List of University of California, Los Angeles people
This is a list of notable present and former faculty, staff, and students of the University of California, Los Angeles.
Notable alumni
Nobel laureates
- Ralph Bunche – recipient of the 1950 Nobel Peace Prize
- Richard F. Heck – recipient of the 2010 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
- Robert Bruce Merrifield – recipient of the 1984 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
- Elinor Ostrom – recipient of the 2009 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences
- Ardem Patapoutian – recipient of the 2021 Nobel Prize in Medicine
- Fred Ramsdell – recipient of the 2025 Nobel Memorial Prize in Physiology or Medicine
- Randy Schekman – recipient of the 2013 Nobel Prize in Medicine
- Glenn T. Seaborg – recipient of the 1951 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
- William F. Sharpe – recipient of the 1990 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences
Academia, science and technology
Arts and literature
- Amy Adler – artist
- Luis Aguilar-Monsalve – writer and educator
- Sara Kathryn Arledge – artist
- Catherine Asaro – Nebula Award-winning science-fiction novelist
- Tony Auth – Pulitzer Prize–winning political cartoonist
- Glenna Avila – artist
- James Robert Baker – novelist
- Gary Baseman – artist
- Edith Baumann – abstract artist
- Rosa Beltrán – writer, lecturer and academic
- Guy Bennett – writer, translator and educator
- Susan Berman – author and screenwriter
- Stan Bitters – sculptor
- Justina Blakeney – designer and author
- Slater Bradley – artist
- Barbara Branden – author
- JaNay Brown-Wood – children's book author
- Kenneth Wayne Bushnell – artist and educator
- Jan Butterfield – art writer and educator
- Vija Celmins – artist
- Judy Chicago – artist and educator
- Vicky A. Clark – curator
- Coleman Collins – artist
- Jennifer Dalton – artist
- Agnes de Mille – dancer and choreographer
- Jacques Ehrmann – literary theorist
- Dan Eldon – photojournalist
- Elliot Engel – writer, dramatist, and lecturer
- Warren Farrell – educator, gender equality activist, author of The Myth of Male Power
- Alyce Frank – artist
- Martin Friedman – former director of Walker Art Center
- Alice Taylor Gafford – artist
- Charles Garabedian – artist
- Laeh Glenn – visual artist
- Kelly Grovier – poet and literary critic
- Kim Gruenenfelder – author
- Emilie Halpern – artist
- Sam Harris – writer
- Florence Parry Heide – author of children's literature
- Juan Felipe Herrera – professor, 21st U.S. poet laureate
- Gilah Yelin Hirsch – artist
- Diane Johnson – novelist
- Jane Jin Kaisen – artist
- Beth Katleman – sculptor
- Craig Kauffman – artist
- Jonathan Kellerman – Edgar Award-winning novelist and psychologist
- Toba Khedoori – painter
- Annie Lapin – painter
- Mitchell Landsberg – journalist
- Gaylord Larsen – mystery writer
- Joanne Larson – writer
- Russell Leong – author and philosopher of Asian-American studies
- Linda Levi – artist
- Dave McNary – entertainment journalist
- Edward Meshekoff – artist
- Meleko Mokgosi – artist
- Ed Moses – artist
- Alexandra Nechita – painter
- John D. Nesbitt – writer and educator
- Tameka Norris – artist
- Flo Perkins – glass artist
- Raymond Pettibon – visual artist, known for creating the cover art for punk-rock band Black Flag's albums
- Andrew X. Pham – writer
- Jenelle Porter – art curator and author
- Jason Rhoades – artist
- RinRin Doll – model and YouTuber
- Kay Ryan – poet and educator; U.S. Poet Laureate ; MacArthur Fellow
- Betye Saar – artist
- Ben Sakoguchi – artist
- Shizu Saldamando – artist
- Sarah Seager – artist
- Cindy Shih – artist
- Klaus Stimeder – writer and journalist
- Jan Stussy – artist
- Wu Tsang – artist
- Billie Tsien – architect, Barack Obama Presidential Center
- Harry Turtledove – Hugo Award and Nebula Award-winning science-fiction novelist
- Barbara Brooks Wallace – award-winning children's author, including two Edgar Awards and a William Allen White Children's Book Award
- Emma Walton Hamilton – actress, author of children's book
- Idelle Weber – artist
- Antoine Wilson – novelist
- Jan Wurm – artist
- Richard Wyatt Jr. – artist
Business, entrepreneurship, and philanthropy
- Nancy J. Adler – professor of Organizational Behavior and Samuel Bronfman Chair in Management at McGill University
- Fred D. Anderson – former CFO of Apple Inc. and co-founder of Elevation Partners
- John Edward Anderson – president of Topa Equities, Ltd.; namesake of UCLA Anderson School of Management
- Tom Anderson – founder of MySpace
- Nancy Austin – management consultant and author of The Assertive Woman
- Stephen F. Bollenbach – served as CEO of Hilton Hotels and CFO for Holiday Inn, Trump Organization, Marriott, Disney
- Saul Brandman – garment manufacturer
- Bernard Briskin – co-founder and chairman of Gelson's Markets
- Lisa Brummel – served as an executive for Microsoft; co-owner, Seattle Storm
- Michael Burns – executive and vice chairman of Lionsgate Entertainment
- Michael Burry – hedge fund manager
- Frieda Rapoport Caplan – entrepreneur in specialty produce
- Frank T. Cary – former chairman and CEO, IBM
- Paul Colichman – founder of Here! cable TV network
- Brian Cornell – chairman and CEO, Target Corporation; chairman, Yum! Brands
- Eric Ellenbogen – co-founded DreamWorks Classics, former CEO of Marvel Enterprises and WildBrain
- Laurence D. Fink – CEO and chairman of BlackRock
- Vanessa Getty – socialite and philanthropist
- Marshall Goldsmith – former founding director, Alliance for Strategic Leadership
- Bill Gross – co-founder of PIMCO; philatelist
- Vinita Gupta – first Indian-origin woman to take her company public
- Sam Hamadeh – co-founder, Vault.com
- Jeffrey O. Henley – former executive vice president and CFO, Oracle
- John W. Henry – money manager and principal owner of the Boston Red Sox and Liverpool F.C.
- Nita Ing – chairman of Continental Engineering Corporation and Taiwan High Speed Rail
- William R. Johnson – chief executive officer, H.J. Heinz Company
- Carl Karcher – founder of Carl's Jr. and former president, CKE Restaurants
- Guy Kawasaki – former Chief Evangelist of Apple
- Ryan Lee – hedge fund manager and radio commentator
- Hardy McLain – hedge fund manager; managing partner of CVC Capital Partners
- Irwin Molasky – real estate entrepreneur and early developer of Las Vegas
- Robert S. Murley – chairman of the investment banking of Credit Suisse Securities and Educational Testing Service
- Ezri Namvar – former founder and chairman of Namco Capital Group
- Richard G. Newman – former chairman and CEO, AECOM
- Michael Ovitz – Hollywood power broker and former president of the Walt Disney Company
- Robert O. Peterson – founder of the Jack in the Box restaurant chain
- Rose Catherine Pinkney – former executive for 20th Century Fox Television, BET, Paramount Pictures, TV Land, TV One
- David Polak – founded NWQ Investment Management Co.
- Donald Prell – venture capitalist, author and futurist
- Bernardo Quintana – founder of Empresas ICA
- Subramaniam Ramadorai – chief executive officer and managing director, Tata Consultancy Services
- Martine Rothblatt – CEO of United Therapeutics
- Nobutada Saji – chief executive officer, Suntory
- Dan Sanker – founder/CEO of CaseStack and SupplyPike
- Sanford C. Sigoloff – businessman and philanthropist
- Stacey Snider – president of DreamWorks
- Steven D. Strauss – author, business columnist, and lawyer
- Ronald Sugar – chief executive officer, Northrop Grumman
- Jay Sures – co-president of United Talent Agency
- Vlad Tenev - co-founder/CEO of Robinhood Markets
- Steven F. Udvar-Hazy – founder, chairman and CEO of ILFC
- Surangel Whipps Jr. – president of the Republic of Palau
- Susan Wojcicki – former CEO, YouTube
- Don Yee – NFL sports agent
- James Yenbamroong – space entrepreneur and founder of Mu Space
Composers and musicians
- Jenni Alpert – singer-songwriter
- Sara Bareilles – Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter and pianist
- Jan Berry – singer-songwriter; member of the rock-and-roll duo Jan & Dean
- Jeff Blue – music producer for various labels; vice president of Warner California's artists-and-repertoire division
- Alison Brown – Grammy Award-winning banjo player
- John Cage – composer; student of Schoenberg
- Marc Cohn – singer-songwriter
- Don Davis – film score composer, The Matrix trilogy
- Brad Delson – guitarist; lead guitarist and founding member of the Grammy Award-winning rock band Linkin Park
- Ryan Dusick – drummer, member of the Grammy Award-winning pop-rock band Maroon 5
- Doriot Anthony Dwyer – principal flautist, Boston Symphony Orchestra
- John Fahey – experimental guitarist
- Five for Fighting, stage name of John Ondrasik – singer-songwriter
- Kyle Gass – musician, singer, songwriter; member of Grammy Award-winning duo Tenacious D with Jack Black
- Jill Gibson – singer-songwriter, photographer, painter and sculptor
- Greg Ginn – guitarist and singer-songwriter; guitarist of the punk-rock band Black Flag
- Kim Gordon – musician; member of the alternative-rock band Sonic Youth
- Greg Graffin – singer-songwriter; lead singer of the punk-rock band Bad Religion
- Conan Gray – singer-songwriter; YouTuber
- Joshua Guerrero – operatic tenor
- Este Haim – member of Grammy-nominated sister band HAIM
- Jake Heggie – opera composer, Dead Man Walking
- Marilyn Horne – mezzo-soprano opera singer
- James Horner – Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, and Grammy Award-winning film-score composer; notable compositions include scores for Aliens, Glory, Titanic, Avatar
- Bruce Johnston – singer-songwriter, member of The Beach Boys
- Anthony Kiedis – singer-songwriter; lead vocalist of the alternative-rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers
- Jim Lindberg – singer-songwriter; lead singer of the punk-rock band Pennywise
- Jon MacLennan – session musician and music compositions for films such as Marley & Me: The Puppy Years
- Mickey Madden – bass guitarist of the Grammy Award-winning pop-rock band Maroon 5
- Ron Mael – musician and songwriter; co-founder and keyboardist of the pop-rock band Sparks
- Russell Mael – singer-songwriter; co-founder and lead vocalist of the pop-rock band Sparks
- Ray Manzarek – co-founder and keyboardist of the rock band The Doors
- Maile Misajon – singer-songwriter; former member of the pop girl group Eden's Crush
- Luke Mombrea – experimental classical music composer, Ivor Novello Award-winning composer
- Jim Morrison – poet and singer-songwriter; co-founder and lead vocalist of rock band The Doors
- Randy Newman – composer, pianist and singer-songwriter; Academy Award, Emmy Award and Grammy Award-winning film-score composer; notable compositions include scores for Toy Story, Cars, Monsters, Inc, and Meet the Parents franchise series
- NS Yoon-G, stage name of Christine Kim, aka Kim Yoonji – South Korean singer
- Mo Ostin – music executive, chairman emeritus of Warner Bros. Records
- Kira Roessler – musician and film and television dialogue editor; bass guitarist of the punk-rock band Black Flag
- Laura Roppé – singer-songwriter and writer; cancer survivor who wrote memoir Rocking the Pink: Finding Myself on the Other Side of Cancer
- Andy Sturmer – singer-songwriter and drummer of Jellyfish, producer for Puffy AmiYumi, composer of theme songs for Ben 10 and Teen Titans
- Paul Tanner – member of the Glenn Miller Orchestra, inventor of the Electro-Theremin instrument
- David Tao – singer
- Tiger JK, stage name of Seo Jung-kwon – Korean-American rapper; leader of hip hop group Drunken Tiger
- Brian Tyler – BAFTA-nominated film score composer, conductor and film producer; his compositions include scores for Fast & Furious franchise series, Iron Man 3, Thor: The Dark World, and Avengers: Age of Ultron
- Kamasi Washington – jazz saxophonist, composer, producer and bandleader
- John Williams – Academy Award, Emmy Award and Grammy Award-winning composer; notable compositions include scores for Harry Potter, Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park and Star Wars, film series
- La Monte Young – composer, leading figure in musical minimalism
- Inon Zur – BAFTA award and Emmy Award-winning video game and film score composer: notable compositions include scores for Digimon, Power Rangers, Dragon Age, EverQuest, Fallout, Prince of Persia, and Star Trek series