List of Pennsylvania State University people

This is a list of famous individuals associated with the Pennsylvania State University, including graduates, former students, and professors.

Alumni

Art and literature

• Steve Alten, author, "MEG" series, "Domain" series, and "The Loch"
• Louis Astorino, architect, PNC Park, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
• John Balaban, author/poet, Words for My Daughter and Locusts at the Edge of Summer
• Jeanne Clemson, theater director, stage actress, and teacher, preserved the Fulton Opera House
• Dale Brown, bestselling author, Act of War, Battle Born, and Plan of Attack
• Richard Diehl (MA 1965, PhD 1969), Mesoamerican archaeologist and academic, expert on the Olmec civilization
• Ted Eisenberg, plastic surgeon
• Alan Furst, novelist
• Jean Craighead George, Newbery Medal-winning children's author
• Chip Kidd, renowned book-jacket designer
• Norris J. Lacy, expert on the Arthurian legend
• Paul Levine, novelist, Jake Lassiter crime fiction series, screenwriter, JAG
• Steve McCurry, world-renowned photojournalist; most famous for the photograph of the “Afghan Girl” in National Geographic Magazine
• David Morrell, novelist, First Blood
• James Morrow, author
• Robert Neffson, artist
• John Pielmeier, playwright, Agnes of God, etc...
• William "Fritz" Sippel, architect, Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh's Civic Arena
• Oliver Smith, ten-time Tony Award-winning scenic designer
• Michael Sprankle, author, artist, Once Upon a Time in New York...How I Painted My Masterpiece; Flake, The Great American Novel
• Robert Yarber, American artist
• Susan Miller, playwright, "My Left Breast", etc..., 2 time OBIE winner, Eugene O'Neill Contest winner, Emmy nominee

Business and industry

• Robert E. Alger, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Lane Construction Corporation
• Edward R. Book, former chairman and CEO of Hershey Entertainment & Resort Company
• Jim Broadhurst, chairman and CEO of Eat 'N Park Hospitality Group
• Fletcher Byrom, former CEO of Koppers, Co.
• James Carnes, former president & CEO of Sarnoff Corporation
• Tom Clarke, former president & CEO of Nike, Inc.
• Louis D'Ambrosio, CEO of Sears Holdings Corporation
• Robert E. Eberly, Chairman Eberly Natural Gas Co., Penn State benefactor
• John C. Felmy, Chief economist for the American Petroleum Institute
• Herman Fisher, co-founder of Fisher-Price toy company
• Ira G. Grooms, former CFO of the ABEX Corporation
• Samuel F. Hinkle, former chairman and CEO of Hershey Foods Corporation
• Lloyd Huck, chairman emeritus of Merck & Co., Inc. and former CEO of Nova Pharmaceutical Corp.
• Richard T. James, Inventor of the Slinky
• James P. Jimirro, Chairman and former CEO of National Lampoon Inc.
• Mike Keebaugh, former president of Raytheon Intelligence and Information Systems
• Kurt M. Landgraf, CEO of Educational Testing Service
• Albert L. Lord, Vice chairman & CEO of Sallie Mae Corporation
• Kathleen Mason, President & CEO of Tuesday Morning, Inc.
• Mike McBath, co-founder/part-owner of the Orlando Predators
• Daniel S. Mead, President and CEO VerizonWireless
• Eugene O'Kelly, former CEO of KPMG
• Mark Parker, CEO of Nike, Inc.
• William Schreyer, chairman emeritus and former CEO of Merrill Lynch. The Schreyer Honors College was renamed in his honor after he and his wife made a large donation.
• Steve Sheetz, Chairman of Sheetz, Inc.
• Frank Smeal, a partner of the Goldman Sachs Group of New York City on Wall Street; an expert in the municipal bond market. The Smeal College of Business is named after his generosity.
• Scott Smith, founder, East End Brewing Company
• John P. Surma, CEO of US Steel
• Richard Trumka, AFL-CIO President
• Patricia A. Woertz, CEO of Archer Daniel Midland. Named to Fortune magazine's "Most Powerful Women in Business" list.[2]
• Richard A. Zimmerman, Former president & CEO of Hershey Foods

Technology

• Matt Brezina, Co-Founder of Xobni
• Chris Fanini, Co-Founder of Weebly
• David Rusenko, Co-Founder of Weebly
• Dan Veltri, Co-Founder of Weebly
• Randall Wilson, Chief Technology Officer, WTAJ-TV, Altoona, Pennsylvania

Education

• John W. Heston, president of Washington State University, South Dakota State University and Dakota State University
• Brennan O'Donnell, president of Manhattan College
• David C. Hodge, President of Miami University in Oxford, Ohio
• Harry J. Hartley, Jr., former president of University of Connecticut
• Robert E. Witt, president of University of Alabama
• David Dodds Henry, former president of University of Illinois
• George D. Stoddard, former president of University of Illinois
• Roland Fryer, Robert M. Beren Professor of Economics at Harvard University
• James J. Whalen, former president of Ithaca College
• David C. Hodge, president of Miami University (OH)
• Harold E. Longenecker, former president of Tulane University
• Frederick E. Hutchinson, former president of University of Maine
• Sharon A. Siverts, former vice chancellor of University of Botswana
• Dwight M. Smith, former chancellor of University of Denver
• James T. Harris III, president of Widener University
• Eddie N. Moore, president of Virginia State University
• Sister Mary M. Reap, former president of Marywood University
• Richard Hoover, former president of Hastings College
• Robert W. Neff, former president of Juniata College
• Sharon D. Herzberger, president of Whittier College
• Joe Gow, University of Wisconsin–La Crosse Chancellor
• Eoin McKiernan, early scholar in Irish Studies

Entertainment and media

• Tareq Al-Suwaidan, renowned Muslim scholar, reformer, TV personality and management guru.
• John Aniston, actor, Days of our Lives; father of actress Jennifer Aniston
• Brian Baker, former Sprint spokesman
• Alan Beckwith, actor, The China Syndrome, UFOria
• Donald Bellisario, television producer
• Charles Bierbauer, television journalist
• Benjy Bronk, comedian and writer, The Howard Stern Show
• Ryan Buell, founder of the Paranormal Research Society seen on A&E.
• Ty Burrell, actor, star of ABC sitcom Modern Family
• Margaret Carlson, journalist, pundit. First female columnist for TIME
• Leon Carr, songwriter and composer
• Bob Clendenin, character actor, Scrubs, My Name Is Earl, Charmed, Ugly Betty, That '70s Show, Desperate Housewives.
• Nathan Cook, actor, The White Shadow, Hotel
• Jill Cordes, TV personality, HGTV's My First Place and The Best Of
• John A. Dalles, hymn writer and clergyman
• Bruce Davison, actor; received an Oscar nomination for his role in Longtime Companion
• Steven E. de Souza, screenwriter; Judge Dredd, Beverly Hills Cop 3, 48 Hrs., Die Hard
• Janine DiGioacchino, director of Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, New York
• John Doman, actor, The Wire and Damages
• Julius J. Epstein, screenwriter of Casablanca
• Carmen Finestra, Emmy Award-winning television writer and producer; The Cosby Show, Home Improvement
• Jonathan Frakes, actor and director (Star Trek: The Next Generation series)
• Kim Jones, clubhouse reporter for the New York Yankees and the YES Network
• Keegan-Michael Key, actor, comedian; MADtv, host of Animal Planet’s The Planet's Funniest Animals
• Stan Lathan, television producer and director, co-creator of Def Comedy Jam
• Rick Lyon, actor/creator of Broadway show Avenue Q
• Gary Ley, Chief Meteorologist of WJAR-TV in Providence, Rhode Island
• Adam McKay, film director and screenwriter; writer and director of Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, and The Landlord (2007 film)
• Joe Murgo, Chief Meteorologist of WTAJ-TV in Altoona, Pennsylvania
• Amy Wynn Pastor, TV personality, TLC's Trading Spaces
• Denis Phillips, chief meteorologist of WFTS-TV in Tampa Bay.
• Mike Reid, Grammy Award-winning songwriter
• John Lewis, dancer, most famous for inventing the dance "Big Baby Shuffle" that stormed Western Pennsylvania in the 1980s.
• Ian Rosenberger, 3rd place in Survivor: Palau on CBS and one time President of Penn State's USG
• Michael S. Rosenfeld, talent agent and co-founder of Creative Artists Agency
• Leah Rozen, film critic, People.
• Lisa Salters, ESPN reporter and former Nittany Lady Lion Basketball Star
• David Schelzel, lead singer of The Ocean Blue
• Dave Silverman, activist, president of American Atheists, inventor (over 70 patents).
• Lara Spencer, TV host of The Insider
• Don Taylor (actor), Film actor of the 1940s and 1950s
• Mike Vecchione, stand up comedian
• Tom Verducci, senior writer for Sports Illustrated
• Andrew Kevin Walker, screenwriter of Seven
• Fred Waring, Bandleader
• Glenn "Hurricane" Schwartz, chief meteorologist of WCAU-TV in Philadelphia.
• Rake Yohn, CKY crew and Jackass crew member, as well as a synthetic metal chemist (which he graduated for).
• Immortal Technique, Political Activist and rapper.

Politics, government and military

• William P. Atkinson, former member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
• Kelly Ayotte, United States Senator (R-NH)
• Christopher F. Burne, Brigadier General, United States Air Force
• Caroline Casagrande, member of the New Jersey General Assembly
• Kathleen L. Casey, commissioner of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
• Frank A. Cipolla, Brigadier General, United States Army Reserve
• Charlie Dent, United States Congressman (R-PA 15)
• Michael F. Doyle, United States Congressman (D-PA 14)
• Tom Feeney, former United States Congressman (R-FL 24)
• Barbara Hackman Franklin, former United States Secretary of Commerce
• Harold Gehman, former commander-in-chief of the U.S. Joint Forces Command and former NATO Supreme Allied Commander, Atlantic
• Howard Fargo, former member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
• Robert Jubelirer, former President Pro Tempore of the Pennsylvania State Senate, former Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania
• C. Robert Kehler, commander of Air Force Space Command
• Maria Leavey, political strategist
• Michael P. Murphy, a United States Navy SEAL and Medal of Honor recipient.
• Bonnie Newman, member of the Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations, chief of staff to Judd Gregg
• Bernie O'Neill, member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives (R-PA 29)
• William Perry, former United States Secretary of Defense
• Valerie Plame, former CIA officer
• Hugh Ellsworth Rodham, father of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton
• Hugh Edwin Rodham, politician and brother of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton
• James Patrick Rossiter, Mayor of Erie, Pennsylvania
• Rick Santorum, former United States Senator (R-PA) and United States Congressman (R-PA 18)
• Richard Schweiker, former United States Senator (R-PA) and Secretary of Health and Human Services
• Samuel H. Smith, member and Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives (R-PA 66)
• Stanley Sporkin, former judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia
• Lyonpo Jigme Thinley, Prime Minister of Bhutan
• George J. Trautman, III, Lieutenant General, United States Marine Corps
• Slobodan Uzelac, Deputy Prime Minister of the Croatian government
• William E. Ward, General, United States Army
• R. Seth Williams, District Attorney of Philadelphia
• Jon D. Fox, former United States Congressman (R-PA 13) and former member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives (R-PA 153)
• Alan Isaacman, attorney, argued the case Hustler Magazine v. Falwell before U.S. Supreme Court
• Donald William Snyder (BBA 1973), Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives 1981-2000 and Majority Whip.

Science

• Paul Berg, recipient of 1980 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
• Roscoe Brady, neuroscientist and senior investigator at the National Institutes of Health
• Dante Bonaquist, executive director R&D and chief scientist at Praxair, Inc.
• Elliott Abrams, Accuweather Meteorologist
• Guion Bluford, astronaut, first African-American in space
• Robert Cenker, Space Shuttle astronaut, STS-61-C
• Dennis S. Charney, current Dean of Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City
• Nina Fedoroff, geneticist
• James T Harris III (D.Ed. 1988), educator and academic administrator; 2003 Alumni Fellow Award recipient
• Chad Mirkin, chemist. One of the few individuals that have been elected to all three branches of the National Academies. Member of President Obama's President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.
• Joel N. Myers, founder and CEO of AccuWeather
• Erwin Wilhelm Müller, physicist, inventor of the field ion microscope, and the first person ever to "see" an atom
• James Pawelczyk, Space Shuttle astronaut, STS-90
• Jef Raskin, author and human-computer interface expert best known for starting the Macintosh project for Apple Computer
• David L. Reich, among the first to demonstrate the utility of electronic medical records for large-scale retrospective investigations demonstrating the association of intraoperative hemodynamic abnormalities with adverse postoperative outcomes.
• Robert Titzer, professor and infant researcher
• Paul J. Weitz, astronaut, Skylab 2, STS-6
• Rake Yohn, CKY Crew member.
• David Bohm, Quantum physicist known for the Aharanov-Bohm effect, Bohm diffusion and Bohm interpretation.

Sports

See also: List of Pennsylvania State University Olympians and List of Penn State Football Players

• David Aardsma, major league pitcher spent 1 semester before transferring to Rice University
• John Amaechi, former professional basketball player; BBC, ITV, and SKY television personality
• Richie Anderson, former NFL running back
• LaVar Arrington, All-Pro NFL linebacker; radio personality
• Horace Ashenfelter, 1952 Olympic gold medalist, track and field
• Charlie Atherton
• Terry Bartlett, Olympic gymnast
• Mark Baldwin, former Major League baseball player
• Todd Blackledge, retired NFL quarterback and television sports analyst.
• Calvin Booth, NBA center
• Kyle Brady, NFL tight end
• Frank Brickowski, former professional basketball player
• Jim Britton
• Courtney Brown, NFL defensive end and #1 overall NFL draft pick
• Gary Brown, Cleveland Browns running backs coach; former NFL running back
• Nate Bump, professional baseball player
• John Cappelletti, Heisman Trophy winner and subject of book "Something for Joey"
• Ki-Jana Carter, NFL Halfback and #1 overall NFL draft pick
• Ken Chertow, US Wrestling Team and Olympian, 1986–1993
• Mary Ellen Clark, 1992 and 1996 Olympic bronze medalist, diving
• Kerry Collins, Pro Bowl NFL Quarterback and 4,000 yard passer (2002)
• Shane Conlan, former NFL linebacker
• Bob Coulson, former Major League Baseball player
• Birdie Cree, former Major League Baseball player
• Joe Crispin, professional basketball player
• Helen Darling, Professional WNBA guard for the San Antonio Silver Stars
• D.J. Dozier
• Cal Emery
• Bobby Engram, NFL wide receiver with the Seattle Seahawks
• Jim Farr
• Bill Ford
• Sam Gash, former professional fullback, Baltimore Ravens, New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills; current Detroit Lions assistant coach
• Robert Gibson
• John Gilmore, NFL tight end
• Robbie Gould, Professional Kicker for Chicago Bears
• Milt Graff
• Rosey Grier, former professional football player
• Tamba Hali, NFL defensive lineman
• Franco Harris, former NFL running back
• Jeff Hartings, All-Pro NFL Offensive Lineman
• Jack Ham, former professional football player
• Hinkey Haines
• Michael Haynes, NFL defensive end
• Cliff Heathcote, former Major League Baseball player
• Dan Heisman, chess master
• George Hesselbacher
• Tom Irwin, former Major League Baseball player
• Larry Johnson, Pro Bowl NFL running back
• Joel Johnston
• John Jones
• Bhawoh Jue, NFL safety
• Joe Jurevicius, NFL wide receiver
• Jeremy Kapinos, NFL Pittsburgh Steelers punter
• Jimmy Kennedy, NFL defensive tackle
• Ed Klepfer, former Major League Baseball player
• Ali Krieger, professional women's soccer player, FFC Frankfurt, Washington Freedom
• Pip Koehler
• Tom Lawless
• David Macklin, NFL cornerback
• Kelly Mazzante, professional basketball player
• Mike McBath - co-founder/part-owner of the Orlando Predators
• Suzie McConnell Serio, former professional basketball player, current coach
• Kerry McCoy, 2x United States Olympian in Wrestling, current coach Stanford University Wrestling
• O. J. McDuffie, former NFL wide receiver
• Irish McIlveen
• Kareem McKenzie, NFL Offensive Lineman
• John McNulty, wide receivers coach, Arizona Cardinals
• Matt Millen, former professional football player former president of the Detroit Lions
• Lenny Moore, former NFL Running Back
• Mike Munchak, Pro Football Hall of Fame offensive guard, current Tennessee Titans head coach
• Danny Musser
• Jim O'Hora, former football player, football coach
• Phil Page
• Paul Pasqualoni, defensive line coach, Dallas Cowboys; former Syracuse head coach
• Terry Pegula, owner, Buffalo Sabres
• Darren Perry, former professional American football player; current safeties coach, Green Bay Packers
• Andrew Quarless, Tight End on the Super Bowl XLV Champion Green Bay Packers
• Allen Rosenberg, rower and rowing coach
• Jon Sandusky, Director of Player Personnel, Cleveland Browns
• Mike Scioscia, former Major League Baseball catcher and current manager
• Chad Severs, professional soccer player
• Bud Sharpe, former Major League Baseball player
• Jack Sherry, captain of the 1954 Final Four Team
• Alan Strange, former Major League Baseball player
• Bill Stuart
• Kevin Tan, Olympic bronze medalist (gymnastics, team)
• Joe Tepsic
• Myles Thomas, former Major League Baseball player
• Wallace Triplett, former NFL Running Back (first African-American draftee to play in the NFL)
• Kristal Uzelac, former U.S. Olympian
• Russ Van Atta, former Major League Baseball pitcher
• John Montgomery Ward, former Major League Baseball player, manager, and executive
• Tiffany Weimer, Professional soccer player for the FC Gold Pride in the WPS
• Paul Posluszny, NFL Linebacker for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
• Dan Connor, NFL Linebacker for the Carolina Panthers
• Patrick C. Schirk, 1st Penn State NCAA Swimming Champion
• Cumberland Posey, founded the Homestead Grays in 1912

Fictional alumni

• Mark Wiggum, mentioned in The Italian Bob episode of the television series The Simpsons, Cousin of Chief Clancy Wiggum.
• Marvel Comics has two alumni from here. Bruce Banner better known as The Hulk, and Walter Langkowski better known as Sasquatch.
• Dr. Abby Lockhart, in the television series E.R. is a graduate of Penn State with a minor in English.
• Joan Campbell, who heads the Domestic Protection Division (DPD) in the USA Network show Covert Affairs. The diploma can be seen on her wall.

Notable professors and coaches

• Gregory Ain, architect, Head of Department of Architecture 1963-67
• Richard Alley, glaciologist and climate scientist, IPCC lead author
• George Andrews, mathematician
• John Barth, American novelist and short-story author
• Samuel Preston Bayard, folklorist, expert on fife and fiddle tunes
• Christian M. M. Brady, targumist and Dean of Schreyer Honors College
• Velvet Brown, tuba soloist and recording artist; is associate professor of music
• O. Richard Bundy, Director of Athletic Bands, including the Penn State Blue Band
• Donald Byrne, coach of America's first varsity chess team
• Paul DeMaine, one of the founders of the Computer Science Department.
• William K. George, fluid dynamicist
• Lee Giles, creator of CiteSeer
• Joseph Heller, author of Catch-22
• Ivan Illich, polymath: author, philosopher, and polemicist
• Philip Jenkins, professor of religious studies and writer on modern religious controversies
• James Kasting, atmospheric chemist and astrobiologist, a.k.a. "Dr. Habitable zone"
• Gary N. Knoppers, Head of the Department of Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies who has written a massive and hugely significant two-volume commentary on I Chronicles (I Chronicles 1 - 9 Anchor Bible Vol. 12: Doubleday, 2003) and I Chronicles 10 - 29 Anchor Bible Vol. 12A: Doubleday, 2004)
• Webb Miller, one of the pioneers of Computational Biology. Co-creator of BLAST, a research tool used by geneticists worldwide.
• Erwin Wilhelm Müller, inventor of the field emission microscope, the field ion microscope, the atom probe, and the first person to view atoms
• Robert Neffson, artist
• Masatoshi Nei, theoretical population geneticist and evolutionary biologist
• Joe Paterno, head football coach from 1966 – 2011
• Roger Penrose
• Rene Portland, head women's basketball coach from 1980 – 2007
• C. R. Rao, 2002 National Medal of Science winning statistician
• Theodore Roethke, 1954 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry recipient
• Richard Russo, Pulitzer Prize winning author of Empire Falls, His novel Straight Man was drawn from his experiences teaching at Penn State Altoona
• Lee Smolin, theoretical physicist
• William Tenn (pen name of Philip Klass), famous science fiction writer
• Alan Walker, paleoanthropologist
• Frank C. Whitmore, pioneering organic chemist who described the mechanism of carbocation reactions.
• Aleksander Wolszczan, discoverer of first extrasolar planets and pulsar planets
• Mark D. Maughmer, developed first successful winglet designs for gliding competitions, widely known aerodynamicists and author
• Jerry Sandusky, disgraced former assistant coach implicated in a child sexual abuse scandal