List of University of California, Santa Barbara alumni

This page lists notable alumni and students of the University of California, Santa Barbara.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

Nobel laureates

UCSB Award winners

Carol Greider, B.A. 1983 – 2009 Nobel Prize winner

Michael Douglas, B.A. 1968 – two-time Academy Award winner

Main article: List of Nobel laureates affiliated with the University of California, Santa Barbara

• Carol W. Greider, B.A. 1983 – molecular biologist/geneticist and professor/director at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; 2009 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

MacArthur Fellows

The MacArthur Fellows Program is also known as the "MacArthur Fellowship" or "Genius Grant."

• Amir Abo-Shaeer, B.S. 1996, M.S. 1998, M.Ed. 2001 – high school physics teacher and mechanical engineer; 2010 MacArthur Fellowship
• Angela Belcher, B.S. 1991, Ph.D. 1997 – materials scientist and W.M. Keck Professor of Energy at MIT; 2004 MacArthur Fellowship
• Robin Fleming, B.A. 1977, Ph.D. 1984 – medieval historian and Department of History professor at Boston College; 2013 MacArthur Fellowship
• Edith Widder, M.A. 1977, Ph.D. 1982 – oceanographer and marine biologist; 2006 MacArthur Fellowship

Pulitzer Prize

• Bob Sipchen, B.A. 1976 – two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and former Communications Director of the Sierra Club

Academy Awards

• Michael Douglas, B.A. 1968 – producer of 1975's Best Picture, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and Best Actor in 1987 for his role as Gordon Gekko in Wall Street
• Gwyneth Paltrow, attended – Best Actress in 1998 for Shakespeare in Love
• Eric Roth, attended – screenwriter of 1994's Best Adapted Screenplay, Forrest Gump

Emmy Awards

• Dante Di Loreto, B.A. – two-time Emmy Award winner; producer for Glee and American Horror Story
• Jason Ross, 1993 – seven-time Emmy Award winner; television writer for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and previously The Daily Show

Academics

UCSB Academics

Reza Aslan, Ph.D 2009 – Iranian-American author, commentator and religious scholar

• R.J.Q. Adams, Ph.D. 1972 –American historian and Patricia & Bookman Peters Professor of History at Texas A&M University
• Reza Aslan, Ph.D. 2009 – Iranian-American author, commentator and religious scholar; professor of creative writing at University of California, Riverside
• Denis Dutton, B.A. 1966, Ph.D. 1975 – professor, philosopher, and founder of Arts & Letters Daily
• Carol Folt, B.A. 1976, M.A. 1978 – Chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• James Kilgore, 1969 - Former Symbionese Liberation Army and professor at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
• Jakob Lothe, M.A. 1976 – literary scholar and professor at the University of Oslo
• Heather McKillop, Ph.D. 1987 – Mayanist archaeologist and professor at Louisiana State University
• John D. Petersen, Ph.D. 1975 – former President of the University of Tennessee system
• Saba Soomekh, Ph.D. 2008 – religious author and visiting faculty at various universities
• Tim Vivian, Ph.D. 1985 – scholar of Early Christianity and Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies at California State University, Bakersfield
• Jon Whitmore, Ph.D. 1974 – current CEO of ACT, Inc., former President of San Jose State University and Texas Tech University
• Jay Alan Yim, B.A. 1980 – composer and associate professor at Northwestern University

Arts, entertainment, and literature

UCSB Arts, Entertainment, and Literature Alumni

Benjamin Bratt, B.F.A. 1986 – actor

Josh Elliott, B.A. 1993 – television host

Jack Johnson, B.A. 1997 – musician

Harvey Levin, B.A. 1972 – founder of TMZ

• Steve Aoki, B.A. 2000 – electro house musician, record producer, and founder of Dim Mak Records
• Gregg Araki, B.A. 1982 – film director, producer, and screenwriter; winner of a Cannes Film Festival award
• Tobin Armbrust, B.A. – film producer, president of Worldwide Productions and Acquisitions for Exclusive Media
• Brandon Baker – actor, Johnny Tsunami
• Jack Bannon - actor, Art Donovan on Lou Grant.
• Roko Belic, attended – film director and producer; winner of Sundance Film Festival award
• Lo Bosworth, attended – reality television participant on Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County and The Hills
• Benjamin Bratt, B.F.A. 1986 – actor, Law & Order, Private Practice, Miss Congeniality
• Lisa Bruce, B.A. 1983 – film producer, The Theory of Everything
• Yau-Man Chan, M.S. 1977 – reality television participant on Survivor: Fiji and Survivor: Micronesia
• Kayte Christensen, B.A. 2002 – sports commentator and WNBA player
• Claudia Cowan, attended – television journalist for Fox News Channel
• Steve Czaban, B.S. 1990 – sports radio talk show host on Yahoo! Sports Radio and ESPN 980
• Beth Rudin DeWoody, B.A. – arts patron, collector, curator, philanthropist
• Mark di Suvero, attended – sculptor and National Medal of Arts recipient
• Crystal Egger, B.A. 2000 – meteorologist for NBC4 Los Angeles and The Weather Channel
• Josh Elliott, B.A. 1993 – television journalist, NBC Sports, Today, Good Morning America
• Macduff Everton, B.A. 1981, M.F.A. 1984 – photographer and author
• Harris Faulkner, B.A. – newscaster and television host for Fox News Channel
• Scott Frank, B.A. 1982 – screenwriter, Minority Report, Marley & Me, The Wolverine
• Morgan J. Freeman, B.A. 1992 – producer and director, Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County and Teen Mom
• Tom Fruin, B.A. 1996 – sculptor
• Marc Germain, B.A. 1989 – radio talk show host known as Mr. KFI or Mr. KABC
• Dana E. Glauberman, 1990 – film editor, Juno, Up in the Air, and No Strings Attached
• Toni Graphia, B.A. – television producer and writer
• Mary Heebner, B.A. 1973, M.F.A. 1977 – painter and artist
• Paige Hemmis, B.A. 1994 – television host, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
• Don Hertzfeldt, B.A. 1998 – animator and producer, Rejected and Billy's Balloon
• Iration, attended or were attending USCB when founding band in 2004; multiple albums have topped Billboard Reggae charts
• Wayne Isham, attended – award-winning music video director, Enter Sandman, Livin' on a Prayer, Bye Bye Bye
• Jack Johnson, B.A. 1997 – four-time platinum singer-songwriter and musician, In Between Dreams and On and On
• Moshe Kasher, B.A. – standup comedian and actor
• Dave Kaplan, B.A. 1981 – music industry executive
• Kazu Kibuishi, B.A. 2000 – graphic novelist, Flight and Copper
• Aja Naomi King, B.A. 2007 – actress, How to Get Away with Murder
• Ken Korach, B.A. 1975 – sports radio play-by-play announcer, Oakland Athletics
• Robby Krieger, attended – guitarist and songwriter, original member of The Doors
• John La Puma, B.A. 1978 – physician, chef, and New York Times bestselling author
• Jenna Lee, B.A. 2002 – newscaster and television host of Happening Now on Fox News Channel
• Christine Lehner, B.A. 1973 – author
• Harvey Levin, B.A. 1972 – founder and managing editor of TMZ
• Audra Lowe, B.A. 1993 – television host of The Broadway Channel and formerly The Better Show
• Enrique Martinez Celaya, M.F.A. 1994 – artist
• Lon McEachern, B.A. 1980 – television broadcaster, ESPN's World Series of Poker
• Mary Miss, B.A. 1966 – environmental artist
• Jeff Nathanson, attended – screenwriter, for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and Catch Me If You Can
• Nekrogoblikon – metal band formed as live act by UCSB students in 2006
• Benito Pastoriza Iyodo, M.A. 1981 - author
• Cathy Podewell – actress, portrayed Cally Harper Ewing on Dallas
• Rebelution – reggae rock band formed in Isla Vista composed of four UCSB graduates
• Jim Rome, B.A. 1987 – sports talk show host, The Jim Rome Show and Jim Rome Is Burning
• Barbara Rush, 1948 – Golden Globe-winning actress, Bigger Than Life, The Young Philadelphians, Robin and the 7 Hoods, Hombre, Peyton Place
• Richard Serra, B.A. 1961 – minimalist sculptor
• Brad Silberling, B.A. 1984 – film producer and director, Casper, Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events
• L. J. Smith, B.A. 1987 – New York Times bestselling author of The Vampire Diaries and The Secret Circle series
• Mark Andrew Smith, B.A. 2002 – comic book writer and graphic novelist
• Bahar Soomekh, B.A. 1997 – actress, Saw III
• Andrea Sperling, B.A. 1990 – film producer
• Charissa Thompson, B.A. 2004 – television host, Fox Sports Live and Extra
• Fred Toye, B.A. – television director
• Katy Tur, B.A. 2005 – television journalist, NBC News
• Leah Turner, attended – country music singer
• Patrick Vlaskovits, B.A., M.A. – New York Times bestselling author and entrepreneur
• Dasha Zhukova, B.A. 2004 – model and domestic partner to Roman Abramovich

Astronauts

• Joseph M. Acaba, B.S. 1990 – participated with STS-119
• Leroy Chiao, M.S. 1985, Ph.D. 1987 – commander of Expedition 10 aboard International Space Station and participated with STS-65, STS-72, and STS-92
• José M. Hernández, M.S. 1986 – participated with STS-128

Athletics

Jason Lezak

• Eric Avila – plays for FC Dallas of the MLS
• Shane Bieber - Major League Baseball pitcher for the Cleveland Indians
• Joe Cannon – 2002 and 2004 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year, goalkeeper for Vancouver Whitecaps, former member of U.S. National Team
• Cori Close - women's basketball head coach, UCLA
• Chris Cope – professional mixed martial artist, formerly competing for Strikeforce and the Ultimate Fighting Championship
• Larry Dierker – 1969 and 1971 MLB All-Star pitcher and 1998 NL Manager of the Year for Houston Astros
• Eric Fonoimoana – 2000 Olympic Games gold medalist in beach volleyball
• Rob Friend – soccer striker for Borussia Mönchengladbach of the German Bundesliga and the Canadian National Team
• Tom Gamboa -- baseball coach and manager
• Scott Garson -- college basketball coach
• Bill Geivett – senior vice president, Major League Baseball Operations, assistant GM for Colorado Rockies
• Mario Hollands – pitcher for Philadelphia Phillies
• Andy Iro – plays for Columbus Crew of the MLS
• Carin Jennings – 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup and Golden Ball winner, 1996 Olympic Games gold medalist in soccer; National Soccer Hall of Fame (personal) and United States Olympic Hall of Fame (as 1996 Women's Soccer team) inductee
• Orlando Johnson, pro basketball player for Baskonia of Euroleague and NBA's Sacramento Kings, Indiana Pacers, Phoenix Suns
• Neil Jones – has featured for New Zealand National Team, assistant coach for UCSB
• Alan Keely – plays in Ireland for Shelbourne F.C. of FAI eircom League of Ireland First Division
• Dan Kennedy – plays for Club Deportivo Chivas USA of MLS
• Jason Lezak – four-time Olympic gold medalist and seven-time Olympic medalist swimmer in 2000, 2004, and 2008 Olympic Games
• Tony Lochhead – soccer left back for Wellington Phoenix FC of Australian A-League and New Zealand National Team
• Thiago Martins – soccer striker for FK Bodø/Glimt of the Norwegian Tippeligaen
• Kevin McClatchy – co-owner of Major League Baseball's Pittsburgh Pirates franchise
• David McGill – plays in Ireland for Shelbourne F.C. of the FAI eircom League of Ireland First Division
• Tino Nuñez – plays for Real Salt Lake of MLS
• Barbara Nwaba – 2015 American heptathlon champion
• Chris Pontius – plays for D.C. United of MLS
• Kyle Reynish – plays for Real Salt Lake of MLS
• Todd Rogers – 2008 Olympic Games gold medalist in Beach Volleyball; 1997 AVP Rookie of the Year, 2004-2007 AVP Best Defensive Player, 2006 AVP MVP, 2007 AVP Champion
• Tyler Rosenlund – has featured for Canadian National Team
• Skip Schumaker – former MLB second baseman for Cincinnati Reds
• Brian Shaw – three-time (2000, 2001, 2002) NBA champion point guard for Los Angeles Lakers, former head coach of Denver Nuggets
• Ryan Spilborghs – former MLB center fielder for Colorado Rockies
• Alan Williams – two-time NCAA rebounding leader and current player for the Phoenix Suns
• Craig Wilson – U.S. Olympic water polo goalie silver medalist in 1984 and 1988 Olympic Games; participant in 1992 Games
• Michael Young – retired five-time (2004–2008) MLB All-Star shortstop for the Texas Rangers and 2006 MLB All Star Game MVP
• Barry Zito – three-time (2002, 2003, 2006) MLB All-Star pitcher and 2002 American League Cy Young Award winner

Business leaders and entrepreneurs

• Robert D. Arnott, B.S. 1977 – investor and writer, founder and CEO of Research Affiliates, LLC
• Josh Berman, B.A. 1991 – entrepreneur; co-founder and former Chief Operating Officer of Myspace.com
• Grady Booch, M.S. 1979 – software engineer; co-creator of the Unified Modeling Language; Fellow of ACM, IBM, and IEEE
• Tom Bruggere, B.A. 1968 – entrepreneur and founder of Mentor Graphics, former Chairman of the Board of Stamps.com
• Anders Dahlvig, M.A. 1982 – former CEO and President of IKEA
• Robert Duggan – CEO of Pharmacyclics Inc.
• Logan Green, B.A. 2006 – co-founder and CEO of Lyft and Zimride
• David Henke, B.A. 1978 – former Senior Vice President of Operations at LinkedIn
• Jeffrey O. Henley, B.A. 1966 – current vice-chairman and former chairman of Oracle Corporation
• Blair Hull, B.A. 1965 – businessman, investor, and founder of Ketchum Trading, former founder of Hull Trading Company
• Ryan Kavanaugh, attended – billionaire film producer and financier, founder and CEO of Relativity Media
• Karl F. Lopker, B.S. 1973 – current CEO of QAD Inc, co-founder of Deckers Outdoor Corporation
• Pamela Lopker, B.A. 1977 – founder and President of QAD Inc
• Richard Nanula, B.A. 1982 – former CFO of The Walt Disney Company and Amgen, former Chairman of Colony Capital and Miramax
• Priya Narasimhan, M.S. 1995, Ph.D. 1999 – founder and CEO of YinzCam, electrical & computer engineering professor at Carnegie Mellon University
• Marc Nathanson, M.A. 1969 – entrepreneur and philanthropist, former founder and CEO of Falcon Cable TV
• Doug Otto, B.A. 1973 – co-founder of Deckers Outdoor Corporation
• Yngve Slyngstad, M.A. – CEO of Norges Bank Investment Management
• Peter Sperling, B.A. – educator and businessman, Chairman of Apollo Group
• Nick Swinmurn, B.A. 1995 – founder and former CEO of Zappos
• Chade-Meng Tan, M.S. 2000 – software engineer, New York Times bestselling author, and employee number 107 for Google
• Kazuhiro Tsuga, M.S. 1986 – current President of Panasonic
• Brett White, B.A. 1984 – current Chairman & Chief Executive Office of Cushman & Wakefield and former CEO of CBRE Group

Government, law, and public policy

• John Avalos – San Francisco Board of Supervisors representing District 11
• Paul Bardacke – former [[Attorney General of New Mexico]
• Sam Blakeslee (Ph.D) – California State Senator and former California State Assembly Republican Leader
• Barbara Bodine – U.S. ambassador to Yemen during the USS Cole bombing
• Barry Brucker – American businessman and politician who served twice as the Mayor of Beverly Hills, California
• Joan Buchanan – Democratic Party public official and member of the California State Assembly
• Lois Capps – member of the U.S. House of Representatives
• Salud Carbajal – member of the U.S. House of Representatives
• Tony Cardenas – member of the U.S. House of Representatives
• Norris Cochran – acting United States Secretary of Health and Human Services
• Delaine Eastin – State Superintendents of Public Instruction in California
• Valerie Baker Fairbank – Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the Central District of California
• Raymond C. Fisher – Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
• Jean Fuller- Republican member of the California Senate
• Ruth Ann Gaines – Democratic Party member of the Iowa House of Representatives
• Marc Grossman – U.S. ambassador to Turkey; later, United States Undersecretary for Political Affairs
• Roger Hedgecock – Mayor of San Diego (1983–85), talk radio show host
• Jared Huffman – Democratic Party Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
• Ken Khachigian – former speechwriter for President Richard Nixon and chief speechwriter for President Ronald Reagan; senior advisor to presidential campaigns of Bob Dole (1996), John McCain (2000), Fred Thompson (2008)
• Betty K. Koed (Ph.D) – current Historian of the United States Senate
• Robert J. Lagomarsino – former Republican congressman from California
• Edward L. Masry – attorney in the Erin Brockovich case
• Dionicio Morales – Latino civil rights leader and founder of the Mexican American Opportunity Foundation
• Richard Munson – businessman, author, and activist in the field of clean energy and industrial energy efficiency
• Mariana Pfaelzer – United States federal judge of the United States District Court for the Central District of California
• Richard W. Pollack – Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Hawaii
• Milan St. Protić – diplomat from Serbia, Yugoslav Ambassador to United States and Serbian Ambassador to Switzerland
• Nick L. Salazar – Democratic member of the New Mexico House of Representatives
• Robin Sax – legal analyst and commentator
• Paul Seaton – Republican member of the Alaska House of Representatives
• Roslyn O. Silver – Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Arizona
• Matthew Steen – co-founder of Weather Underground
• Knut Vollebaek – Norwegian diplomat and Ambassador to the US
• Das Williams – member of the California State Assembly
• Joseph C. Wilson – U.S. ambassador to Gabon and São Tomé and Príncipe; Distinguished Alumnus Award recipient; husband of Valerie Plame Wilson, classified CIA operative whose identity was leaked to the press in 2003
• Brian Maienschein - Democratic member of the California State Assembly

Science

• Robert Ballard – oceanographer who discovered the wreck of the Titanic
• Alexei Filippenko, B.A. 1979 – astrophysicist and professor of astronomy at the University of California, Berkeley
• Benjamin Halpern, Ph.D. 2003 – marine biologist, ecologist, and 2016 A.G. Huntsman Award for Excellence in the Marine Sciences winner
• John R. Kirtley, B.A. 1971, Ph.D. 1976 – physicist and professor at Stanford University
• Alison Murray – biochemist and Antarctic researcher
• Richard Nelson – cultural anthropologist
• Christine Siddoway – geologist, Antarctic researcher
• Deborah Steinberg – biological oceanographer, Antarctic researcher

Other notable alumni

David Woodard

• Kwadwo Afari-Gyan – Chairman of the Electoral Commission of Ghana
• Kenneth Karmiole – bookseller and philanthropist
• Jeff Madsen – four-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner, and the ESPN/CardPlayer Magazine 2006 World Series of Poker Player of the Year
• Robert Mardian – one of the Watergate Seven
• Kathleen Soliah – member of the Symbionese Liberation Army
• Todd Witteles – World Series of Poker bracelet winner, and CardPlayer Magazine's 2005 World Series of Poker Player of the Year
• David Woodard - writer and conductor