Wheaton News

Wheaton College will award honorary degrees to three distinguished individuals during its 190th Commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 17, 2025.

This year’s honorees are educator Kirk Kolenbrander, architect Toshiko Mori, and higher education researcher and policy expert Amelia Parnell—each of whom has made significant contributions in their respective fields of education and academic leadership, architecture, and higher education policy. All three teach at the university level as well.

“Each of these honorees embodies Wheaton’s commitment to academic excellence, innovation, and service,” said President Michaele Whelan. “We are honored to celebrate their achievements and look forward to the inspiration they will share with our graduates.”

Kirk Kolenbrander is a dedicated educator and higher education leader as well as a trustee emeritus at Wheaton College. Now a senior lecturer in MIT’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering, he served as a leader of the Institute for 20 years, including as a senior advisor to three MIT presidents. A passionate advocate for undergraduate education and an outstanding professor, he has been recognized with MIT’s Everett Moore Baker Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching. Kolenbrander served 15 years on the Wheaton Board of Trustees and he also was dean of engineering at Southern New Hampshire University.

Toshiko Mori is the founder and principal of Toshiko Mori Architect and the Robert P. Hubbard Professor in the Practice of Architecture at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design and was chair of the Department of Architecture (2002–2008). Her firm’s work includes libraries, museums, universities, workspaces, master planning, and residences.

Mori has been a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences since 2016 and the American Academy of Arts and Letters since 2020, where she is currently vice president of architecture. A member and former chair of the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Design, Mori addresses scarcity-driven design, the future of cities and urban information systems, and the role of the arts in improving communities. She has received numerous awards, including the Asia Society Asia Arts Game Changer Award (2024), the Philip Hanson Hiss Award (2023), the Isamu Noguchi Award (2021), and the AIA/ASCA Topaz Medallion for Excellence in Architectural Education (2019), among others. Her projects in Senegal, Thread Artists’ Residency and Cultural Center and Fass School and Teachers’ Residences, won the AIA Architecture Award, and her work on the Brooklyn Public Library–Central Library won the 2022 MASterworks Award for best restoration. Architectural Digest has featured Mori in its annual AD100 list since 2014 and named Mori to the AD100 Hall of Fame in 2023; she was also named an Elle Decor A-List Titan. Mori was guest editor of Domus magazine for 2023.

Amelia Parnell, Ph.D. is the president and CEO of NASPA Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, and a leader on national initiatives aimed at promoting student success and institutional effectiveness through innovative practice and policies. With a career spanning research leadership and policy analysis, she has managed numerous grant-funded research projects and has played a pivotal role in shaping national discussions on analytics and student support. Prior to her tenure at NASPA, Dr. Parnell oversaw research projects and educational activities for the Association of Institutional Research. She started her career in the field as an educational policy analyst for the Florida Legislature. Dr. Parnell is the author of the book You Are a Data Person: Strategies for Using Analytics on Campus and numerous journal articles and book chapters.

Commencement, which starts at 9:30 a.m., will celebrate the Class of 2025 with family, friends, alumni, staff, faculty and trustees. The ceremony will take place outside on the Dimple. (In the event of extreme weather conditions, check the Wheaton website for updates.)

Also, Reunion will take place from Friday, May 16, through Sunday, May 18. Events include a Reunion picnic, tours, exhibitions, class dinners, receptions and a Saturday evening dance. Registration is open through Monday, April 28, 2025.