List of University of Colorado Boulder alumni

The following is a list of notable people who attended or graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder.

Nobel Laureates

• Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Laureate in Peace in 2006
• Sidney Altman, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry in 1989
• Thomas R. Cech, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry in 1989
• Stanley Cohen, Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine in 1986
• Eric Allin Cornell, Nobel Laureate in Physics in 2001
• John L. Hall, Nobel Laureate in Physics in 2005
• Herbert Kroemer, Nobel Laureate in Physics in 2000
• Craig Mello, Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine in 2006
• Norman Ramsey, Nobel Laureate in Physics in 1989
• Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011
• Carl Wieman, Nobel Laureate in Physics in 2001
• David J. Wineland, Nobel Laureate in Physics in 2012

Notable faculty and staff

• Waleed Abdalati, scientist, Chief Scientist of NASA
• Bernard Amadei, civil engineer, founder of Engineers Without Borders
• Mark Amerika, artist and author
• Fred Anderson, historian, author of The Crucible of War
• Albert Allen Bartlett, physicist, popular writer on exponential growth in populations and energy resources
• Petr Beckmann, physicist, engineer
• Stan Brakhage, filmmaker
• Sara Branham Matthews, microbiologist
• Storm Bull, Professor Emeritus at the College of Music and Head of the Division of Piano
• Adolf Busemann, pioneering aerospace engineer
• Sarvadaman Chowla, mathematician
• Ward Churchill, former ethnic studies professor noted for inflammatory statements dealing with 9/11, dismissed from CU-Boulder 2007
• Robert T. Craig, communication theorist and author of Communication Theory as a Field
• Larry Esposito, discoverer of Saturn’s fourth ring
• Charbel Farhat, Chairman of the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics Stanford University
• George Gamow, physicist and cosmologist
• John Hauser, Unabomber victim
• Clayton Heathcock, Professor of Chemistry and Dean of the College of Chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley
• Linda Hogan, Native American poet, storyteller, academic, playwright, novelist, environmentalist and writer of short stories
• Deborah S. Jin, physicist
• Daniel Kellogg, composer
• Patricia Nelson Limerick, historian and occasional New York Times columnist
• Morris Massey, Professor of Marketing, marketing innovator, and Fortune 500 consultant
• Margaret Murnane, physicist, pioneer of femto-second laser research; MacArthur fellow
• Carter Pann, composer
• Steven Pollock, physicist, U.S. Professor of the Year
• Hobart Muir Smith, most published herpetologist of all time; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
• Joseph R. Tanner, former astronaut
• John Taylor, physicist
• Michael Tracey, famed author
• Stanislaw Ulam, mathematician
• James F. Williams, Dean of Libraries
• Muriel Sibell Wolle, artist and author
• Betty Woodman, ceramic artist
• George Woodman, ceramicist, painter, and photographer
• Melanie Yazzie, sculptor, painter, and printmaker

Notable alumni

Academia, science and technology

• Len Ackland, professor at the University of Colorado and co-director of the Center for Environmental Journalism
• Elaine Anderson, paleontologist
• George J. Armelagos, Goodrich C. White Professor of Anthropology at Emory University
• John Christian Bailar, statistician, Professor Emeritus at the University of Chicago
• Kathryn Bullock, electrochemist
• Steve Chappell, aerospace engineer and NASA scientist
• Erica Chenoweth, political scientist, expert on civil resistance movements and faculty member at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies^[1]
• Robert Corruccini, biological anthropologist and author of numerous monographs and articles on the theory of malocclusion
• Ward Darley, president, University of Colorado
• William E. Davis, former university president and United States Senate candidate
• Vine Deloria, Jr., academic and political author on Native American subjects
• W. Edwards Deming, manufacturing quality expert
• Steve H. Hanke, professor of economics at Johns Hopkins University, adviser to presidents, currency reformer and commodity and currency trader
• David Haussler, professor, University of California, Santa Cruz
• Gretchen Hofmann, professor of ecological physiology of marine organisms at the University of California, Santa Barbara
• Tom Hornbein, developed the standard breathing mask after climbing Mt. Everest in 1963
• William T. Kane, physicist in field of fiber optics
• Alan Kay, computer scientist, Turing Award winner
• Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, Swiss-born psychiatrist and the author of the groundbreaking book On Death and Dying
• Ron Larson, professor of mathematics at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College
• Emory Lindquist, Rhodes scholar, Swedish American historian, President of Bethany College and Wichita State University
• Christopher McKay, planetary scientist at NASA Ames Research Center
• Theodore Harold Maiman, demonstrated the first laser
• Tom Maniatis, Edelman Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons
• Kenneth Miller, biologist at Brown University
• Philip Radovic, podiatric surgeon
• Kay Schallenkamp, President of Emporia State University, and later Black Hills State University
• Leon Silver, geologist at California Institute of Technology, past president of Geological Society of America, trained Apollo astronauts in field geology
• Gary Stormo, geneticist and pioneer of bioinformatics and genomics
• Michael T. Voorhees, entrepreneur, engineer, designer, geographer, and aeronaut
• Thomas D. Walker, Associate Professor at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee in the School of Information Studies

Arts and film

• 3OH!3, hip-hop group
• Josephine Antoine, coloratura soprano with the Metropolitan Opera
• Brandon Barnes, drummer for the band Rise Against and Pinhead Circus
• Chairlift, electronic-pop group
• Derek Cianfrance, film director
• Lydia Cornell, actress, author
• Eric Darnell, director
• Brian Dietzen, actor
• Lisa Donovan, actress and writer
• Patricia Elliott, actress
• Joe Flanigan, actor
• Tanner Foust, television host, stunt driver, professional racing driver
• Nicole Fox, model, winner of America's Next Top Model, Cycle 13
• Dave Grusin, composer, winner of three Academy and three Grammy awards
• Heather Hach, wrote the screenplay for the 2003 remake of Freaky Friday and the book of the Broadway musical Legally Blonde
• Erinn Hayes, actress
• Jonah Hill, actor
• Shawn King, drummer, percussionist, trumpeter, accordionist, organist for the band DeVotchKa
• Chaney Kley, actor
• Land of the Loops, electronica musician
• William Lewis, opera tenor and academic
• Larry Linville, actor (M*A*S*H)
• Low vs Diamond, rock band
• Ross Marquand, Actor
• Christopher Meloni, actor
• Glenn Miller, composer, big band leader
• Nathaniel Motte, singer, songwriter, producer, performer, film composer, instrumentalist, and playwright
• Thomas Noel, historian
• Peter O'Fallon, director, producer and writer
• Trey Parker, co-creator of South Park
• Robert Redford, actor, did not graduate, Oscar winner, founder of the Sundance Film Festival
• Dean Reed, actor, singer and songwriter, director, and social activist
• Aaron Simpson, Emmy-nominated animation producer
• Susan Arnout Smith, award-winning playwright and novelist
• Paul Soldner, artist
• Nancy Spungen, girlfriend of Sid Vicious, bass guitarist of punk rock band the Sex Pistols; did not graduate
• Matt Stone, co-creator of South Park
• Eric Stough, producer and the director of animation on South Park
• Steve Taylor, singer/songwriter and film director
• Dalton Trumbo, writer, Academy Award winner
• Joan Van Ark, actress
• Townes Van Zandt, country-folk singer-songwriter, withdrew in his sophomore year with a bout of manic depression
• Linda Williams, professor of film studies at the University of California, Berkeley
• Chris Wood, electronic musician
• Pamela Z, composer, performer, and media artist
• Dean Zanuck, motion picture executive and producer
• Drew Goddard, Screenwriter and producer

Astronauts

• Loren Acton, NASA astronaut
• Patrick Baudry, CNES astronaut
• Vance D. Brand, NASA astronaut
• Scott Carpenter, NASA astronaut in second orbital flight (fourth manned) of Project Mercury
• Kalpana Chawla, NASA astronaut, died on Columbia
• Takao Doi, NASA astronaut
• Samuel T. Durrance, NASA astronaut
• John Herrington, NASA astronaut
• Richard Hieb, NASA astronaut
• Marsha Ivins, NASA astronaut
• John M. Lounge, NASA astronaut
• George Nelson, NASA astronaut
• Ellison Onizuka, NASA astronaut, died on Challenger in January 1986
• Stuart Roosa, NASA astronaut, flew on Apollo 14
• Ronald M. Sega, NASA astronaut
• Steven Swanson, NASA astronaut
• Jack Swigert, NASA astronaut, flew on Apollo 13
• James Voss, NASA astronaut

Athletics

• Bobby Anderson, former NFL running back for the Denver Broncos
• Dick Anderson, former NFL safety for the Miami Dolphins
• Tom Ashworth, former NFL offensive tackle for the Seattle Seahawks
• Sal Aunese, Big Eight Newcomer of the Year
• Justin Bannan, former NFL defensive tackle for the Denver Broncos
• Dede Barry, cyclist, won silver in the 2004 Summer Olympics in the women's time trial
• Mitch Berger, former NFL punter
• Greg Biekert, former NFL linebacker for the Oakland Raiders and Minnesota Vikings
• Eric Bieniemy, former NFL running back and assistant head coach for the Minnesota Vikings
• Chauncey Billups, Detroit Pistons of the NBA, 2004 NBA Finals MVP
• Abhinav Bindra, shooter, won gold for India in the 2008 Summer Olympics in the 10 metre air rifle
• Jeremy Bloom, Olympic Skier (played football for Colorado), drafted by Philadelphia Eagles
• Cliff Branch, former wide receiver with the Oakland Raiders
• Tyler Brayton, NFL defensive end, plays for the Carolina Panthers
• Chris Brown, former NFL running back for the Houston Texans
• Rae Carruth, former wide receiver for the Carolina Panthers
• Franklin Clarke, former All-Pro wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys
• Mark Cooney, NFL linebacker for the Green Bay Packers
• Joe Cooper, former NBA center
• Mason Crosby, NFL kicker for the Green Bay Packers
• Alan Culpepper, Runner, Olympian, 2000 and 2004
• Koy Detmer, former NFL quarterback
• Boyd Dowler, former NFL wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers
• Jon Embree, former head football coach for the Colorado Buffaloes
• Christian Fauria, NFL tight end for the Carolina Panthers
• Bill Frank, CFL Hall of Fame offensive lineman for the Toronto Argonauts and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
• Tom Garfinkel, President and CEO of the Miami Dolphins
• David Gibbs, former NFL head coach
• Adam Goucher, Professional Runner with Nike, Olympian 2000
• Kara Goucher, Runner, Olympian 2008, 2012
• Daniel Graham, NFL tight end, plays for Tennessee Titans
• Alex Gurney, professional auto racing driver
• Andre Gurode, former All-Pro center for the Dallas Cowboys
• D.J. Hackett, NFL wide receiver for the Carolina Panthers
• Tyler Hamilton, cyclist with many impressive finishes at the Tour de France, Summer Olympics
• David Harrison, former NBA center
• Don Hasselbeck, former NFL tight end
• Steven J. Hatchell, president and CEO of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame, Inc.
• Jimmie Heuga, alpine skiing, 1964 Olympic bronze medalist in slalom
• Katie Hnida, football place kicker (graduated from the University of New Mexico)
• Jay Howell, retired Major League Baseball pitcher of 15 years
• Jay Humphries, former NBA guard
• Hale Irwin, golf, three-time U.S. Open champion
• Brian Iwuh, NFL linebacker for the Jacksonville Jaguars
• Jonathan Kaye, professional golfer on PGA Tour
• Billy Kidd, alpine skiing, 1964 Olympic silver medalist in slalom, 1970 World Champion (combined)
• Joe Klopfenstein, NFL tight end for the Buffalo Bills
• Matt Lepsis, former NFL offensive tackle for the Denver Broncos
• Michael Lewis, former All-Pro safety for the San Francisco 49ers
• Dave Logan, former NFL receiver, broadcaster
• Eliot Marshall (Math), retired mixed martial arts fighter^[2]
• Nikki Marshall, NWSL defender for the Portland Thorns FC
• Matt Miller, former NFL offensive tackle for the Cleveland Browns
• William Nelson, professional runner, Olympian 2008; Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator for the CU XC/Track & Field Teams
• Tyler Polumbus, NFL offensive tackle for the Washington Redskins
• Vince Rafferty, former NFL center and guard for the Green Bay Packers
• Dathan Ritzenhein, professional runner with Nike, Olympian 2004, 2008, and 2012
• Paul Robinson, professional rock climber
• Bill Roe, former NFL and USFL linebacker
• Spider Sabich, alpine skiing, 1968 Olympian (5th in slalom), and pro champion, 1971 and 1972
• Rashaan Salaam, former NFL running back, 1994 Heisman Trophy winner
• Brendan Schaub, former NFL candidate, mixed martial artist for the Ultimate Fighting Championship
• Nate Solder, NFL offensive tackle for the New England Patriots
• John Stearns, former catcher for Philadelphia Phillies and NY Mets
• Alexandra Stevenson, women's tennis player
• Kordell Stewart, former NFL quarterback
• Bill Symons, former CFL All-Star for the Toronto Argonauts
• Debi Thomas, Olympic figure skater in 1988
• Bill Toomey, Olympic gold medalist in the 1968 decathlon
• Ward Walsh, former NFL running back
• Scott Wedman, former NBA forward
• Michael Westbrook, former NFL wide receiver
• Terrence Wheatley, first-team All-Big 12
• Damen Wheeler, football player
• Alfred Williams, former NFL linebacker, 1990 Butkus Award winner
• John Wooten, All-American; played for the Cleveland Browns; former vice president/director for the Philadelphia Eagles; assistant director for the Baltimore Ravens

Business and economy

• Mohamed Al-Mady, President of SABIC
• Jake Burton Carpenter, founder of Burton Snowboards
• John Dendahl, retired business executive and member of the 1960 US Olympic ski team
• Steve Ells, founder, Chairman, and CEO of Chipotle Mexican Grill
• Thitiya RangsitpolThai Politician,Former Congresswomen House of Reproductives Thailand
• Thorleif Enger, former boss of Yara International; indicted in 2012 in relation to the company's business practices in Libya^[3]
• Richard S. Fuld, Lehman Brothers, Chairman and CEO
• Tim Gill, founder and former Chairman of Quark, Inc.
• Brent Handler, entrepreneur and pioneer of the destination club industry
• Michael Karlan, founder of the nation's largest social and networking group, Professionals in the City
• David Kennedy, co-founder of Wieden + Kennedy advertising agency, known for its 1980s "Just Do It" campaign for Nike
• Matt Larson, founder and CEO of Confio Software
• Sanford McDonnell, President of McDonnell Aircraft Corporation
• Chris Myers, former Vice President of Business Development at Lockheed Martin and former Mayor of Medford, New Jersey
• Scott Oki, former senior vice-president of sales and marketing for Microsoft who conceived and built Microsoft's international operations
• Lucy Sanders, CEO and co-founder of the National Center for Women & Information Technology^[4]
• Michael K. Wirth, Chevron Corporation's executive vice president for Downstream
• Braxton Carter. Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President of the wireless company T-Mobile^[5]

Journalism

• Dave Briggs, co-host of Fox & Friends Weekend, Fox News Channel
• Benedict Carey, medical and science writer for The New York Times
• Dan Carlin, television/radio journalist and podcaster
• Linda Chavez, political analyst and Fox News commentator
• Kevin Corke, White House correspondent, Fox News
• Tom Costello, NBC News, Washington-based correspondent
• Chris Fowler, ESPN
• Jim Gray, sports reporter
• Tom Keene, editor-at-large for Bloomberg News
• Herb Keinon, columnist and journalist for The Jerusalem Post
• Joe Kernen, CNBC anchor
• Zachery Kouwe, former financial journalist
• Frank W. Mayborn (1903–1987), Texas newspaper publisher and philanthropist based in Temple
• Robert Palmer, Emmy Award winner, news editor and executive editor
• Carl Quintanilla, CNBC News anchor
• Lara Jo Regan, documentary and fine art photographer, photojournalist, author, winner of World Press Photo of the Year
• Rick Reilly, ESPN commentator and former Sports Illustrated writer, ten-time National Sportswriter of the Year
• Jonathan Weil, columnist for Bloomberg News and former writer for the Wall Street Journal

Law

• Christine Arguello, federal court judge, Denver, CO
• William Lee Knous, State Supreme Court judge and state legislator
• Ashby Pate, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Palau
• Wiley Rutledge, former associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court
• John Suthers, Former Attorney General of Colorado
• Byron White, former associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court

Literature

• Ed Dorn, poet
• John Fante, author of Ask the Dust
• Mark Leyner, author
• Jean Stafford, Pulitzer prize winner
• Luís Alberto Urrea, Mexican American poet, novelist, and essayist
• Carrie Vaughn, author
• Jack Williamson PhD, science fiction author and educator

Military

• Ben Connable, retired Marine Major, professor at the Frederick S. Pardee RAND Graduate School
• Roger A. Lalich, U.S. National Guard general
• Harold R. Vague, Air Force major general and Judge Advocate General of the United States Air Force

Politics

• Gordon L. Allott, former U.S. Senator from Colorado (1955–1973)
• Bob Beauprez, former U.S. Representative
• Thitiya Rangsitpol(Lt.Col.Thita Manitkul(Economic),a Politician Former Thai Representative and Congresswoman ฐิ
• Donald G. Brotzman, former U.S. Representative for Colorado
• Hank Brown, U.S. Senator; U.S. Representative; former president of the University of Northern Colorado, and the University of Colorado system
• Kate Brown, 38th Governor of Oregon and former Secretary of State
• George Alfred Carlson, 20th Governor of Colorado
• Morgan Carroll, Colorado State Senate Majority Leader
• Mary Ann Casey, Ambassador to Algeria, Tunisia
• Mike Coffman, U.S. Representative for Colorado
• John J. Easton, Jr., Attorney General of Vermont
• Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj, leader of non-violent revolution that brought democracy to Mongolia, President of Mongolia, Prime Minister of Mongolia
• Maria Handley, member-at-large of the Democratic National Committee
• Greg Harris, member of Illinois House of Representatives
• Vicki Huddleston, Ambassador to Madagascar, Mali, Chief of U.S. Interests Section Havana, Cuba
• Ray Hunkins, lawyer and rancher; Republican nominee for governor of Wyoming in 2006; attended Boulder one semester^[6]
• Wayne Harold Johnson (Master of Public Administration), Republican member of both houses, consecutively, of the Wyoming State Legislature from Cheyenne, 1993 to 2017
• Karen Middleton, member, Colorado House of Representatives
• Harold Montgomery, late member of the Louisiana State Senate for Bossier and Webster parishes
• Ed Perlmutter, U.S. Representative for Colorado
• Bill Ritter (Colorado Law School), Denver District Attorney, Advisor to the U.S. Attorney General, Governor of Colorado (D)
• Roy Romer (Colorado Law School), former Colorado governor
• Kenneth Rutherford, activist in the International Campaign to Ban Landmines
• Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of Liberia
• Justin Smith (Master's in criminal justice), sheriff of Larimer County, Colorado, since 2011^[7]
• Richard A. Sossi, Maryland politician
• Llewellyn Thompson, Ambassador to USSR, consul to Moscow, received the Medal of Freedom
• Purnomo Yusgiantoro, Minister of Defense of Indonesia, former secretary general of OPEC
• John Suthers Mayor of Colorado Springs

Other

• Lynne Cheney, wife of former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney, and author of children's books
• Stanley Grenz, Christian theologian and ethicist in the Baptist tradition
• Faisal bin Musaid, assassin of King Faisal of Saudi Arabia

References

1. "Erica Chenoweth Faculty Page". du.edu/korbel. University of Denver. Retrieved 20 Jan 2013.
2. "Eliot Marshall UFC Bio". Retrieved 2014. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
3. Skygget unna Enger - DN.no
4. "Lucy Sanders". International Computer Science Institute. 2016.
5. "T-Mobile Management and Board of Directors". Investor.T-Mobile.com.
6. Anthony Sacco (October 12, 2006). "The Truth about Ray Hunkins". Wright, Wyoming: High Plains Sentinel. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
7. Juley Harvey (April 6, 2011). "Meet the sheriff-- Justin Smith addresses the Kiwanis". eptrail.com. Retrieved February 7, 2015.