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

• 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
• Joseph Borkovich, stage manager
• 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
• 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
• 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
• John Pielmeier, playwright, Agnes of God, etc...
• Oliver Smith, ten-time Tony Award-winning scenic designer
• Robert Yarber, American artist
• Roland Fryer, Professor of Economics at Harvard University

Business

• Robert E. Eberly, Chairman Eberly Natural Gas Co., Penn State benefactor
• Herman Fisher, co-founder of Fisher-Price toy company
• Lloyd Huck, chairman emeritus of Merck & Co., Inc. and former CEO of Nova Pharmaceutical Corp.
• Richard T. James, Inventor of the Slinky
• Mike Keebaugh, president of Raytheon Intelligence and Information Systems
• Mike McBath - co-founder/part-owner of the Orlando Predators
• Jordan Pearlman, Marketing Executive for the Pittsburgh Xplosion pro basketball team.
• 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.
• 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.
• John P. Surma, CEO of US Steel Corp
• Patricia A. Woertz, CEO of Archer Daniel Midland. Named to Fortune magazine's "Most Powerful Women in Business" list.

Entertainment/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
• Donald Bellisario, television producer
• Charles Bierbauer, television journalist
• Benjy Bronk, comedian and writer, The Howard Stern Show
• Ty Burrell, actor, star of FOX sitcom Back to you
• Margaret Carlson, journalist, pundit. First female columnist for TIME
• Leon Carr, songwriter and composer
• John A. Dalles, hymn writer and clergyman
• Steven E. de Souza, screenwriter; Judge Dredd, Lethal Weapon, 48 Hrs., Die Hard
• 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)
• 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, RI.
• 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)
• 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
• Ian Rosenberger, 3rd place in Survivor: Palau on CBS and one time President of Penn State's USG
• Lisa Salters, ESPN reporter and former Nittany Lady Lion Basketball Star
• David Schelzel, lead singer of The Ocean Blue
• Lara Spencer, TV host of The Insider
• 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.
• Dan Levenstein, holder of largest undergraduate porno collection

Politics, Government and Military

• Dr. Steve Blythe, United States Congressman candidate (D-FL 15)
• Kathleen L. Casey, commissioner of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
• Charlie Dent, United States Congressman (R-PA 15)
• Michael F. Doyle, United States Congressman (D-PA. 14)
• Tom Feeney, United States Congressman (R-FL 24)
• Barbara Hackman Franklin, former United States Secretary of Commerce
• David C. Hodge, President of Miami University in Oxford, Ohio
• Harold Gehman, former commander-in-chief of the U.S. Joint Forces Command and former NATO Supreme Allied Commander, Atlantic
• Robert Jubelirer, former President Pro Tempore of the Pennsylvania State Senate, former Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania.
• Maria Leavey, political strategist
• Michael P. Murphy, a United States Navy SEAL and Medal of Honor recipient.
• Alex Pearre, Unofficial LBGTA ambassador to Spain
• 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)
• Richard Schweiker, United States Senator and Secretary of Health and Human Services.
• Lyonpo Jigme Thinley, ’76g — Prime Minister and Head of the Government of Bhutan.
• George J. Trautman, III, Major General, United States Marine Corps
• William E. Ward, General, United States Army

Science

• Paul Berg, recipient of 1980 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
• Elliott Abrams, Accuweather Meteorologist
• Guion Bluford, astronaut, first African-American in space
• Robert Cenker, Space Shuttle astronaut, STS-61-C
• Nina Fedoroff, geneticist
• James T Harris III (D.Ed. 1988), educator and academic administrator; 2003 Alumni Fellow Award recipient
• Joel N. Myers, founder and CEO of AccuWeather
• Erwin 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
• Paul J. Weitz, astronaut, Skylab 2, STS-6

Sports

• 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
• Horace Ashenfelter, 1952 Olympic gold medalist, track and field
• Terry Bartlett, Olympic gymnast
• Mark Baldwin (baseball), former Major League baseball player
• Todd Blackledge, retired NFL quarterback and television sports analyst
• Kyle Brady, NFL tight end
• Courtney Brown, NFL defensive end and #1 overall NFL draft pick
• 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
• John Gilmore, NFL tight end
• Robbie Gould, Professional Kicker for Chicago Bears
• Helen Darling, Professional WNBA guard for the San Antonio Silver Stars
• Bobby Engram, NFL wide receiver with the Seattle Seahawks
• Rosey Grier, former professional football player
• Tamba Hali, NFL defensive lineman
• Franco Harris, former professional football player
• Jeff Hartings, All-Pro NFL Offensive Lineman
• Jack Ham, former professional football player
• Michael Haynes, NFL defensive end
• Cliff Heathcote, former Major League Baseball player
• Dan Heisman, chess master
• Tom Irwin, former Major League Baseball player
• Larry Johnson, Pro Bowl NFL running back
• Bhawoh Jue, NFL safety
• Joe Jurevicius, NFL wide receiver
• Jimmy Kennedy, NFL defensive tackle
• Ed Klepfer, former Major League Baseball player
• 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
• Kareem McKenzie, NFL Offensive Lineman
• Matt Millen, former professional football player former president of the Detroit Lions
• Lenny Moore, former NFL Running Back
• Jim O'Hora former football player, football coach
• Mike Scioscia, former Major League Baseball catcher and current manager
• Austin Scott, NFL Running Back
• 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
• Kevin Tan, Olympic bronze medalist (gymnastics, team)
• Myles Thomas, former Major League Baseball player
• Wallace Triplett, former NFL Running Back (first African-American draftee to play in the NFL)
• Russ Van Atta, former Major League Baseball pitcher
• John Montgomery Ward, former Major League Baseball player, manager, and executive
• Paul Posluszny, NFL Linebacker for the Buffalo Bills
• Dan Connor, NFL Linebacker for the Carolina Panthers
• Eric Berlin, Noodle-armed IM power forward, nicknamed "The Noodler", infamous for his inability to secure even the easiest rebound, park ranger, cry baby
• Matt Baker, Biggest Douche in University Park History, loyal Kraft employee

Fictional Alumni

• Toby Flenderson, Human Resources Representative to the Dunder Mifflin Scranton branch on the U.S. television series, The Office.
• 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.

Notable professors and coaches

• Gregory Ain, architect, Head of Department of Architecture 1963-67
• Richard Alley, glaciologist and climate scientist, IPCC lead author
• 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.
• 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)
• , Co-creator of BLAST, a research tool used by geneticists worldwide.
• Erwin Müller, inventor of the field emission microscope, the field ion microscope, the atom probe, and the first person to view atoms
• Joe Paterno, head football coach since 1966
• 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
• William Tenn (pen name of Philip Klass), famous science fiction writer
• Frank C. Whitmore, pioneering organic chemist who described the mechanism of carbocation reactions.
• Aleksander Wolszczan, discoverer of first extrasolar planets and pulsar planets

References