News Archive

Professor Fran Watson and Assistant Dean for External Affairs and Alumni Relations Jonna MacDougall were both honored during the IUPUI Women’s History Month Annual Leadership Awards program. The honors are presented by the Office for Women, led by Kathy Grove, ’77, and the Division of Student Affairs at IUPUI in commemoration of Women’s History Month. Both were announced by Lauren Peña, ’13, Associate Director of Enrollment Management at IU McKinney.

“I’m delighted that my colleagues and their work have been recognized,” said Dean Karen E. Bravo. “Professor Watson’s work in the Wrongful Conviction Clinic benefits her clients and her students, many of whom go on to pursue careers in the public interest because of the inspiring example she sets. Assistant Dean MacDougall’s efforts may be behind-the-scenes, but her committed and creative work toward telling the law school’s story here in Indianapolis, statewide, across the country, and indeed around the world benefits our entire institution.”

Professor Watson, ’80, received the Inspirational Faculty Woman Award. She founded the Wrongful Conviction Clinic, which is a founding member of the Innocence Network. Over the course of three decades, she has been a relentless advocate for people who were wrongfully convicted. Perhaps her most well-known clients are Darryl Pinkins and Roosevelt Glenn. Their case was the subject of the CBS News program 48 Hours in February 2017. Professor Watson’s support of her clinic’s clients doesn’t end with their release and exoneration. She helped them advocate to get legislation passed in Indiana that would provide a means for the wrongfully convicted and exonerated to be compensated by the state. Professor Watson worked with IU McKinney alumni serving in the Indiana General Assembly and former Wrongful Conviction Clinic clients to see the law passed in 2019. A cum laude graduate of IU McKinney, she has received honors for her teaching from Indiana University, including the Teaching Excellence Award, the Trustee Teaching Award twice, the IU McKinney Faculty Leadership Award, and the Inspiration Award from the law school’s faculty executive committee.

Assistant Dean MacDougall, ’86, received the Veteran Staff Award. She has worked tirelessly throughout her career to champion the field of journalism and lead the public relations, communications and continuing legal education efforts on behalf her alma mater. Early in her career, she taught high school journalism in her hometown, Aurora, Indiana, served as Assistant Professor of Journalism and Executive Director of the Indiana High School Press Association. She is a past president of the Indiana Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, and past president and executive director of the Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame. Assistant Dean MacDougall has served on the board of directors of the Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum since 2002. In response to the death of her beloved father, she co-founded Outrun the Sun, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting sun safety education, raising awareness of the risks of sun exposure, and raising research funding to combat metastatic melanoma. In 2007, she was one of two inaugural recipients of the IUPUI Nan Bohan Community Engagement Award for her work in this area.