List of University of California, San Diego people

The list of University of California, San Diego people includes notable graduates, professors and administrators affiliated with the University of California, San Diego in the United States.

Notable alumni

Art and architecture

• Micha Cárdenas, MFA (Visual Arts), 2009. Contemporary artist.
• Moyra Davey, MFA (Photography), 1988. Contemporary artist.
• Micol Hebron, Visual Arts, 1990-1992. Contemporary artist.
• Hung Liu, MFA (Visual Arts), 1986. Contemporary artist.
• Elle Mehrmand, MFA (Visual Arts), 2011. Contemporary artist.
• Dan Santat, BS (Microbiology), 1998. Author and illustrator, winner of 2015 Caldecott Medal.

Athletics

• Geoff Abrams, MD (Medicine), 2006. Tennis player.
• Mark Allen, BS (Biology), 1980. Six-time Ironman Triathlon World Champion, inducted into the Ironman Hall of Fame; named the world’s fittest man by Outside magazine.
• Billy Beane, BA (Economics), 1985. General Manager of the Oakland Athletics.
• Randy Bennett, BS (Biology), 1986. Saint Mary's College of California men's basketball head coach.
• Jie Li, BA (Political Science), 2006. Winner of the US ING Cup, Open, Costen, Texas Open and many other championships.
• Bob Natal, BS (Computer Science), 1987. MLB Catcher, Montreal Expos, Florida Marlins National League.
• Julie Swail, BA (Economics), 1995. Olympian (women’s water polo); UC Irvine head coach.
• Vern Valdez, defensive back for the American Football League Oakland Raiders, Buffalo Bills, and Los Angeles Rams.

Business

• Garrett Gruener, BA (Computer Science), 1976. Co-founder of Ask Jeeves.
• Jasper Kim, BA (Economics and Third World Studies), 1994. CEO of Asia-Pacific Global Research Group.
• Greg Papadopoulos, BA (Systems Science), 1979. Executive VP and CTA of Sun Microsystems.
• Robert J. Pera, MS (Electrical Engineering), 2002. Founder of Ubiquiti Networks.
• Michael Robertson, BS (Cognitive Science), 1989. Founder of MP3.com, Lindows.com, and SIPphone.
• Philip Rosedale, BS (Physics), 1992. Founder and CEO of Linden Lab. Creator of virtual 3D world Second Life.
• Jason Snell, BA (Communications), 1992. Editorial director of Mac Publishing and editor of Macworld.
• Nick Woodman, BA (Visual Arts), 1997. Founder and CEO of GoPro.

Computer science

• Bill Atkinson, BS (Chemistry), 1974. Co-developer of the Macintosh computer.
• Steve Hart, MA (Mathematics), 1980. Co-founder and vice president of engineering for ViaSat; recognized for excellence and growth by Forbes Inc. and BusinessWeek.
• David E. Shaw, BS (Mathematics), 1972. Founder of D. E. Shaw & Co.
• Guy “Bud” Tribble, BS (Physics), 1975. Principal architect of the original Macintosh computer and co-founder of NeXt, Inc.

Film, theatre, and television

• Yareli Arizmendi, MFA (Acting), 1992. Actor in Like Water for Chocolate.
• James Avery, BA (Theatre), 1976. Stage, screen and television actor who co-starred with Will Smith on the TV show Fresh Prince of Bel Air.
• Rachel Axler, MFA (Playwriting), 2004. Emmy Award-winning writer for The Daily Show and Parks and Recreation.
• David Barrera, MFA (Acting), 1994. ALMA Award-nominated actor for 24.
• Hart Bochner, BA (Theatre), 1979. Film actor notably of Breaking Away.
• Danny Burstein, MFA (Acting), 1990. Six-time Tony Award-nominated actor, Grammy Award nominee for Follies.
• Ricardo Chavira, MFA (Acting), 2000. Actor, notably of Desperate Housewives.
• Lawrence E. Cole, Ph.D. Ed. - actor, member SAG, AFTRA http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0170651/adjunct professor at UCSD.
• Steve Cosson, MFA (Directing), 2001. Obie Award-winning artistic director of The Civilians.
• Steven Dehler. Model, actor, and dancer.
• Benicio del Toro, did not graduate. Actor, notably of Traffic.
• Maria Dizzia, MFA (Acting), 2001. Tony Award nominee In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play).
• Johnny Ray Gill, MFA (Acting), 2010. Series regular on Harry's Law and Rectify.
• Michael Greif, MFA (Directing), 1985. Director of Rent and former artistic director of La Jolla Playhouse. Three-time Tony Award nominee.
• Naomi Iizuka, MFA (Playwriting), 1992.
• Chane't Johnson, MFA (Acting), 2001. Television and film actor; coach for Denzel Whitaker.
• Mike Judge, BS (Physics), 1985. Animator/Director best known for Beavis and Butt-head, Office Space, King of the Hill, and Silicon Valley. Graduation speaker for the class of 2009.
• Melanie Marnich MFA (Playwriting), 1998. Writer for Big Love, Jerome Fellowship from The Playwrights' Center.
• Jefferson Mays, MFA (Acting), 1991. Tony Award winner, I Am My Own Wife.
• Silas Weir Mitchell, MFA (Acting), 1995. Character actor and star of Grimm.
• Joy Osmanski, MFA (Acting), 2003. Most notable credits include The Loop and Allen Gregory.
• Neil Patel, MFA (Scenic Design), 1991. Broadway designer of Side Man, winner of Obie and Helen Hayes awards.
• Jeanne Paulson, MFA (Acting), 1978. Tony Award nominee, The Kentucky Cycle.
• Dileep Rao, BA (Theatre), 1995. Film actor in Avatar, Inception.
• Caridad Svich, MFA (Playwriting), 1988. Obie Award for Lifetime Achievement.
• Milana Vayntrub, BA (Communication), 2008. Actress, comedian, and writer.
• Kellie Waymire, MFA (Acting), 1993. Best known for Star Trek: Enterprise and roles on Six Feet Under, and One Life to Live. Also a prolific regional theatre actress.
• Wong Fu Productions filmmaking trio: Wesley Chan, Ted Fu and Philip Wang, BA (Cinematography), 2006.
• Paloma Young, MFA (Costume Design), 2006. Tony Award winner, Peter and the Starcatcher

Journalism

• Mona Kosar Abdi, BA (International Studies), 2011. Multimedia journalist with WSET ABC 13, the Al Jazeera Media Network.

Law and politics

• Steve Peace, BA (Political Science), 1976. California State Senator, 40th Senate District, chair of the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee, California Journal of Legislator of the Year 2000; and producer of the 1970s cult film Attack of the Killer Tomatoes.
• Timothy J. Roemer, BA (Government), 1979. Former Indiana Congressman and current president of the Center for National Policy.
• John Shoven, BA (Physics), 1969. Hoover Institute senior fellow.

Literature

• Debito Arudou, MA (International Affairs), 1990. Author and activist.
• Greg Benford, Ph.D (Astrophysics), 1967. Nebula Award Winner
• David Brin, MS (Applied Physics), 1978; Ph.D (Space Science), 1981. Nebula and Hugo Award Winner; science fiction author, notably of Uplift; physicist.
• Robert Todd Carroll, Ph.D (Philosophy) (born 1945), publisher of The Skeptic's Dictionary and fellow for Committee for Skeptical Inquiry
• Angela Davis, MA (Philosophy), 1969. Radical activist and philosopher.
• Raymond E. Feist, BA (Communications), 1997. Author.
• Nancy Holder, BA (Communications), 1976. Bram Stoker Award winner.
• Khaled Hosseini, MD (Medicine), 1993. Afghan-American novelist and physician; his 2003 debut novel, The Kite Runner, was a #1 New York Times bestseller.
• Aaron Krach, BA (Visual Arts), 1994. Writer.
• Virgil Nemoianu, Ph.D (Literature), 1971. Essayist, literary critic, philosopher of culture.
• Rex Pickett, BA (Literature and Visual Arts), 1976. Author of Sideways.
• Kim Stanley Robinson, BA (Literature), 1974; Ph.D (Literature), 1982. Two-time Nebula and Hugo Award winner
• Alan Russell, BA (English and American Literature), 1978. Lefty Award winner and bestselling crime fiction author.
• Vernor Vinge, Ph.D (Mathematics), 1971. Hugo Award winner Science fiction author, computer scientist, and mathematician.

Music and entertainment

• Mark Applebaum, Ph.D (Composition), 1996. Composer and Professor of Music at Stanford University.
• Milo Aukerman, Ph.D (Biology), 1992. Lead singer of punk rock band Descendents.
• Chad Butler, BA (History of Science), 1997. Drummer of the rock band Switchfoot.
• Chaya Czernowin, Ph.D (Composition), 1993. Composer and Walter Bigelow Rosen Professor of Music at Harvard University.
• Paul Dresher, MA (Composition), 1976. Composer, guitarist, and improviser.
• Nathan East, BA (Music), 1978. Bass guitarist.
• David Felder, Ph.D (Composition), 1983. Composer and SUNY Distinguished Professor at the University at Buffalo.
• Jon Foreman, did not graduate. Guitarist of rock band Switchfoot.
• Tim Foreman, did not graduate. Bassist of rock band Switchfoot.
• Trevor Grahl, MA (Composition), 2009. Composer.
• Maria Ho, BA (Communications), 2005. Professional poker player.
• David Evan Jones, Ph.D (Composition). Composer, Professor of Music, and Porter College Provost at UC Santa Cruz.
• Kelly Kim, 1998. Professional poker player.
• Paul Phillips, BS (Computer Science), 1996. Professional poker player.
• John Warthen Struble, MA (Composition), 1976. Composer, pianist, and author of The History of American Classical Music.

Public service

• George Blumenthal, Ph.D (Physics), 1972. Chancellor of the University of California, Santa Cruz.
• Kurt M. Campbell, BA (Special Project Major), 1980. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs.
• Dana Shell Smith, BA (Political Science), 1992. United States Ambassador to Qatar, 2014-present.

Science, technology, medicine, and mathematics

• Margaret Allen, MD (Medicine), 1974. First female heart transplant surgeon.
• Gregory Benford, MS (Physics), 1965; Ph.D (Physics), 1967. Science fiction author and physicist; also on the faculty of University of California, Irvine.
• Bruce Beutler, BS (Biology), 1976. Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
• Chu Ching-wu, Ph.D (Physics), 1990. US News and World Report's Researcher of the Year.
• Brian Druker, BS (Chemistry), 1977; MD (Medicine), 1981. Oncologist/chief investigator who developed a new drug for leukemia treatment.
• David Goeddel, BS (Chemistry), 1972. First full-time scientist and director of Genentech’s molecular biology department; co-founder, president and CEO of Tularik, Inc.
• Gerald Joyce, Ph.D (Biology) 1984. Researcher, Scripps Institute.
• Antony Garrett Lisi, Ph.D (Physics), 1999.
• M. Brian Maple, Ph.D (Physics), 1969. David Adler Lectureship Award in the Field of Materials Physics.
• Eleanor Mariano, BS (Biology), 1977. Former director, White House Medical Unit; First Filipino American to reach the rank of Rear Admiral in the U.S. Navy.
• Walter Munk, Ph.D (Oceanography), 1947. Oceanographer.
• George Perry, Ph.D (Marine Biology), 1979. Leading researcher in Alzheimer's disease.
• Jed E. Rose, Ph.D (Neurosciences), 1978. Professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Co-Inventor of the nicotine patch, President and CEO of the Rose Research Center.
• Maurizio Seracini, BS (Bioengineering), 1973. Founded the Editech srl, Diagnostic Center for Cultural Heritage in Florence.
• Susumu Tonegawa, Ph.D, (Molecular Biology), 1968. Nobel Prize recipient for physiology or medicine for his work on antibody diversity.
• Craig Venter, BA (Biochemistry), 1972; PhD (Pharmacology), 1975. President of Celera Genomics, the first private firm to decode the human genome.

Distinguished faculty

• David Antin – Visual Arts
• Eleanor Antin – Professor Emeritus of Visual Arts
• Percival Bazeley – member of the Salk Polio vaccine team
• Douglas Glynn Bolitho - breast cancer advocate
• Kenneth Bowles – UCSD Pascal
• Sydney Brenner – Nobel laureate in Medicine (2002)
• Sheldon Brown – Director of Experimental Game Lab, Co-Director of Center for Research in Computing and the Arts, and Professor of Visual Arts
• Keith Brueckner – theoretical physicist, National Academy of Sciences (Physics) member, and a founder of the UCSD Department of Physics
• Geoffrey R. Burbidge – professor known mostly for his alternative cosmology theory, which contradicts the Big Bang theory
• Margaret Burbidge – first to study and identify quasars; Carnegie fellowship winner (1947)
• Craig Callender – philosopher of science
• Micha Cárdenas – artist, theorist, Lecturer of Visual Arts and Critical Gender Studies, Collective Member of Lui Velazquez
• Lin Chao – Professor of Biology
• Shu Chien – bioengineering pioneer, National Medal of Science laureate
• Patricia Churchland – neurophilosopher
• Paul Churchland – philosopher of mind and philosopher of science
• Harold Cohen – English-born artist, creator of AARON
• Francis Crick – Nobel laureate in Physiology/Medicine (1962)
• Paul Crutzen – Nobel laureate in Chemistry (1995)
• Charles Curtis – avant-garde cellist
• Chaya Czernowin – Israeli composer, former professor of composition
• Anthony Davis – opera composer, jazz pianist
• Diana Deutsch – Professor of Psychology, known for her research on the psychology of music
• Bram Dijkstra – Professor of English Literature (1966–2000)
• Russell Doolittle – Professor of Chemistry, known for research on molecular evolution
• Mark Dresser – double bass player and improviser
• Renato Dulbecco – Nobel laureate in Physiology/Medicine (1975)
• Jeffrey Elman – psycholinguist and pioneer in the field of neural networks
• Robert F. Engle – Nobel laureate in Economics (2003)
• Robert Erickson – composer
• Ronald M. Evans – discovered steroid and nuclear receptors; Lasker Award winner
• Manny Farber – film critic and painter
• Gilles Fauconnier – inventor of the modern-day theory of conceptual blending
• George Feher – Wolf Prize in Chemistry (2006/7), National Academy of Sciences member, biophysicist
• Brian Ferneyhough – composer, founder of New Complexity movement
• David Noel Freedman – general editor of the Anchor Bible
• Y.C. Fung – considered the father of bioengineering
• Fred Gage – neuroscientist and stem cell biologist; discovered human adult neural stem cells
• Clark Gibson - expert on African politics and electoral fraud
• Maria Goeppert-Mayer – Nobel laureate in Physics
• Joseph Goguen – Professor of Computer Science and Engineering
• Adele Goldberg – Associate Professor of Linguistics (1997–1998)
• Marvin Leonard Goldberger – theoretical physicist, National Academy of Sciences (Physics) member, former Dean of Natural Sciences, and former president of Caltech
• Lawrence S.B. Goldstein – first to characterize kinesin molecular motors; head of UCSD stem cell research program
• Jean-Pierre Gorin – film director, Visual Arts (since 1975)
• Fan Chung Graham – mathematician, Akamai Professor in Internet Mathematics
• Ronald Graham – mathematician, Professor of Computer Science and Engineering
• Clive W.J. Granger – 2003 Nobel laureate in Economics
• Deborah Hertz – Herman Wouk Chair in Modern Jewish Studies
• Gretchen Hofmann - professor of ecological physiology of marine organisms
• Edwin Hutchins – developed distributed cognition and cognitive ethnography; Mac Arthur Foundation Award Winner (1985)
• Harvey Itano – biochemist known for his work on the molecular basis of sickle cell anemia and other diseases
• Gabriel Jackson – Fulbright historian, author, and former department chairman
• Irwin M. Jacobs – Former professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Chairman of Qualcomm
• Fredric Jameson – literary critic and Marxist political theorist
• Chalmers Johnson – Professor Emeritus of History
• David K Jordan – Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Anthropology, Provost of Warren College, Interim Provost of Sixth College, Alumni Association Distinguished Teaching Award 2008 recipient [1] [2]
• Allan Kaprow – Professor Emeritus of Visual Arts
• Harvey Karten - National Academy of Sciences member, neuroscientist
• Charles David Keeling – first alerted the world to the anthropogenic contribution to the "greenhouse effect" and global warming; discoverer of the Keeling Curve
• Walter Kohn – Nobel Laureate in Chemistry (1998), Chair of the UCSD Physics Department (1960s), Kohn-Sham equations
• Barbara Kruger – artist and Professor of Visual Arts
• Ronald Langacker – creator of cognitive grammar, Professor of Linguistics
• William Lerach – guest lecturer on securities and corporate law; a leading securities lawyer in the United States
• George Lewis – Professor of Music, jazz trombone player, MacArthur Fellowship winner (2002)
• Lei Liang – composer, winner of Rome Prize and Guggenheim Fellowship
• Arend Lijphart – Research Professor Emeritus of Political Science; elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1989; President of the American Political Science Association from 1995 to 1996; recipient of the prestigious Johann Skytte Prize in Political Science in 1997
• George Mandler – experimental psychology, founder of UCSD Department of Psychology
• Jean Matter Mandler – cognitive development
• Babette Mangolte – French cinematographer and Professor of Visual Arts
• Lev Manovich – New Media theorist, Director of Software Studies Initiative and Professor of Visual Arts
• M. Brian Maple – National Academy of Sciences member, physicist
• Herbert Marcuse – philosopher, mentor to Angela Davis
• Harry Markowitz – Nobel laureate in Economics (1990)
• Andrew Mattison – co-author of The Male Couple, co-founder of the University of California Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research
• Mathew D. McCubbins – professor of political science
• Mario Molina – Nobel laureate in Chemistry
• Eileen Myles – poet, Professor of Literature
• Donald Norman – Professor Emeritus of Cognitive Science and Psychology; co-founder and first chair of Cognitive Science; author of User Centered System Design; VP of Apple; National Academy of Engineering
• Pauline Oliveros – composer, central figure in the development of post-war electronic art music
• George Emil Palade – Nobel laureate in Physiology/Medicine (1974), Professor of Medicine in Residence and Dean for Scientific Affairs (Emeritus)
• Linus Pauling - Nobel laureate in Chemistry (1954), Professor of Chemistry
• Richard Popkin – Professor of Philosophy
• Samuel Popkin – Professor of Political Science
• Miller Puckette – Creator of Puredata Programming Language, Co-Director of Center for Research in Computing and the Arts
• Vilayanur S. Ramachandran – neuroscience and psychology
• Jef Raskin – Assistant Professor in Computer Science, founder of the Apple Macintosh project
• Roger Revelle (1909–1991) – oceanographer, scholar, namesake of Roger Revelle College
• Roger Reynolds – 1989 Pulitzer Prize in Music
• Sally Ride – Professor of Physics, former astronaut
• Marshall Rosenbluth – Professor of Physics, member of the National Academy of Sciences, developer of the Metropolis algorithm, "Pope of Plasma Physics"
• Herbert Schiller – Professor Emeritus of Communication (1970–2000)
• Terry Sejnowski – Professor of Biological Sciences and Adjunct Professor in the Departments of Neurosciences, Psychology, Cognitive Science, and Computer Science and Engineering
• Kartik Seshadri – Professor of Indian Classical Music
• Lu Jeu Sham – National Academy of Sciences member, Kohn-Sham equations, physicist
• Ravi Shankar – Indian musician, sitar player
• Susan Shirk – Ho Miu Lam Endowed Chair of China and Pacific Relations; former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State during the Clinton administration
• Nicholas Spitzer - Distiguished Professor of Biology, National Academy of Sciences member
• Larry Squire – Professor of Psychiatry, Neurosciences, and Psychology
• John G. Stoessinger – political analyst; prize-winning author of ten leading books on world politics; guest lecturer in international relations; political science
• Avrum Stroll – Professor of Philosophy
• Harry Suhl – National Academy of Sciences (Physics) member
• Leó Szilárd (1898–1964) – Hungarian physicist, Professor at the Salk Institute
• Roger Tsien – Nobel Laureate in Chemistry (2008), Wolf Prize in Medicine
• Chinary Ung – Grawemeyer Award-winning composer
• Harold Urey – Nobel laureate in Chemistry
• Benjamin Elazari Volcani, microbiologist; discovered life in the Dead Sea; pioneered biological silicon research
• Joseph Wang – nanoengineer, ISI's World's Most Cited Engineer, ISI's World's Most Cited Chemist
• Kenneth Watson – National Academy of Sciences (Physics) member
• Herbert F. York (1921–2009) – Enrico Fermi Award (2000)
• Efim Zelmanov – Fields Medal recipient, Professor of Mathematics
• Bruno H. Zimm – National Academy of Sciences member, biophysicist

References

• http://alumni.ucsd.edu/prominent/index.htm