As part of the Class of 2025 commencement exercises, Occidental College will award two honorary degrees.
Peter Roos
Peter Roos ’64 is a retired civil rights lawyer and advocate for educational equity, best known for his role as lead counsel in the landmark 1982 Supreme Court case Plyler v. Doe, in which the Court ruled that states cannot constitutionally deny undocumented children access to public education.
Roos has had a distinguished career fighting for civil rights, with a particular focus on ensuring meaningful access to education for all students, regardless of language barriers. As director of litigation for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) and co-director of Multicultural Education, Training, and Advocacy Inc. (META), he played a pivotal role in interpreting the equal protection clauses of the Constitution and civil rights laws.
In his memoir, Putting My Mind and Heart to Education Equity: Memoirs of an Advocate, Roos reflects on his career and the lessons he has learned. His work, marked by a deep understanding of legal nuances and a sensitivity to the needs of underserved communities, has made a lasting impact on the fight for educational equity.
Roos earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Occidental College, where he played football and was in the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity. He earned a J.D. from the University of California, Hastings College of Law.
Rosalind Wiseman
An Occidental College alumna from the class of 1991, Rosalind Wiseman is the best-selling author of nine books, including the New York Times bestsellers Queen Bees and Wannabes (2002)—the inspiration for the Mean Girls movie and musical franchise—and Masterminds & Wingmen (2013).
Currently, Wiseman serves as a senior leadership consultant at the U.S. State Department’s Office for Overseas Schools, which serves more than 195 schools throughout the world, and as a consultant at the Texas Science Behavior and Mind Institute. She contributed to David Yeager’s recently published book 10 to 25: A Groundbreaking Approach to Leading the Next Generation and Making Your Own Life Easier (2024).