List of University at Buffalo people
This is a list of people connected to the State University of New York at Buffalo. There are more than 230,000 living alumni of UB. Notable alumni include the CEO's of Paramount Pictures, The Weinstein Company, and A+E Networks, two NASA astronauts, a recipient of the Edward R. Murrow Award, a former Prime Minister, and a President and Vice President of the United States. UB is one of only two institutions of higher learning in the United States which was founded by a U.S. President, the other being the University of Virginia.
Notable faculty
This list includes both present and former faculty members.
Nobel Laureates
| Name | Known for | Relationship to University at Buffalo |
|---|---|---|
| Ronald H. Coase | Winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics (1991) | Former professor (1951–1958) |
| J.M. Coetzee | South African author and Winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature (2003) | Former professor (1968–1971) |
| Sir John Carew Eccles | Australian winner of the Nobel Prize in Medicine (1963) for discoveries concerning the ionic mechanisms involved in excitation and inhibition in the peripheral and central portions of the nerve cell membrane (synapse). | Distinguished Professor of Physiology and Biophysics (1968–1975) |
| Herbert A. Hauptman | Winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry (1985) | Research Professor of Biophysical Sciences, Director of the Medical Foundation of Buffalo |
Award recipients
| Name | Known for | Relationship to University at Buffalo |
|---|---|---|
| Carl Dennis | Poet and winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry | Professor |
| John Barth | American author known for postmodern style and winner of the National Book Award | Former professor (1965–1973) |
| Robert Creeley | Poet and winner of the Bollingen Prize for poetry | |
| Irving Feldman | Poet and MacArthur Foundation Fellow | Former professor (1962-2004) |
| Stephen McKinley Henderson | Pulitzer Prize winner and Tony Award-nominated stage and screen actor. Recognized as a veteran performer of playwright August Wilson's ouvre. | Professor and former chair in the Department of Theater and Dance |
Academia
| Name | Known for | Relationship to University at Buffalo |
|---|---|---|
| Isaac Ehrlich | Academic economist and researcher, founding editor-in-chief of the Journal of Human Capital | Chair of the Department of Economics |
| Roswell Park | Founder of Roswell Park Cancer Institute | Former Professor of Surgery |
| Bruce Jackson | Recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship (1971); was nominated for a Grammy (1974); former president of the American Folklore Society (1984); Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the American Folklore Center in the Library of Congress (1988–89, trustee 1984-89); and director, then trustee of the Newport Folk Foundation (1965—) | SUNY Distinguished Professor; Samuel P. Capen Professor of American Culture in 1997; James Agee Professor of American Culture |
| Steve McCaffery | Canadian poet and scholar | Holds the Gray Chair at UB |
| Lester Walter Milbrath | Environmental academic and public intellectual | Professor of Political Science from 1965-1991 |
| Michel Foucault | Historian and philosopher | Visiting Professor (early 1970s) |
| René Girard | historian, literary critic, and philosopher of social science | Distinguished Professor (1971–1976) |
| Charles Haynie | Longtime faculty member in the Interdisciplinary Degree Programs | An award was established in his name after his death in 2001. |
| Robert L. Ketter | Authority on earthquake engineering research and a former president of UB | first chairman of the Civil Engineering Department; dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences; university president from 1970 through 1981 |
| Paul Kurtz | Founder and chairman of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, formerly the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP), the Council for Secular Humanism, the Center for Inquiry and Prometheus Books. | Professor Emeritus of Philosophy |
| Charles Mingus | American jazz bassist, composer, bandleader and pianist. | Slee Professor of Music (1971) |
| Emanuel Parzen | Statistician, pioneered the use of kernel density estimation (Parzen window) | Former professor (1970–1978). |
| Jayant Patel | Nicknamed "Dr. Death" by the Australian media | Former Assistant Professor of Surgery in the 1980s |
| David Riesman | Law scholar and sociologist | Visiting Professor (1937–1941) |
| Albert R. Shadle | Professor | Chairman of Biology Department (1919–1953) and Professor of Biology |
| Bill Siemering | Director of Prgramming for National Public Radio, Manager, University-sponsored radio station WBFO | Founding program director, National Public Radio and recipient, MacArthur Foundation genius grant in 1993. |
| Leo Smit | Composer of contemporary classical music | Former professor |
| Craig Venter | American geneticist, founder Celera Genomics and the J. Craig Venter Institute, Time magazine's 2007 and 2008 Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world | Former professor |
| Ernst Witebsky | Former professor and chair of the Department of Bacteriology and Immunology (1941–1967); director of the Center for Immunology (1967 until his death in 1969). | |
| Ta-You Wu | Chinese physicist known as the "Father of Chinese Physics" and president of Academia Sinica (1983–1994) | Former professor and chair of the Department of Physics (1968–1983) |
| Stephen Schanuel | Mathematician known for discovering "Schanuel's lemma" | Professor of Mathematics |
| Tim Dean | British philosopher, author, notable in the field of contemporary queer theory | Director of The Center for the Study of Psychoanalysis and Culture |
Collegiate athletics
| Name | Known for | Relationship to University at Buffalo |
|---|---|---|
| Danny White | Director of Athletics of the Buffalo Bulls | |
| Warde Manuel | Director of Athletics of the Connecticut Huskies | Former athletic director (2006-2012) |
Notable alumni
Law, politics, and government
Science, technology, and engineering
| Name | Known for | Relationship to University at Buffalo | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Erich Bloch | Former Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) and recipient of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation | B.S. in Electrical Engineering | |
| Wilson Greatbach | Recipient of the Lemelson–MIT Prize and National Medal of Technology and Innovation in 1990 | M.S. in 1957 | |
| Norman McCombs | Recipient of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation in 2013 | B.S. in 1968 | |
| Christopher Scolese | Director of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, former Administrator of NASA, and recipient of the NASA Distinguished Service Medal | B.S. '74[1] | |
| Ellen Shulman Baker | Astronaut on the Space Shuttle Atlantis and NASA medical officer | B.A. '74 in Geology[2] | |
| Gregory Jarvis | NASA Astronaut on the Space Shuttle Challenger | B.S. '67 | |
| Jeffrey Umland | Chief Mechanical Engineer of NASA's InSight mission, former Chief Mechanical Engineer for the Curiosity rover | B.S. '85 and Ph.D '91 in Mechanical Engineering | |
| Bram Cohen | Creator of the BitTorrent peer-to-peer client | ||
| Angelo F. Coniglio | Civil engineer, educator, genealogist and author | B.S.C.E. 1961, M.S.C.E. 1971 | |
| Jeffrey Wigand | First tobacco industry executive to become a major whistleblower against the industry; subject of the feature film The Insider (1999), starring Russell Crowe | B.A. Chemistry, M.A. Biochemistry, Ph.D. Biochemistry | |
Medicine
| Name | Known for | Relationship to University at Buffalo |
|---|---|---|
| Wilson Greatbatch | Inventor of improved versions of the cardiac pacemaker | |
| Orvan Hess | Medical doctor noted for early use of penicillin and developing the cardiotocograph | |
| Maynard Jack Ramsay | entomologist, listed in American Men of Science and Who's Who in America | |
| Donnica Moore | American physician and women's health advocate, best known as an author and media commentator on women's health issues | M.D. '86 |
Business
| Name | Known for | Relationship to University at Buffalo |
|---|---|---|
| John Alm | Former CEO of Coca-Cola Enterprises | |
| Millard S. Drexler | CEO of J. Crew and former CEO of Gap Inc. | |
| Jeremy Jacobs | Billionaire and CEO of Delaware North Companies and owner of the Boston Bruins | B.A. in Business Administration |
| Robin Yanhong Li | Billionaire and founder, chairman and CEO of Baidu.com, the most popular search engine in China. | M.S. Computer Science |
| John Hewitt | Founder, President, and CEO of Liberty Tax Service, Co-founder of Jackson Hewitt | |
| Robert E. Rich, Sr. | Founder of Rich Products Corporation | |
| Gregg S. Fisher | Founder of Gerstein Fisher | B.S. in Finance |
| Alan Brownstein | Former CEO of the American Cancer Society | |
| Pete Augustine | President and CEO of New Era Cap Company | B.S. '87 in accounting and finance |
| Christopher Thornberg | Founding Partner and CEO of Beacon Economics, LLC | B.S. '89 in Business Administration |
News
| Name | Known for | Relationship to University at Buffalo | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wolf Blitzer | Emmy Award-winning journalist for CNN | B.A. in history, 1970[3] | |
| Greg D'Alba | President of CNN News Networks | B.A. '81 | |
| Ira Flatow | Emmy Award-winning Science Journalist, former host of Newton's Apple, and current host of NPR's Science Friday | ||
| Howard Kurtz | Media reporter and columnist at the Washington Post | B.A. in psychology/English 1974 | |
| Terry Gross | Peabody Award-winning host of the radio interview program Fresh Air | ||
| Steve Liesman | Emmy Award-winning journalist and Pulitzer Prize winner, CNBC Senior Economics Reporter | ||
| Tom Toles | Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist for the Washington Post | ||
Film, theatre, and television
| Name | Known for | Relationship to University at Buffalo | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey Weinstein | Co-founder and chairman of The Weinstein Company, founder of Miramax Films, Academy Award winner | B.A.[4] | |
| Brad Grey | Golden Globe winner and American television and film producer, CEO of Paramount Pictures | B.A. '79 in communication and business | |
| Abbe Raven | Chairwoman and former CEO and president of A&E Television Networks, founder of The History Channel | B.A. '74 in theatre[5] | |
| Thomas Curley | 2015 Academy Award winner for Best Achievement in Sound Mixing | B.A. '01 Film Studies | |
| Alan Zweibel | Comedy writer, multiple Emmy Award winner, and one of the original writers for Saturday Night Live | ||
| James Foley | Director of House of Cards | B.A. in Psychology '74 | |
| Shep Gordon | Hollywood film agent and producer and main feature in the 2014 documentary, Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon | B.A. '68 in Sociology | |
| Katharine Cornell | Tony Award-winning actress on broadway and member of the American Theatre Hall of Fame | Did not graduate | |
| Robert Lieberman | Director of Fire in the Sky and Table for Five | ||
| Maury Chaykin | Actor | BFA in theatre, 1972[6] | |
| Bil Zelman | Photographer and Director | BFA '96 | |
| Ellen Spiro | Documentary filmmaker and Guggenheim and Rockefeller Fellow | ||
| Parry Shen | A Chinese American actor | ||
| Ron Silver | Actor and political activist | ||
| Roy Vongtama | American professional actor as well as a Board certified Radiation oncologist | M.D. '00 | |
| Max Grodénchik | American television and film actor | ||
| John Walsh | Host of America's Most Wanted | 1965[7] | |
Academia
| Name | Known for | Relationship to University at Buffalo |
|---|---|---|
| Mark Huddleston | President of the University of New Hampshire | B.A. in Political Science |
| Ann Kirschner | Academic, entrepreneur, author of Sala's Gift, launched NFL.COM for the National Football League, former co-founder of Columbia University's interactive knowledge network, Fathom.com; University Dean of William E. Macaulay Honors College of The City University of New York | B.A. in English '72 |
| Robert E. Wright | Nef Family Chair of Political Economy at Augustana College (South Dakota) | M.A., History, Ph.D. History |
| Murat Soygeniş | Architect and professor, dean - YTU School of Architecture | M. Arch. in 1985 |
| Sema Soygeniş | Architect and professor, dean - BAU School of Architecture | M. Arch. in 1986 |
| William J. Rapaport | Researcher on intentionality and artificial intelligence, professor at UB | M.S. '84 in Computer Science |
| Ewa Ziarek | Julian Park Professor of Comparative Literature at UB | Ph.D. and M.A. |
| Blair A. Rudes | American linguist known for his work on Native American languages | Ph.D '76 in Linguistics, M.A. '74, B.A. '73 |
| Zhijian James Chen | Member of the National Academy of Sciences | Ph.D in Biochemistry '91 |
Literature
| Name | Known for | Relationship to University at Buffalo |
|---|---|---|
| Richard Hofstadter | Pulitzer Prize-winning historian; author of Anti-intellectualism in American Life and The Age of Reform. | |
| Mary Cappello | Guggenheim Fellow and Professor of English and Creative Writing at the University of Rhode Island | M.A. and Ph.D |
| Charles Baxter | American author of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, Guggenheim Fellow | |
| Donald Revell | American poet, essayist, translator, Guggenheim Fellow, and 2004 Lenore Marshall Award winner | |
| Anthony Petrosky | American poet and 1982 Walt Whitman Award winner | |
| Elizabeth Willis | Poet, literary critic, and Guggenheim Fellow | |
| Michael Kelleher | American poet and program director of the Windham-Campbell Literature Prizes at Yale University | M.A. in English (Poetics) '01 |
| Taylor Caldwell | Anglo-American novelist | B.A. in English, 1931 |
| Graham Foust | American poet and associate professor at Saint Mary's College of California | Ph.D. '02 |
Music
| Name | Known for | Relationship to University at Buffalo |
|---|---|---|
| Jay Beckenstein | Saxophone player and co-founder of Spyro Gyra | B.A. in music, 1973 |
| Paddy Hagan | Lead tambourine player for legendary rock band, Dan and the PussykatZ | |
| Keith Buckley | Vocalist, lyricist and founding member of Buffalo-based hardcore band Every Time I Die and metal supergroup The Damned Things. | B.A. in English |
| Morton Feldman | American composer and Edgard Varèse Professor of Music | |
| Rob Derhak | Bassist, lyricist and founding member of Buffalo-based jam-band moe. | |
| Ronnie James Dio | American heavy metal vocalist and songwriter; lead singer of Rainbow from 1975-1979; lead singer and creator of Dio; and lead singer of Black Sabbath from 1979-1982 | |
| Chuck Garvey | Guitarist, lyricist and founding member of the Buffalo-based jam-band moe. | |
| Elliott Sharp | American multi-instrumentalist, composer, and performer | M.A. in Music Theory and Composition '77 |
| Valerian Ruminski | American bass singer and recipient of a Richard Tucker Career Grant, the Lincoln Center Martin Segal Award, a William Mattheus Sullivan Foundation Grant, a 2004 Gerda Lissner Foundation Grant, a Liederkranz Prize, and the 1st Prize in the MacAllister Singing Competition | Bachelors of Music '95 |
| Willie Nile | Singer/Songwriter - aka: Robert Noonan | B.A. in Philosophy, 1971 |
| Noa Bursie | American singer and songwriter | B.A. and M.Ed |
Sports and athletics
| Name | Known for | Relationship to University at Buffalo |
|---|---|---|
| Liam McHugh | Studio Host for the NBC Sports Network, anchoring much of its staple programming, including the NHL, Tour De France and college football/basketball | B.A. '97 in communication |
| Jonathan Akpoborie | Nigerian soccer player | |
| Desmond Green | MAC Champion and 3-time Division 1 NCAA Qualifier Wrestler, currently a Mixed Martial Artist in Bellator | Major in Social Sciences 2011 |
| Steve Geltz | MLB Pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays | B.A. in 2008 |
| Turner Battle | Former basketball player (led the Bulls to their first NIT appearance), basketball coach | B.A. in 2006 |
| Mitchell Watt | Player for Hapoel Gilboa Galil of the Israeli Basketball Super League | B.A. in 2012 |
| Javon McCrea | Mid-American Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year in 2014 | B.A. '14 |
| Branden Oliver | American football running back for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League | B.A. in 2014 |
| Tom Murphy | American professional baseball player for a minor league affiliate of the Colorado Rockies | B.A. in 2012 |
| Joe Hesketh | Former MLB pitcher (1984 through 1994) | B.A. in 1980 |
| Sam Craven | English soccer player | |
| Michael Cross | Director of Athletics, Bradley University | B.S. '91, M.A. '93 |
| Chris Kanyon | American professional wrestler in World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment | Bachelor's degree in physical therapy |
| Matvey Natanzon | Backgammon player | BA in Accounting, 1991 |
| Dominic Oppong | Canadian soccer player | |
| Gerry Philbin | Member of the 1968 World Champion New York Jets | |
| Jamey Richard | Center for the Indianapolis Colts | |
| Trevor Scott | Defensive end for the Oakland Raiders | |
| James Starks | Running Back for the Green Bay Packers of the NFL | |
| John Stofa | Miami Dolphins (AFL, NFL) quarterback, first expansion draft selection of the Cincinnati Bengals (AFL) | |
| Khalil Mack | NFL Player of the Oakland Raiders and 5th overall 2014 draft pick | B.A. '14 |
Chancellors and presidents
From its inception until 1962, the private school was known as the University of Buffalo, and it was headed by a chancellor. Since it became the public State University of New York at Buffalo, it has been called the University at Buffalo, and the CEO is its president.[8]
- Millard Fillmore, 1846–1874, who was also the 13th President of the United States.
- Orsamus H. Marshall, 1882–1884
- E. Carleton Sprague, 1885–1895
- James O. Putnam, 1895–1902
- Wilson S. Bissell, 1902–1903
- Charles Phelps Norton, 1905–1920
- Samuel P. Capen, 1922–1950
- T. R. McConnell, 1950–1954
- Clifford C. Furnas, 1954–1966
- Claude E. Puffer (acting), 1955–1957
- Martin Meyerson, 1966–1970
- Robert L. Ketter, 1970–1982
- Steven Sample, 1982–1991
- Bill Greiner, 1991–2004
- John B. Simpson, 2004–2011
- Satish K. Tripathi, 2011–present
See also
References
External links
- University at Buffalo – Official website
- Books by UB alumni
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