Jay Sinha ’07, Jerri Barden Perkins ’61, and
Abas Adenan ’85 were honored at reunion.
Attorney Jay Sinha ’07 earned the Outstanding Young Alumnus Award. The data privacy and cyber security specialist, who graduated from William & Mary Law School in 2012, is staff counsel for data privacy and cybersecurity compliance at Verizon. Sinha started the UMW Legal Eagles alumni affinity group, is a mainstay of alumni activities in the D.C. area, and frequently returns to campus for career programming and other events. Before law school, Sinha served as a fellow in Gov. Tim Kaine’s administration and as a law clerk for California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Abas Adenan ’85 received the Frances Liebenow Armstrong ’36 Service Award. Adenan, director at Chevo Consulting, was a student leader at Mary Washington, serving on Student Senate, as vice president of the Student Association, and as a member of the French Club. As a member of the College Democrats, he was known for his ability to work with all kinds of people, laboring closely with the Young Republicans to solve problems for all students. As an alumnus, Adenan served on the Board of Visitors during the college’s transition to a university. He was Class of 1985 representative for reunions in 2010 and 2015 and is a Giving Day ambassador.
Jerri Barden Perkins ’61 was honored with the Distinguished Alumnus Award. After receiving a medical degree from the Medical College of Virginia in 1966, she was one of the first women to be awarded an NIH fellowship. At the FDA, she became an expert on clinical trials, and she recommended the first AIDS-related therapy for FDA approval. Since 1984, she has audited clinical trials to ensure that subjects are kept safe and that results will be meaningful. She volunteered in a Washington, D.C., free clinic and now does the same near her home in South Carolina. At UMW she supports students through the Study Abroad Scholarship program. She served as a cabinet member of the Mary Washington First Campaign and is a member of the UMW Heritage and Washington Societies.