Felician University Announces 2021 Honorary Degree Recipients

Rutherford, NJ – May 2021 – Felician University proudly announces three Honorary Degree recipients
for Commencement 2021. President and CEO of Bergen New Bridge Medical Center, Deborah Visconi,
Superintendent of the South Bergen Jointure Commission, Dr. Michael Kuchar and Commissioner of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, Senator Robert Gordon will each be awarded an Honorary
Doctorate of Humane Letters. President James Crawford, III remarked, “Felician is honored to
present Honorary Degrees to President Visconi, Dr. Kuchar and Senator Gordon – three individuals
whose life’s work clearly embodies our Felician Franciscan Values and the University’s mission.”
All ceremonies are taking place at the Lodi campus on June 26.

Deborah Visconi will receive an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters degree at the School of
Nursing ceremony at 10 a.m.

The President and CEO of Bergen New Bridge Medical Center possesses 30 years of healthcare
experience. She also sits as President for the Northvale Board of Health and Director for NJHA Health PAC. She led Bergen New Bridge to becoming the first hospital in New Jersey to connect with
the NJ Health Information Network before joining the Collective Medical Network to help combat the
opioid epidemic. She received her MA in Healthcare Administration from The New School and her
past positions include Director of Operations at Morristown Medical Center and Senior Vice
President of Executive Administration at Beth Israel Medical Center. In 2018, Deborah Visconi was
named NJBIZ’s Healthcare Hero of the Year and in 2019, she was named as a Crain’s Notable Women in Healthcare nominee. Modern Healthcare also added her name to their Top 25 Women Leaders in 2021 for her accomplishments in developing policy, leading change, and guiding healthcare delivery
improvement. Visconi resides in Northvale, NJ with her family.

Dr. Michael Kuchar will receive an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters degree at the School of
Education and School of Business & Information Sciences ceremony at 1 p.m. Dr. Kuchar is the
Superintendent of the South Bergen Jointure Commission which has a mission of increasing the
independence of individuals with extraordinary challenges. He also serves as a doctoral mentor and
lecturer at Seton Hall University where he was an Associate Professor of Education in the doctoral
program for Education, Leadership and Management, and Policy. Dr. Kuchar was the superintendent for the Bergenfield Public School District for 11 years and has more than 25 years of experience as a
school district administrator.

He earned his PhD in Curriculum and Teaching from Fordham University, his EdM in Counseling
Psychology from Columbia University, and holds his BA from Seton Hall University. In 2020, NJASA
recognized his administrative achievements with their Distinguished Service Award. Under Dr.
Kuchar, the SBJC has expanded to 14 trustee districts and has a solid reputation for a
state-of-the-art and compassionate special needs education. Dr. Kuchar currently resides in
Oradell, NJ with his family.

Senator Robert M. “Bob” Gordon will receive an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters degree at the
School of Arts and Sciences ceremony at 4 p.m. Currently the Commissioner of NJ BPU and board
member of the NJ Transit Corporation, he served in the New Jersey Senate from January 8, 2008 to
April 14, 2018 representing the 38th Legislative District. Gordon served in the General Assembly
from 2004-2008 and was previously elected as Mayor of the Borough of Fair Lawn. A Fair Lawn, NJ
native, Senator Gordon attended Williams College and earned a B.A. of Political Economy and
Environmental Studies. He received his Master of Public Policy from Berkeley and has an MBA in
Finance and Healthcare Management from the University of Pennsylvania. While serving in the Senate, he was the Majority Conference Leader and chairman of multiple committees. Through his work, he strives for transparency and accountability in the government. Senator Gordon is devoted to environmental and social issues that positively influence and support all communities. Senator Gordon resides in Fair Lawn, NJ with his wife, Gail Balph Gordon.

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About Felician University

Felician University inspires and engages more than 2,300 undergraduate, graduate, and adult
education students through programs in its schools of Arts & Sciences, Business, Nursing, and
Education. In the past three years, Felician University has ranked 3rd in New Jersey in “Best
Return on Investment for Private Colleges” by the PayScale.com College ROI Report and the “#1
Safest College Campus in NJ” by niche.com. With campuses in Rutherford and Lodi, New Jersey, the
Franciscan values of social justice, compassion, and respect for human dignity serve as an
inclusive foundation for transforming the lives of tomorrow’s leaders. For more information, please visit https://felician.edu.