List of Portland State University alumni
Established as Vanport College in 1946, Portland State University is a public university officiated as a state institution in 1969. Located in the southwest Portland, Oregon, it is the only public university in the state that is located within a major metropolitan city, and is one of Oregon's largest universities. Its academic programs are organized in nine constituent schools and colleges, and have produced alumni across professions in the arts, sciences, business, academia, politics, and sports., the university claimed over 180,000 alumni worldwide.
Legend
Notes and abbreviations used- Individuals who may belong in multiple sections appear only in one.
- An empty class year or school/degree box indicates only that this information is unknown or unconfirmed.
- "DNG" indicates the alumnus or alumna attended but did not graduate; known year of attendance accompany this if available. "N/A" will be present in the degree box for these individuals, as it is confirmed they did not receive degrees.
- CA – College of Arts
- CLAS – College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
- CE – College of Education
- CECS – Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science
- CUPA – College of Urban and Public Affairs
- GSBP – Graduate School of Book Publishing
- SB – School of Business
- SSW – School of Social Work
- PSC – Portland State College
- VC – Vanport College
| Degrees and certificates |
| B.A. – Bachelor of Arts |
| B.F.A. – Bachelor of Fine Arts |
| B.S. – Bachelor of Science |
| B.B.A. – Bachelor of Business Administration |
| B.S.A. – Bachelor of Arts and Science |
| M.A. – Master of Arts |
| M.F.A. – Master of Fine Arts |
| M.S. – Master of Science |
| M.B.A. – Master of Business Administration |
| M.Ed. – Master of Education |
| M.S.W. – Master of Social Work |
| PhD – Doctorate |
| Ed.D. – Doctor of Education |
Art and literature
| Name | Class year | School | Degree | Notability | |
| 2004 | CA | M.F.A. | Photographer | ||
| 2006 | CA | M.F.A. | Conceptual artist | ||
| DNG | Novelist and playwright | ||||
| DNG | Cartoonist, creator of Pelswick | ||||
| CLAS | B.A. | Poet, professor of Latinx studies at University of Denver | |||
| Poet and painter | |||||
| 1971 | CLAS | B.A. | Graphic designer; creator of the Nike swoosh | ||
| 1987 | CA | M.F.A. | Contemporary artist | ||
| DNG | Poet, recipient of Alfred Hodder Fellowship at Princeton University | ||||
| 1973 | CLAS | B.A. | Novelist and essayist | ||
| 1974 | CA | M.F.A. | Glass artist | ||
| DNG | Artist, co-founder of Burning Man festival | ||||
| DNG | Novelist, journalist | ||||
| 1971 | CLAS | M.A. | Poet, two-time National Endowment Fellowship winner | ||
| Art patron, gallery owner | |||||
| 2010 | CA | M.F.A. | Contemporary artist | ||
| VC | Sculptor | ||||
| 1958 | PSC | B.A. | Children's author, proponent of Oxfordian theory of Shakespeare authorship | ||
| 1998 | CLAS | B.S. | Animator; CEO of LAIKA | ||
| CLAS | B.A. | Editorial cartoonist of The Oregonian | |||
| Science fiction author | |||||
| 1968 | PSC | B.A. | Animator | ||
| 1977 | CA | B.A. | Publisher, founder of Dark Horse Comics | ||
| 1973 | CLAS | M.S. | Science fiction and fantasy author | ||
| 1976 | CA | M.F.A. | Painter | ||
| DNG | Young adult fiction author | ||||
| 1978 | CLAS | B.S.A. | Glass artist | ||
| CLAS | B.A. | Librarian and author | |||
| GSBP | M.A. | Poet and publisher |
Business and finance
| Name | Class year | School | Degree | Notability | |
| SB | M.S. | Entrepreneur, co-founder of Selling Energy | |||
| B.S. | Chairman and CEO of UPS | ||||
| 1968 | CE | M.Ed. | Businessman, CEO of Azumano Travel | ||
| 1988 | SB | B.S. | Entrepreneur | ||
| Executive CEO, The May Department Stores Company | |||||
| DNG | Inventor of MicroCSP | ||||
| DNG | Entrepreneur, founder of Tazo Tea Company | ||||
| 1973 | SB | M.B.A. | Businessperson, engineer |
Entertainment
Film, television, and performing arts
| Name | Class year | School | Degree | Notability | |
| DNG | Film and television actor | ||||
| DNG | Film actor and filmmaker | ||||
| Film actor and martial artist | |||||
| DNG | Film actor | ||||
| 2003 | CLAS | B.S. | 2002 Miss America | ||
| 2009 | B.S. | Stand-up comedian | |||
| CA | M.F.A. | Film actor | |||
| DNG | Competitor on Survivor: Palau | ||||
| DNG | Playboy model, reality television star | ||||
| Miss Teen USA winner | |||||
| 1976 | CLAS | B.S. | Comedian | ||
| Playboy model, actress | |||||
| Actress |
Music
| Name | Class year | School | Degree | Notability | |
| Aminé | DNG | Hip-hop artist | |||
| Jazz drummer, collaborator of Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye | |||||
| 1977 | CA | M.F.A. | Experimental musician | ||
| CLAS | B.S. | Folk musician | |||
| Musician, singer of The Kingsmen | |||||
| 1972, 1978 | CLAS | B.A., M.A. | Contemporary classical composer and conductor | ||
| Singer-songwriter | |||||
| 2008 | SB | B.S. | Singer and songwriter | ||
| DNG; 1983 | CLAS | Musician and actress; frontwoman of Grammy-nominated rock band Hole | |||
| 2001 | CLAS | B.A. | Grammy-winning soprano; hit highest note ever sung at New York's Metropolitan Opera in 2017 | ||
| Film composer | |||||
| 1957 | CLAS | B.A. | Conductor and pianist | ||
| DNG; 2000–2001 | Four-time Grammy-winning jazz musician | ||||
| DNG; 1973 | Singer and guitarist of Heart |
Government and politics
Governors of the United States
| Name | Class year | School | Degree | Notability | |
| 1964 | CLAS | B.A. | 34th governor of Oregon |
Other U.S. political figures
| Name | Class year | School | Degree | Notability | |
| DNG | Native American program leader, elected president of National Congress of American Indians | ||||
| 2002 | SSW | PhD | Member of California State Assembly, 13th district | ||
| 1969 | CLAS | B.S. | U.S. ambassador to Qatar | ||
| 1971 | CLAS | B.S. | U.S. ambassador to Albania | ||
| 1967 | SSW | M.S.W. | First African American woman elected to public office in Oregon | ||
| CUPA | M.A., PhD | Former police chief for Montgomery County, Maryland, one of the sites of the Beltway Sniper attacks |
Sciences and technology
| Name | Class year | School | Degree | Notability | |
| CLAS | M.S. in Geography | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps rear admiral; Director, NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps | |||
| SSW | M.S.W. | Pioneer in school-based alcohol and drug prevention efforts | |||
| CLAS | B.S., M.S. | Pioneer in the field of micro-electro mechanical systems (MEMS); founder of IntelliSense | |||
| 2001 | CLAS | M.S. | Microbiologist and Antarctic researcher; professor of microbiology at University of Tennessee, Knoxville | ||
| CLAS | M.S. | Sports psychologist and professor, San Jose State University | |||
| CLAS | B.S. | Programmer who contributed to Linux kernel |
Sports
| Name | Class year | School | Degree | Notability | |
| Football wide receiver, New York Giants; Oakland Raiders | |||||
| [National American football|Football League|NFL] player | |||||
| Football backup tight end, Dallas Cowboys | |||||
| NFL tight end, Super Bowl XVII Champion | |||||
| Football player, Chicago Rush | |||||
| 2006 | Linebacker, Tampa Bay Buccaneers | ||||
| NFL running back, Buffalo Bills | |||||
| 2015 | CLAS | B.S. | Distance runner | ||
| Wrestler, mixed martial artist | |||||
| Major League Baseball player, Chicago Cubs | |||||
| Retired Major League Baseball pitcher; 1982 World Series Champion | |||||
| 1981 | CLAS | B.S. | National Football League quarterback, St. Louis/Arizona Cardinals | ||
| 1988 | Major League Baseball pitcher | ||||
| 2009 | CLAS | B.S. | Basketball player, Tokio Marine Nichido Big Blue | ||
| Professional bowler, coach | |||||
| Two-time All-American wrestler; professional mixed martial artist, formerly competed in the UFC | |||||
| 1964 | Portland State pitcher, Pac-10 referee | ||||
| Wrestler, NCAA, FILA and Summer Olympics | |||||
| 2002 | CLAS | B.A. | U.S. Olympic bobsledder, 2010 Winter Olympics, Vancouver | ||
| Major League Baseball umpire | |||||
| Linebacker, Carolina Panthers | |||||
| 2011 | CLAS | B.S. | Safety for the 2014 Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks | ||
| Football wide receiver, St. Louis Cardinals and Washington Redskins | |||||
| Tight end for the Jacksonville Jaguars | |||||
| 1970 | CLAS | B.S. | Major League Baseball manager | ||
| Head coach for the Houston Rockets in the National Basketball Association | |||||
| Israel Basketball Premier League basketball player | |||||
| Retired National Basketball Association guard |