2022 Honorary Degree Recipients
Nadia Chaudhri '99 (1978 - 2021)
Nadia Chaudhri will be conferred a posthumous Honorary Degree, Doctor of Science, Honoris Causa at the Commencement ceremony.
Nadia Chaudhri was born in Karachi, Pakistan, and left home at 17 to pursue her education in the United States. She earned her bachelor's degree in Biology at Franklin & Marshall College, and upon her graduation, earned the College’s highest student award, the Williamson Medal, for her character, leadership, and scholarship. She went on to earn a PhD in neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh and advanced her skills as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of California San Francisco.
Nadia became an assistant professor at Concordia University in Montreal in 2010, received tenure as an associate professor in 2014, and was promoted to full professor in 2021. Studying the brain processes involved in alcohol use disorders, she directed an active research lab and took immense pride in student mentorship.
Throughout her career, Nadia was a determined advocate for emerging, under-represented scholars in the psychological and neural sciences, especially those from diverse and under-resourced backgrounds. She was committed to helping others overcome barriers to participation in neuroscience research.
In 2020, at 42 years young, Nadia was diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer. During her illness, she advocated for better screening protocols and treatments for ovarian cancer. She also raised well over $600,000 for The Nadia Chaudhri Wingspan Award, which would provide support for underrepresented students seeking to study neuroscience at Concordia.
Nadia Chaudhri is survived by her son, Reza, and her husband, Moni Orife.
Peter Feigin '92
Peter Feigin will be conferred an Honorary Degree, Doctor of Humane Letters, Honoris Causa at the Commencement ceremony.
President of the Milwaukee Bucks and President of the Fiserv Forum, Peter Feigin brings more than two decades of dynamic corporate leadership to Milwaukee’s sports and entertainment scene. The Bucks were named one of Milwaukee’s best places to work in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 and Peter was recognized as the Milwaukee BizTimes 2015 CEO of the Year for his inspiring leadership.
Peter has worked tirelessly to contribute to the evolution of the city of Milwaukee and state of Wisconsin, including the financing and development of Milwaukee’s new 30-acre Deer District, the Fiserv Forum sports and entertainment venue, and the Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin Sports Science Center.
Dedicated to community service, Peter spearheaded the development and launch of the Milwaukee Bucks Foundation. He also serves on the boards of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee, the Milwaukee Public Museum, the Milwaukee Public Schools Foundation and City Year Milwaukee, while co-chairing the African American Chamber of Commerce and the COA Parents of the Year. In 2017, Peter served as the chairman of the American Heart and Stroke Association’s annual campaign. He also is a CEOs Against Cancer WI chapter member.
Prior to joining the Bucks, Peter worked for Deluxe Entertainment Services Group, NetJets, the New York Knicks and Six Flags.
Peter is a native New Yorker. He and his wife, Natalia, have two children, Alexandra and Thomas. Peter holds a bachelor’s degree from Franklin and Marshall College and completed the University of Chicago Booth School of Business’ Financial Executive Program.
Allison O'Toole '93
Allison O'Toole will be conferred an Honorary Degree, Doctor of Humane Letters, Honoris Causa at the Commencement ceremony.
Allison O’Toole is likely to introduce herself as “the very proud CEO of Second Harvest Heartland.” She’s proud of her team at the food bank and the way they’ve stepped up to address the largest uptick in hunger seen in decades, delivering more food in innovative ways during the Covid hunger surge. Taking a firm stand on ending Minnesota’s hunger divide—the inequities that leave Minnesota’s Black, Hispanic, Asian, and Indigenous families facing twice the hunger of White families —O’Toole believes that we all benefit from building a more just community.
A self-described, “CEO who does stuff,” Allison is close to the action. From loading boxes of groceries into community members’ trunks at an outdoor market to testifying at the Capitol to ensure leaders understand and shore up the hunger fight, Allison is an active leader on all fronts.
Allison received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Art History from Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and her Juris Doctor from Mitchell Hamline School of Law in St. Paul. She serves on the boards of directors at the Greater Minneapolis Crisis Nursery and UCare, and the board of trustees at Breck School.
