Fellow: Sharmila Bhatia

Sharmila Bhatia, senior program analyst at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), will be inducted as a Fellow of the Society of American Archivists (SAA) during an awards ceremony at the Annual Meeting of SAA in Anaheim, CA. The distinction of Fellow is the highest honor bestowed on individuals by SAA and is awarded for outstanding contributions to the archives profession.

Bhatia, who has spent twenty-four years at NARA, is currently with the Information Security Oversight Office and supports the Public Interest Declassification Board and the work of the Interagency Security Classification Appeals Panel. She has been responsible for developing guidance on emerging technologies and their implications for archives and records management. Her tenure at NARA reveals her progression from archives specialist to her current position as senior program analyst. During this time, Bhatia developed electronic records management guidance and collaborated with a small team to write white papers on emerging technologies, including blockchain, cognitive and artificial intelligence, and quantum information science and technology.

Prior to beginning her illustrious career at NARA, Bhatia was a reference archivist for the South Carolina Department of Archives and History for thirteen years, where she was assigned to respond to queries concerning corporate and municipal charters and statutory law. Her contributions to both the academic and practical discourse on emerging technology, electronic formats, archives, and records management have been recognized at the national, regional, and local levels. Her grasp of this “brave new world” and how it impacts the profession and its responsibilities to maintain the historical record are noteworthy, as evidenced by her work on cognitive technologies, which has been presented to the National Science Foundation, the National Association of Government Archivists and Records Administrators (NAGARA), and the Association of Records Managers and Administrators (ARMA).

Bhatia’s long list of professional service includes twenty years of leadership at SAA and the Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference (MARAC). As treasurer for both SAA and the SAA Foundation from 2021–2024, she helped raise funds for the Archival Workers Emergency Fund, which granted more than $200,000. Bhatia has been extremely involved in planning SAA Annual Meetings. She was a member of the Host Committee for three years and co-chair for one and served on the Program Committee during the virtual Annual Meeting in 2021. For MARAC, Bhatia co-chaired various committees and received their Distinguished Service Award in 2024. Since 2021, she has been a member of the International Standards Organization’s Blockchain Joint Working Group.

As past chief negotiator of the American Federation of Government Employees Council 260 for the 2019 Collective Bargaining Agreement, Bhatia exemplified her willingness to face challenges many would rather leave to someone else. For the National Archives Assembly, she has served in multiple leadership roles, including president.

As one supporter wrote, “Sharmila brought temperance to what otherwise would have been heated or demoralizing exchanges. She offered strategies for budgetary and ideological reconciliation that were well considered and thoughtful. There is no greater testament to her value as a colleague and peer, but also demonstration of her proven role as a compassionate leader.” Another supporter remarked, “Sharmila has been a tireless advocate for SAA, Council, and the Foundation Board. She was a calming, thoughtful presence in meetings, matching intelligence with wit and humor. But it was her steadfast commitment to service, especially during times of change and challenge, that remains the gold standard for the rest of us.”