Jay Dugger ’90 was always ready to go toe-to-toe in debates with his political science professors. In the decade after he graduated, the scholarship and legal acumen he once showcased at Mary Washington helped him earn a law degree from the College of William and Mary, pass the bar, go into private practice, make partner, and become the youngest sitting judge in Virginia.
“Jay has been a champion for not only what is the law, but also for the people who are impacted by those laws,” Rich Cooper ’90 said of his friend. Now the chief judge of the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court in Hampton, Virginia, Jay has helped create programs to reunify families, reduce child truancy, and provide educational and behavior services to children in the delinquency system.
His support of underserved communities earned him the Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Mary Washington, honoring graduates who have made significant contributions in their profession and community, while being leaders in their fields.
Nominated by Rich – who received the same award in 2020 – and Michael Michalowicz ’90, Jay was honored in a June 1 ceremony in Seacobeck Hall’s Weatherly Wing during Reunion Weekend. Alumni joined President Troy Paino in celebrating Jay, Susan Leavitt ’83, and Simran Kaur-Colbert ’11, as well as Dori Eglevsky, former rector of UMW’s Board of Visitors (BOV), who was named an honorary alumna. Alumni Awards Vice President Sean Lynch ’95 announced the honorees, who were selected by the Alumni Association Board of Directors (AABOD).
Susan received the Frances Liebenow Armstrong ’36 Service Award, recognizing alumni who have provided a lifetime of service to the University.
“People gravitate to Susan, and her style shows she is a leader in every sense of the word,” said Karen Laino Giannuzzi ’71 in her nomination. The two alumnae were charter members of the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) Advisory Committee, on which Susan still serves.
Susan majored in economics and French literature and minored in Italian at Mary Washington. She then received a master’s degree in international relations, with a focus in African studies, from Johns Hopkins University. A successful realtor who was recognized by Washingtonian as a “Lifetime Top Producer,” Leavitt is the vice president of Compass, a residential real estate firm. She was also named Philanthropist of the Year by the National Capital YMCA in 2010.
At UMW, she is a member of the Washington and Heritage giving societies and contributed to the $52 million raised during the Mary Washington First Campaign. She has given to CAS’s Beyond the Classroom initiative, named a Hurley Convergence Center collaboration space, established scholarships for students in need, and served on Reunion Weekend committees.
Simran earned the Outstanding Young Alumni Award, for graduates of the last 15 years who have distinguished themselves serving Mary Washington or their professions and communities.
Natalie Grossman ’11 nominated Simran “for her vision and dedication in fostering diversity, inclusion, and belonging at UMW and beyond.” Simran helped found UMW’s Multicultural Alumni Affinity Group and serves as its chair. She also holds leadership roles at several organizations dedicated to antiracism, decolonization, and Black health.
At UMW, Simran, a business administration major, was a Student Transition Program counselor and a resident assistant. She was also active in the Asian Student Association, Eagle Bhangra, Model United Nations, and the James Farmer Multicultural Center Advisory Committee.
Simran earned a Ph.D. at Miami University, where she joined the Celebrating Global Sisterhood Planning Committee, Graduate Student of Color Association, Asian/Asian American Faculty Staff Association, and the Sikh Student Association. She was recognized as the 2019 Contemplative Justice Scholar by the Association for Contemplative Mind in Higher Education and earned a 2018 fellowship by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management’s Equity and Inclusion.
Jenifer Blair ’82, AABOD past president, announced the naming of Dori Eglevsky as an honorary alumna in the Class of 2024. Dori has served Mary Washington for over 30 years, including a decade as the BOV’s rector and vice rector. She then joined the UMW Foundation Board of Directors, chaired its operations finance committee, and served as its vice chair.
As a community member, volunteer leader, and a parent of an alumna, she has been an enthusiastic proponent of Mary Washington and has given generously to support its students.
“UMW has held a very unique place in my heart,” Dori said. “I want to thank everyone who participated in this exceptional gift and meaningful honor.”
Read more about Mary Washington’s Alumni Award recipients from past years.
– Article written by Assistant Director of Advancement Communications Jill Graziano Laiacona ’04
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