Six honored with John P. Reardon Jr. Alumni Award for outstanding service

Since 1990, the Harvard Alumni Association (HAA) has recognized alumni for outstanding service to the University through leadership and engagement activities. Formerly known as the HAA Award, in 2025 the distinction was renamed the John P. Reardon Jr. Alumni Award in honor of Jack Reardon’s deep commitment to Harvard and its alumni community, and was endowed through a generous gift from Paul ’75, M.B.A. ’82, and Mary Finnegan. Reardon ’60 passed away in June 2026 after six decades of service to Harvard, including as executive director of the HAA.

The 2026 recipients of the John P. Reardon Jr. Alumni Award are Geraldine Acuña-Sunshine ’92, M.P.P. ’96; Eryn Ament Bingle ’95; Robert S. Blacklow ’55, M.D. ’59; Robert George Manson, M.P.A. ’04; Allyson Mendenhall ’90, M.L.A. ’99; and Steven Schaumberger, M.B.A. ’88.

Geraldine Acuña-Sunshine of Boston, Massachusetts, and Manila, Philippines, has contributed leadership to Harvard for many years and in multiple roles, including as the first Filipina elected to the Board of Overseers and its vice chair for 2023–24. A longtime champion of Harvard College and Harvard Kennedy School (HKS), Acuña-Sunshine has increased alumni participation and financial support as co-chair of the Harvard College Fund (HCF) and HKS Fund executive committees. She continues to serve on the HCF Women’s Philanthropy Initiative and advisory boards to the deans of HKS, Harvard Medical School, Harvard Graduate School of Education, and the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

Eryn Ament Bingle of Riverside, Connecticut, is the exemplar of an engaged alum whose joyful, inclusive, and collaborative Crimson spirit unites fellow alumni and bolsters support for future generations of students. Bingle’s broad leadership at Harvard includes co-chairing her Class of 1995 reunions since 2005, co-chairing the Harvard College Fund (HCF) executive committee, chairing the New York Major Gifts Committee, and serving on the HAA board, HCF Women’s Philanthropy Initiative, Phillips Brooks House Association National Advisory Board for Public Service, and the Radcliffe Dean’s Advisory Council.

Robert S. Blacklow of Lincoln, Massachusetts, has left an enduring mark on Harvard as a proud member of the Class of 1955 and a steadfast volunteer who serves with energy, warmth, humor, and a deep affection for his alma mater. Blacklow has worn many different volunteer hats, including Class of 1955 secretary and reunion chair, Harvard College Fund volunteer, and member the Committee for the Happy Observance of Commencement. On the HAA board and in numerous reunion roles, he has honored Harvard and Radcliffe histories and embraced the experiences of older generations, using technology to include classmates unable to travel to campus.

Robert George Manson of Dublin, Ireland, embodies the spirit of “One Harvard,” connecting alumni across the University and around the world through his unwavering enthusiasm, leadership, and commitment to public service. A longtime member and past president of the Harvard Club of Ireland, he established a fellowship that sends nonprofit leaders in Ireland to executive education programs at Harvard Business School and co-founded an outreach program to encourage students to apply to HKS. He serves on the HKS Alumni Board Executive Committee and the board of the Harvard Alumni Disability Alliance Shared Interest Group, which he co-founded with the late Brooke Ellison.

Allyson Mendenhall of Denver, Colorado, is an impactful leader who has worked tirelessly to build community and ensure alumni voices are heard at Harvard. A champion of the Graduate School of Design (GSD) alumni community, Mendenhall has held numerous volunteer roles, helping to shape institutional initiatives and advance the GSD’s visibility within and beyond Harvard. As the first GSD alum to serve as HAA board president in 2022–23, she strengthened alumni connections across all Harvard Schools, fostered global engagement, steered community-building initiatives, and further amplified the GSD in the wider alumni network.

Steven Schaumberger of Chicago, Illinois, has made outstanding contributions to the alumni community through intentional, hands-on leadership marked by a strong commitment to intellectual vitality and alumni engagement. Schaumberger played a central role in bringing together Harvard alumni across the Chicago area by organizing hundreds of events that foster connection and lifelong learning as the programming chair for the Harvard Business School Club of Chicago and the Harvard Club of Chicago. He has shepherded hundreds of programs featuring Harvard professors, best-selling authors, journalists, public officials, and other distinguished guests.

To submit a nomination for the 2028 John P. Reardon Jr. Alumni Award, complete the online form by June 30, 2027. Nominations received after the deadline will be considered for the following year.