Baltimore, MD.

The Member Awards Recognition Committee members  
were Abbie Miller, MWC (chair), Loretta Bohn, ELS (BOD  
liaison), Elizabeth Brown, MS, PMP, Joanne McAndrews, PhD, 
Christina Barnes, MSN, RN, CPNP-PC, Jerm Day-Storms, 
PhD, MWC, and Susan Aiello, DVM, ELS. Diane Noland 
served as staff liaison, and Susan Krug, MS, CAE, served as  
ex officio.

Abbie Miller, MWC  / 2022-2023 Chair, Member Awards Recognition Committee

AMWA Fellowships for 2023

AMWA NEWS

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