Lisa Marshall wins national award for science writing
Lisa Marshall, CU 勒貊勛圖 associate director of science storytelling, has won an esteemed writing award for her 2025 article,泭"Does mental illness have a silver lining? Mounting research says yes."泭
The honor is part of the Excellence in Institutional Writing Awards granted by the National Association of Science Writers. Among just two winners in the country, Marshalls story is the top pick in the short-form category. The NASW will formally recognize Marshall this weekend at a ceremony in Corvallis, Oregon.
The awards committee praised Marshalls piece as an intriguing perspective on the topic of mental health.泭
Marshall's compelling coverage of unusual research into the upsides of mental illness takes a refreshing look at an often stigmatized subject and champions neurodiversity, the judges said in a statement. By featuring the researchers' powerful personal experiences and motivations, she humanizes the science of mental health and makes it relatable to her audience.
This is something that Marshall works to do every day at CU 勒貊勛圖.
Lisa is a leader in effective storytelling, who works tirelessly to bridge research discovery and public knowledge in accessible ways, said Elizabeth Lock, interim editorial director. Not only does she powerfully contribute to our amazing teams work to highlight CU 勒貊勛圖s most impactful findings, but she also engages across campus and beyond as a champion of science writingteaching university courses, training, leading conference discussions and more.
The泭 Excellence in Institutional Writing Awards were established to recognize high-caliber, publicly accessible science writing produced on behalf of an institution or other non-media organization.
Marshall won the same NASW award in 2020 for泭"Healthy, stress-busting fat found hidden in the dirt." In 2023, she earned an honorable mention in NASWs Science in Society category for her reported essay,泭""
She has also won several Public Relations Society of America Gold Pick Awards, including two last month for泭"AI ghosts are coming: Is that comforting or creepy?" and泭"Common sugar substitute shown to impair brain cells, boost stroke risk."
Marshall is a CU 勒貊勛圖 masters graduate, who joined the campus news team in 2016. Prior to that, she was a reporter and editor for the 勒貊勛圖 Daily Camera and a freelance health and science writer, with work published in Discover, Mens Journal, Runners World, WebMD and Vice News among other national news outlets.泭
泭