A few weeks after earning a bachelor’s degree in economics, Jenifer “JB” Blair ’82 returned to her alma mater to volunteer at Reunion Weekend.
Since she graduated, JB has donated her time every year at the University of Mary Washington celebration, so it’s only fitting that she received the Frances Liebenow Armstrong ’36 Service Award during Reunion Weekend 2025. JB also spent more than 20 years working in UMW’s Office of Admissions and over a decade on the Alumni Association Board of Directors (AABOD), including two years as its president.
“I know the transformative nature of the education here, and I believe in it so much,” she said. It was an honor to receive the award, she said, especially since she knew its namesake, a dedicated former AABOD member who worked in the Office of the President when JB first began her career at Mary Washington. “Having had such a great experience as an undergraduate made volunteering and supporting UMW so easy for me.”
JB was one of several alumni honored at a May 31 ceremony in Seacobeck Hall’s Weatherly Wing. Alumni, faculty, staff, administrators, families, and friends joined UMW President Troy Paino in recognizing the honorees, including Rob Eastman-Mullins ’00 and Shirley Martey Hargis ’14. The recipients were selected by the AABOD and announced by Alumni Awards Vice President Lisa Maloney Keyser ’05.
President Paino also provided a university update, covering changing student demographics, the impact of artificial intelligence on higher education, and UMW’s unwavering commitment to the liberal arts. He touched upon facilities projects like the new theatre and renovation of duPont, Melchers, and Pollard Halls and thanked those who contributed to fundraising efforts, especially the record-breaking $1.3 million in donations on Mary Wash Day.
He touted ongoing student recruitment successes, citing UMW’s 85% retention rate – higher than the national average – and highlighted how the University will continue to lean into strengths, focusing on small class sizes, personalized attention from faculty, and its robust network of alumni who give back to the University through their philanthropy and engagement.
“We still believe that every individual student matters, and your investment in their lives can have a dramatic impact, not only on them and their families, but on the communities where they’ll work and serve,” the president said. “That’s what makes Mary Washington so special. That has not changed, whether you graduated 50 years ago or just a few weeks ago.”
Nominated by AABOD member Lori Foster Turley ’81, JB joined the Terrapins synchronized swim team as a student and lived in Framar Hall, then the senior women’s honors/leadership house. She also worked as a DJ at WMWC Radio, which she recently supported with generous donations both to the station and to its Fund for Mary Washington Impact Grant.
After graduation, she moved up through the ranks of the Admissions team, eventually becoming dean of undergraduate admissions. She now serves as vice president of enrollment management at the South Carolina Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics. JB holds an M.Ed. in social foundations of education and an Ed.D. in higher education administration from the University of Virginia.
JB spent 14 years on the AABOD and became a director emeritus in 2024. She also served six years on the Washington Scholars interview committee, helping award the prestigious full-ride scholarship to in-state students.
Shirley Martey Hargis, who was unable to attend the ceremony, earned the Outstanding Young Alumnus Award, recognizing graduates of the last 15 years who’ve distinguished themselves serving UMW or their professions and communities.
Shirley has over a decade of experience in security-related foreign affairs and domestic politics of the People’s Republic of China and Taiwan and has worked in D.C. think tanks and government agencies, using her Chinese language skills and experience in high-security work for a U.S. government contractor. She has published numerous articles and provided commentary to Politico, Al Jazeera, BBC News, and Bloomberg.
At UMW, Shirley earned a bachelor’s degree in political science. She was president of the Pi Sigma Alpha national political science honor society and was inducted into the Pi Gamma Mu international honor society, among others. She also earned a Fulbright English teaching assistantship and many other scholarships and fellowships. She is now enrolled in the Harvard Kennedy School’s mid-career Master in Public Administration program.
“Of the more than 4,000 students that I’ve taught at UMW, I’ve never known a student who worked as hard as Shirley,” said Professor Emerita of Political Science and International Affairs Elizabeth Larus, the department’s former chair.
Rob Eastman-Mullins received the Distinguished Alumnus Award, honoring graduates who’ve made significant contributions in their professions and communities, while being leaders in their fields.
At Mary Washington, Rob crafted a theatre management major, blending theatre and business courses and gaining experience as an actor, technician, designer, and director. He graduated summa cum laude with departmental honors and was inducted into the Alpha Psi Omega theatre honor society, among others. He earned the Albert R. Klein Scholarship, and in turn, he and wife Andrea established the Eastman-Mullins Scholarship for Theatre at UMW.
Rob is artistic director for the U.S. submission to the 2027 Prague Quadrennial and has spent over two decades creating award-winning scenic, lighting, and costume design for theatrical productions across the country. He has taught at several institutions, most recently as a professor of performance design at Wake Forest University. He also founded the aWAKEn International Scenic Design Competition, participated in theatre festivals in Egypt and Uganda, and has advocated for intellectual property rights. Additionally, he has contributed to over 30 national and international academic presentations and co-authored Scenic Design: A Global Perspective, scheduled for publication by Routledge Press in 2026.
Rob thanked his wife as well as Professor and Chair of Theatre and Dance Gregg Stull ’82, whom he called an “absolute treasure.”
“He’s always been there when I called upon him,” said Rob, who also gave a strong endorsement of the liberal arts education at Mary Washington. “There’s no other state school that I know of that’s like it.”
Learn more about previous Alumni Association Award recipients. Nominations for 2026 will be open in January.
-Article written by Assistant Director of Advancement Communications Jill Graziano Laiacona ’04