List of San Diego State University people

This is a list of notable present and former faculty, staff, and students of San Diego State University.

Alumni

Entertainment, arts, and media

Lloyd Bryan Molander Adams, executive producer, channel executive and director
K.D. Aubert, fashion model, actress and Fantanas member
John Baldessari, conceptual artist; B.A., 1953; M.A., 1957
Greg Bear, science fiction author; B.A. English, 1973
Jesse Billauer, quadriplegic, motivational speaker, surfer; B.A. Communications, 2002
Haley Bishop, actress
Luke Brugnara, businessman, casino mogul
Justin Burquist, filmmaker and music video director
Brian Patrick Butler, actor and filmmaker
Russell Carpenter, cinematographer of Titanic; B.A. English, 1972
Dan Corson, artist; B.A. Theater, 1986
Destin Daniel Cretton, filmmaker
Adam Daniel, actor
Erika De La Cruz, television host and media personality for Fashion Week; B.A. Film and Fashion
Amy Devers, furniture designer and TV personality ; B.A. Furniture Design, 1997
DJ Rectangle, DJ/turntablist and Grammy Award-nominated dance/hip hop/club record producer; B.B.A.
Fred Dryer, actor-producer and former NFL player
June Edmonds, painter and public artist
Faye Emerson, actress
Chukuka S. Enwemeka, professor emeritus
Mickey Faerch, burlesque dancer and actress
Sid Fleischman, author of children's books and screenplays; B.A. English
Matt Flynn, drummer of Maroon 5
Courtney Friel, television host; B.A. Political Science, 2002
Steve Froehlich, actor
Vic Fuentes, lead singer of Pierce the Veil
Ted Giannoulas, San Diego Chicken
Bob Goen, media personality and Entertainment Tonight anchor-correspondent; B.A. Telecommunications and Film, 1976
Mark Grace, long-time Chicago Cubs first baseman, current color analyst for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Fox Sports
Justin Halpern, author; B.A., 2003
Crystal Harris, model
David Hasemyer, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist; B.A. Journalism 1979
Fred Holle, fine art painter and educator
Benjamin Howard, filmmaker
Brion James, actor
Darren Kavinoky, lawyer, TV personality
Julie Kavner, actress; voice of Marge Simpson, The Simpsons; B.A. Drama, 1971
Kathleen Kennedy, film producer; B.A. Telecommunications and Film, 1976
Cy Kuckenbaker, filmmaker, 1998
Akira Lane, actress, model, and pornographic film director
George Lewis, NBC Nightly News correspondent
Joe Liggins, R&B musician who wrote and recorded "The Honeydripper"
Jim Lindberg, lead singer of punk band Pennywise
Art Linkletter, veteran entertainer; B.A. Teaching, 1934
Cleavon Little, actor; B.A. Drama
Manny MUA, YouTuber; B.A., 2013
Abby Martin, journalist, RT TV network; 9/11 conspiracy theorist; activist with mediaroots.org; B.A. Political Science, 2006
David McKenna, writer, American History X
Peter Menefee, costume- and stage-designer
Adam Montoya, Internet celebrity, known as SeaNanners; B.A., 2006
Kathy Najimy, actress; voice of Peggy Hill on King of the Hill
Gregory Peck, actor
Lisa Dergan Podsednik, model
Zach Porter, lead singer of pop band Allstar Weekend
Andy Rathbone, author of ...for Dummies books, technology writer; B.A. Literature, 1986
Constance Reid, author of several biographies of mathematicians and popular books about mathematics; B.A. 1938
Marion Ross, TV actress
Michael Matteo Rossi, filmmaker
Saweetie, rapper; attended SDSU for two years before transferring to the University of Southern California
Marisa Scheinfeld, photographer; M.F.A., 2011
Wally Schlotter, chairman of the San Diego Film Commission 1978–1996
Whitney Shay, blues singer, 2008
Tammie Souza, television meteorologist; B.S. Biology
Suzy Spafford, cartoonist, creator of "Suzy's Zoo"; B.F.A., 1957
J. Michael Straczynski, writer; B.A. Psychology and Sociology, 1976
Susanna Thompson, actress; B.A. Drama, 1980
Salvador Torres, artist and muralist, father of the Chicano Park murals; M.A. Painting and Drawing, 1973
Joan D. Vinge, author; B.A., 1971
Alison Waite, model
Carl Weathers, actor/former professional football player, Apollo Creed in Rocky
Don Weeke, fiber and gourd artist, M.S.W, 1976
Kimberly Weinberger, actress
Raquel Welch, actress
Steve Yuhas, radio broadcaster and television personality
Jeanne Zelasko, sports journalist, Fox Sports

Business

Charles Brandes, founder of Brandes Investment Partners; B.A. Economics, 1965
Norman E. Brinker, founder of Steak & Ale, former president of Jack in the Box, restaurateur innovator; B.S. Management 1957
Adelia Coffman, founding CFO of Qualcomm Incorporated; B.S. Accounting 1976
Vince Ferraro, senior general management and marketing executive, ExecRank's 2012 list of top 50 CMOs; B.S. Business Administration
Van Arsdale France, '34, founding employee training manager at Disneyland, co-creator of "Disney University"
Maruta Gardner, educator and community activist; M.S. Administration and Supervision 1976
Rick Hamada, CEO of Avnet; B.S. Finance 1982
Chris R. Hansen, hedge fund manager, unsuccessfully tried to lure the Sacramento Kings to Seattle in 2013
Nik Ingersöll, entrepreneur and designer
W. Craig Jelinek, president and chief executive officer of Costco
Peggy Johnson, former executive vice president of Qualcomm, former executive vice president of Business Development at Microsoft, current CEO of Magic Leap; B.S. Electrical Engineering
Doug Manchester, real estate developer, namesake of Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel in San Diego, publisher of the San Diego Union Tribune; B.S. Finance 1965
Robert O. Peterson, founder of Jack in the Box
Sol Price, founder of Price Club ; B.A. Philosophy 1936
S. Donley Ritchey, former CEO and president of Lucky Stores and current director of The McClatchy Company; B.S. Accounting 1955, M.S. Management 1963
Jim Sinegal, Costco chief executive officer, named to Time Magazines 2006 list of the 100 most influential people; B.A. 1959
James M. Sweeney, founder and former CEO, CareMark, Inc., B.S. 1969
Russell Weiner, founder of RockStar Energy Drink; B.A. Political Science 1992
Mike Wells, Prudential plc chief executive officer

Science

Belle Benchley, director of San Diego Zoo 1927–1953
Joan Bybee, PhD, linguist; M.A. Linguistics
Laurance Doyle, PhD, SETI astronomer; M.S. Astronomy
Tom Garrison, PhD, distinguished professor, author, writer of Emmy Award-winning Oceanus, M.S. Marine Biology
Jacques Gauthier, PhD, paleotonlogist and professor at Yale University and Peabody Museum of Natural History; B.S. Zoology 1973, M.S. Biological Science 1980
Arthur Jensen, PhD, professor emeritus of educational psychology at University of California, Berkeley; M.A. Psychology 1952
Samuel Kounaves, professor of chemistry at Tufts University
M. Brian Maple, PhD, professor of physics at University of California, San Diego; B.S. Physics 1963
Gordon Eugene Martin, MA, pioneering piezoelectric materials researcher for underwater sound transducers
Bridgette Meinhold, M.S., artist and author with a focus on sustainability; B.S. Mechanical Engineering 2003
Ellen Ochoa, PhD, first Latina astronaut; B.S. Physics 1980
Mark M. Phillips, PhD, US astronomer and cosmologist, Gruber Prize Laureate of 2007 for the discovery of dark energy and the accelerating universe, member of the High-Z Supernova Search Team; B.S. Astronomy 1973
LaVerne E. Ragster, M.S., marine biologist; 4th president of the University of the Virgin Islands 2002–2009
Bernard Rimland, PhD, autism researcher and founder of the Autism Society of America; M.S. Psychology
J. Michael Scott, PhD, biologist and ornithologist; M.S. Marine Biology
Gina Simmons Schneider, PhD, psychoanalyst, writer; B.A. Psychology 1983
Robert Titzer, professor and infant researcher; teaching certificate
Paul J. Zak, professor and founder of the Neuroscience as a Service platform Immersion

Politics and government

Muhammed Al-Jasser, PhD, Saudi Arabian economist who served as the Minister of Economy and Planning and chairman of Saudi Telecom; B.A. Economics 1979
David Alvarez, San Diego City Council member
Karen Bass, mayor of Los Angeles
Roger Benitez, U.S. federal judge; B.A., 1974
Clair Burgener, U.S. representative from California, 1973–1983
Ken Calvert, U.S. representative from California; B.A., 1975
Ammar Campa-Najjar, Democratic candidate
John Duarte, U.S. representative from California; B.A. Finance, 1989
Kevin Faulconer, mayor of San Diego; B.A. Political Science, 1990
Dusty Foggo, former CIA official
Georgette Gomez, San Diego City Council member
Mike Gotch, California state assemblyman and San Diego City Council member
Shirley Horton, assemblywoman 2002–2008
Duncan D. Hunter, former member of Congress, California; convicted felon
Brian Jones, politician serving in the California State Senate
Steven T. Kuykendall, former member of Congress, California; M.B.A., 1974
Bill Lowery, lobbyist and former member of Congress
Mark Meckler, political activist
Rodney Melville, US judge
Celeste Rodriguez, California state assemblywoman
Mary Salas, California state assemblywoman
Lori Saldana, California state assemblywoman
Jerry Sanders, former mayor of San Diego, former chief of police
Glenn E. Trowbridge, Republican member of the Nevada Assembly
Howard Wayne, assemblyman 1996–2002
Leon Williams, San Diego City Council member, San Diego County Board of Supervisors supervisor, first Black member of both institutions
Bob Wilson, former member of Congress, namesake of Bob Wilson Naval Hospital

Sports

Baseball

Greg Allen, New York Yankees outfielder
Bud Black, former Major League Baseball pitcher and former manager of the San Diego Padres; B.S. Management 1979
Kerwin Danley, Major League Baseball umpire
Jeff DaVanon, MLB baseball player
Ty France, Seattle Mariners infielder
Mark Grace, retired Major League Baseball player and World Series Champion
Chris Gwynn, retired Major League Baseball player
Tony Gwynn, Baseball Hall of Famer
Tony Gwynn Jr., Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder
Aaron Harang, San Diego Padres pitcher
Doug Harvey, former MLB Umpire and Baseball Hall of Fame Inductee 2010
David Hensley, MLB infielder
Alex Hinshaw, San Francisco Giants pitcher
Travis Lee, former Major League Baseball player
Justin Masterson, Cleveland Indians pitcher
Bobby Meacham, former Major League Baseball player
Bob Mendoza, Rugby Player of the Year 1967, former Red Sox outfielder
Jason Phillips, former Major League Baseball catcher
Addison Reed, relief pitcher for the Boston Red Sox
Casey Schmitt, infielder for the San Francisco Giants
Dave Smith, former Major League Baseball pitcher
Stephen Strasburg, former Washington Nationals pitcher, 2019 World Series MVP

Basketball

Dakarai Allen, professional basketball player
Ryan Amoroso, former professional basketball player
Matt Bradley, professional basketball player
Michael Cage, former NBA player
Brian Carlwell, former professional basketball player
Zylan Cheatham, New Orleans Pelicans forward
Mehdi Cheriet, former professional basketball player
Angelo Chol, professional basketball player
Josh Davis, former professional basketball player
Jason Deutchman, former professional basketball player
Malachi Flynn, Toronto Raptors guard
Jamaal Franklin, professional basketball player
D. J. Gay, former professional basketball player
Kim Goetz, drafted 2nd round, 34th overall pick 1979 NBA draft
Terrell Gomez, professional basketball player
Morris Gross, former San Diego State Aztecs coach for Aztecs men's basketball and baseball
Brandon Heath, former professional basketball player
Randy Holcomb, former NBA player
Michael Holper, former professional basketball player
Tina Hutchinson, basketball player
Keshad Johnson, NBA forward for Miami Heat
Steffond Johnson, former NBA player
Trey Kell, professional basketball player
Joel Kramer, professional basketball player
Jaedon LeDee, Minnesota Timberwolves forward
Rock Lee, former NBA player
Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers forward, 2014 & 2019 NBA Finals MVP
Steve Malovic, American-Israeli basketball player
Jalen McDaniels, Washington Wizards center
Joe McNaull, former professional basketball player
Nathan Mensah, professional basketball player
Matt Mitchell, professional basketball player
J. J. O'Brien, professional basketball player
Malik Pope, professional basketball player
Hubert Roberts, American-Israeli basketball player
Aerick Sanders, Green Bay Phoenix coach and former professional basketball player
Jordan Schakel, NBA G League player Maine Celtics
John Sharper, former professional basketball player
Winston Shepard, professional basketball player
Marcus Slaughter, former NBA basketball player
Deshawn Stephens, professional basketball player
Chase Tapley, former professional basketball player
Xavier Thames, drafted 2nd round, 59th overall pick of the 2014 NBA draft
Malcolm Thomas, professional basketball player
Dave Velasquez, San Diego State Aztecs men's basketball assistant coach
Lorrenzo Wade, former professional basketball player
Anthony Watson, drafted 4th round, 87th overall pick 1986 NBA draft
Yanni Wetzell, professional basketball player
Billy White, professional basketball player
Richie Williams, former professional basketball player
Kevin Zabo, professional basketball player

Football

Rob Awalt, former NFL tight end
Alex Barrett, San Francisco 49ers defensive end
Daniel Bellinger, New York Giants tight end
Greg Boyd, former NFL defensive end
Aaron Brewer, Arizona Cardinals long snapper
Vincent Brown, former NFL wide receiver
Daniel Brunskill, Tennessee Titans center
Willie Buchanon, former NFL cornerback
Miles Burris, former NFL linebacker
Don Coryell, former NCAA and NFL head coach, member of the College Football Hall of Fame
Isaac Curtis, former NFL wide receiver
Tom Dahms, former NFL offensive tackle
Brad Daluiso, former NFL placekicker
Vernon Dean, former NFL cornerback
Will Demps, former NFL safety
Mike Douglass, former NFL linebacker
Fred Dryer, former NFL defensive end, actor
William Dunkle, offensive guard for the Pittsburgh Steelers
Darius Durham, former NFL wide receiver
Herm Edwards, former Kansas City Chiefs head coach
Gavin Escobar, Dallas Cowboys tight end
Brett Faryniarz, former NFL linebacker
Marshall Faulk, former NFL running back; Pro Football Hall of Famer, Super Bowl Champion, 2000 NFL MVP
Roman Fortin, former NFL center
John Fox, football player
Donte Gamble, American football player
Gary Garrison, former NFL wide receiver
Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, former NFL defensive end
Joe Gibbs, former NFL head coach of the Washington Redskins, Hall of Famer, and owner of NASCAR racing team Joe Gibbs Racing
La'Roi Glover, former NFL defensive tackle
Robert Griffith, former NFL safety
Az-Zahir Hakim, former NFL wide receiver
Darren Hall, Arizona Cardinals cornerback
Ronnie Hillman, running back for the Denver Broncos
Mike Houghton, former Buffalo Bills guard
Bob Howard, former NFL cornerback
Keith Ismael, Arizona Cardinals center
Joe Jackson, gridiron football player
Monte Jackson, former NFL cornerback
Terry Jackson, former NFL cornerback
Damontae Kazee, Pittsburgh Steelers safety
Freddie Keiaho, current NFL linebacker for the Indianapolis Colts and Super Bowl XLI Champion
Mike Kozlowski, former NFL safety
Joe Lavender, former NFL cornerback
Ryan Lindley, former NFL quarterback
John Madden, former Oakland Raiders head coach, Monday Night Football color commentator
Matt McCoy, current NFL linebacker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Patrick McMorris, Miami Dolphins safety
Claudie Minor, former NFL offensive tackle
Rich Moran, former NFL punter
Kirk Morrison, former Oakland Raiders, Buffalo Bills, and Jacksonville Jaguars starting linebacker
Haven Moses, NFL wide receiver
Segun Olubi, Indianapolis Colts linebacker
Kassim Osgood, former NFL wide receiver
Scott Piercy, professional golfer
Damon Pieri, NFL player
Chester Pitts, NFL, Houston Texans
Noel Prefontaine, Toronto Argonauts kicker
Jimmy Raye, VP of Football Operations for the Indianapolis Colts
Benny Ricardo, former NFL placekicker
Patrick Rowe, NFL player
Brian Russell, former NFL safety
Ephraim Salaam, former NFL offensive tackle
Mike Saxon, former NFL punter
Chaz Schilens, NFL wide receiver, formerly with Oakland Raiders, currently with New York Jets
Darnay Scott, former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver
Tyrell Shavers, Buffalo Bills wide receiver
Brian Sipe, former Cleveland Browns quarterback
Webster Slaughter, former wide receiver
Jeff Staggs, former NFL linebacker
Cameron Thomas, Kansas City Chiefs defensive end
Zachary Thomas, New England Patriots offensive tackle
Kyle Turley, former NFL offensive tackle
Don Warren, former NFL tight end
Jeff Webb, former Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver
Ralph Wenzel, former NFL offensive guard
Jim Wilks, former NFL defensive end
Nate Wright, former NFL cornerback

Soccer

Marcelo Balboa, World Cup and MLS soccer star
Steven Beitashour, MLS All-Star Soccer, player for San Jose Earthquakes
Joe Corona, soccer player, Club Tijuana Xoloitzcuintles de Caliente and United States men's national soccer team
Gordon Dallas, North American Soccer League player
Tally Hall, goalkeeper for Major League Soccer's Houston Dynamo
Hannah Keane, soccer player
Dennis Sanchez, soccer coach
Daniel Steres, professional soccer player with the LA Galaxy
Eric Wynalda, World Cup and MLS soccer player; Fox Sports broadcaster

Other sports

Enrique Hernández, 1968 Olympic weightlifter
Marty Hogan, racquetball player
Armen Keteyian, sports journalist, HBO Sports, Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel
Jeanne Lenhart, senior Olympian, volleyball player, Ms. Senior San Diego 2012
Ilima-Lei Macfarlane, professional mixed martial artist, inaugural and current Bellator MMA Flyweight Champion
Chris Marlowe, sportscaster, former Olympic volleyball player
Dorian "Doc" Paskowitz, surfer and physician
Charlene Rink, former professional fitness competitor
Arnie Robinson, Olympic long jump gold medalist
Xander Schauffele, professional golfer
Willie Steele, 1948 Olympic long jump gold medalist

Military

Robert Cardenas, retired brigadier general; B.A. 1972
Thomas J. Haynes, Air National Guard general
William J. Marks, USN commander, spokesman for the Defense Intelligence Agency; M.A. Mass Communication and Media Studies, 2007
Merrill McPeak, retired Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force; B.A. Economics, 1957
James E. McPherson, retired Navy officer, former 39th Judge Advocate General of the Navy; Bachelor of Public Administration, 1977
Eugene P. Wilkinson, first commanding officer of the, the world's first nuclear submarine; B.S. Chemistry, 1938
Donald Erwin Wilson, U.S. Navy admiral; B.S. Accounting, 1954; M.S. Management, 1955

Crime

Duncan D. Hunter, US representative, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to misuse campaign funds
Kristin Rossum, toxicologist convicted of the murder of her husband

Faculty

Joanna Brooks, English professor
Jeff Deverett, film producer and professor
Jerry Farber, author, professor
Martha Lauzen, film professor and researcher
Larry McCaffery, writer, editor, post-modern literary critic, professor
Khaleel Mohammed, PhD, professor of religious studies
Shirley Weber, PhD, founding faculty and department chair, SDSU Department of Africana Studies

Retired and former faculty

Nathalia Crane, poet, deceased professor of English
Thomas B. Day, physicist, deceased president of SDSU 1978–1996
Suzette Haden Elgin, author, retired linguistics professor
Jerry Farber, civil rights activist and former child actor, professor emeritus of English & Comparative Literature
Clinton Jencks, PhD, retired professor of Economics
Lev Kirshner, soccer player and soccer coach
Noel Loomis, deceased science fiction and mystery writer, English instructor
John V. Pavlik, founding director of the SDSU School of Communication
Anna Prieto Sandoval, Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation chairwoman, and teacher of the Kumeyaay language
Jerome Sattler, retired professor of psychology
Vernor Vinge, PhD, science fiction writer and visionary, retired professor of mathematics
Joy Zedler, ecologist and botanist, founder of SDSU Pacific Estuarine Research Laboratory