This page lists notable alumni and students of the University of California, Santa Barbara . Notable faculty members are in the article List of University of California, Santa Barbara faculty .
Awards, honors, and prize winners
Nobel laureates
Pulitzer Prize
Name
Degree(s)
Prize year
Prize field
Reason (prize citation)
Additional notability
David Moats
B.A. 1969
2001
"For his even-handed and influential series of editorials commenting on the divisive issues arising from civil unions for same-sex couples." [ 2]
editor at Rutland Herald and Barre Montpelier Times Argus
Bob Sipchen
B.A. 1976
2002
"For their comprehensive and powerfully written editorials exploring the issues and dilemmas provoked by mentally ill people dwelling on the streets." [ 3]
also a staff member at the Los Angeles Times which won the 1993 Pulitzer Prize for Spot News Reporting
Sanaz Toossi
2013
2023
Drama
"For a distinguished play by an American author, preferably original in its source and dealing with American life." [ 4]
playwright and screenwriter
Academy Awards
Emmy Awards
MacArthur Fellows
The MacArthur Fellows Program is also known as the "MacArthur Fellowship" or "Genius Grant."
Academics
R.J.Q. Adams , Ph.D. 1972 –American historian and Patricia & Bookman Peters Professor of History at Texas A&M University
Reza Aslan , Ph.D. 2009 – Iranian-American author, commentator and religious scholar; professor of creative writing at University of California, Riverside
Wendy Berry Mendes , Ph.D. 2003 – social psychologist and former Miss California
Rory A. Cooper , Ph.D. 1989 – professor and founder of Human Engineering Research Laboratories
Denis Dutton , B.A. 1966, Ph.D. 1975 – professor, philosopher, and founder of Arts & Letters Daily
Carol Folt , B.A. 1976, M.A. 1978 – President of the University of Southern California
Nancy Guerra , M.A. 1977 – psychologist and dean of the School of Social Ecology at the University of California, Irvine
James Kilgore , 1969 - Former Symbionese Liberation Army and professor at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Jakob Lothe , M.A. 1976 – literary scholar and professor at the University of Oslo
Neda Maghbouleh , M.A. 2008, Ph.D. 2012 – American-born Canadian sociologist, scholar, writer, author, and educator; the Canada Research Chair in Migration, Race, and Identity and associate professor of Sociology at the University of Toronto Mississauga .[ 5] [ 6]
Heather McKillop , Ph.D. 1987 – Mayanist archaeologist and professor at Louisiana State University
John D. Petersen , Ph.D. 1975 – former president of the University of Tennessee system
Saba Soomekh , Ph.D. 2008 – religious author and visiting faculty at various universities
Ronald Vale , B.A. 1980 - Professor, University of California, San Francisco , Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator, Executive Director, Janelia Research Campus , member of the National Academy of Sciences
Hans J. Van Miegroet , Ph.D. 1988 – professor at Duke University
Tim Vivian , Ph.D. 1985 – scholar of Early Christianity and Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies at California State University, Bakersfield
Jon Whitmore , Ph.D. 1974 – current CEO of ACT, Inc. , former president of San Jose State University and Texas Tech University
Jay Alan Yim , B.A. 1980 – composer and associate professor at Northwestern University
Arts, entertainment, and literature
Steve Aoki , B.A. 2000 – electro house musician, record producer, and founder of Dim Mak Records
Gregg Araki , B.A. 1982 – film director, producer, and screenwriter; winner of a Cannes Film Festival award
Tobin Armbrust , B.A. – film producer, president of Worldwide Productions and Acquisitions for Exclusive Media
Brandon Baker – actor, Johnny Tsunami
Jack Bannon – actor, Art Donovan on Lou Grant .
Roko Belic , attended – film director and producer; winner of Sundance Film Festival award
Lo Bosworth , attended – reality television participant on Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County and The Hills
Benjamin Bratt , B.F.A. 1986 – actor, Law & Order , Private Practice , Miss Congeniality
Lisa Bruce , B.A. 1983 – film producer, The Theory of Everything
Yau-Man Chan , M.S. 1977 – reality television participant on Survivor: Fiji and Survivor: Micronesia
Kayte Christensen , B.A. 2002 – sports commentator and WNBA player
Claudia Cowan , attended – television journalist for Fox News Channel
Steve Czaban , B.S. 1990 – sports radio talk show host on Yahoo! Sports Radio and ESPN 980
Beth Rudin DeWoody , B.A. – arts patron, collector, curator, philanthropist
Mark di Suvero , attended – sculptor and National Medal of Arts recipient
Crystal Egger , B.A. 2000 – meteorologist for NBC4 Los Angeles and The Weather Channel
Josh Elliott , B.A. 1993 – television journalist, NBC Sports , Today , Good Morning America
Macduff Everton , B.A. 1981, M.F.A. 1984 – photographer and author
Harris Faulkner , B.A. 1987 – newscaster and television host for Fox News Channel
Scott Frank , B.A. 1982 – screenwriter, Minority Report , Marley & Me , The Wolverine
Morgan J. Freeman , B.A. 1992 – producer and director, Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County and Teen Mom
Tom Fruin , B.A. 1996 – sculptor
Marc Germain , B.A. 1989 – radio talk show host known as Mr. KFI or Mr. KABC
Dana E. Glauberman , 1990 – film editor, Juno , Up in the Air , and No Strings Attached
Toni Graphia , B.A. – television producer and writer
Noah Harpster , B.F.A. 1998 – writer, actor, producer, director A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood , Painkiller
Mary Heebner , B.A. 1973, M.F.A. 1977 – painter and artist
Paige Hemmis , B.A. 1994 – television host,
Don Hertzfeldt , B.A. 1998 – animator and producer, Rejected and Billy's Balloon
Peter Horton — actor, thirtysomething
Iration , attended or were attending USCB when founding band in 2004; multiple albums have topped Billboard Reggae charts
Wayne Isham , attended – award-winning music video director, Enter Sandman , Livin' on a Prayer , Bye Bye Bye
Jack Johnson , B.A. 1997 – four-time platinum singer-songwriter and musician, In Between Dreams and On and On
Moshe Kasher , B.A. – standup comedian and actor
Kazu Kibuishi , B.A. 2000 – graphic novelist, Flight and Copper
Aja Naomi King , B.F.A. 2007 – actress, How to Get Away with Murder
Ken Korach , B.A. 1975 – sports radio play-by-play announcer, Oakland Athletics
Robby Krieger , attended – guitarist and songwriter, original member of The Doors
John La Puma , B.A. 1978 – physician, chef, and New York Times bestselling author
Jenna Lee , B.A. 2002 – newscaster and television host of Happening Now on Fox News Channel
Christine Lehner , B.A. 1973 – author
Harvey Levin , B.A. 1972 – founder and managing editor of TMZ
Audra Lowe , B.A. 1993 – television host of The Broadway Channel and formerly The Better Show
Jordan Maron , attended – YouTuber and Twitch streamer
Enrique Martinez Celaya , M.F.A. 1994 – artist
Lon McEachern , B.A. 1980 – television broadcaster, ESPN 's World Series of Poker
Chanel Miller , B.A. 2014 – author of Know My Name: A Memoir and Emily Doe of People v. Turner
Joel A. Miller , B.A. 1998 – author of Memoir of a Roadie
Matthew Mishory , B.A. 2004 – film and commercial director
Mary Miss , B.A. 1966 – environmental artist
Richard Munson – author
Jeff Nathanson , attended – screenwriter, for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and Catch Me If You Can
Nekrogoblikon – metal band formed as live act by UCSB students in 2006
Julie Nimoy – producer and director, Remembering Leonard Nimoy
Benito Pastoriza Iyodo , M.A. 1981 – author
Cathy Podewell – actress, portrayed Cally Harper Ewing on Dallas
Joshua L. Pomer , B.A. 1998 – filmmaker
Rebelution – reggae rock band formed in Isla Vista composed of four UCSB graduates
Philipp Richardsen , D.M.A. 2007 – Austrian classical pianist
Jim Rome , B.A. 1987 – sports talk show host, The Jim Rome Show and Jim Rome Is Burning
Barbara Rush , 1948 – Golden Globe-winning actress, Bigger Than Life , The Young Philadelphians , Robin and the 7 Hoods , Hombre , Peyton Place
Robin Sax – legal analyst and commentator
Andrew Schulz , B.A. 1995 – comedian, podcaster, television host (Schulz Saves America , The Brilliant Idiots , Guy Code )
Richard Serra , B.A. 1961 – minimalist sculptor
Brad Silberling , B.A. 1984 – film producer and director, Casper , Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events
L. J. Smith , B.A. 1987 – New York Times bestselling author of The Vampire Diaries and The Secret Circle series
Mark Andrew Smith , B.A. 2002 – comic book writer and graphic novelist
Bahar Soomekh , B.A. 1997 – actress, Saw III
Andrew Spence , M.F.A. 1971 – painter
Andrea Sperling , B.A. 1990 – film producer
Wolfgang Stoerchle , M.F.A. 1968 – conceptual artist
Charissa Thompson , B.A. 2004 – television host, Fox Sports Live and Extra
Fred Toye , B.A. – television director
Jerry Trainor , B.F.A. – actor and comedian, iCarly
Katy Tur , B.A. 2005 – television journalist, NBC News
Leah Turner , attended – country music singer
Patrick Vlaskovits , B.A., M.A. – New York Times bestselling author and entrepreneur
Alie Ward , B.A. – writer, actress, and television and podcast host, Ologies
Dasha Zhukova , B.A. 2004 – model and domestic partner[ 7] to Roman Abramovich
Astronauts
Athletics
Eric Avila – plays for FC Dallas of the MLS
Shane Bieber - Major League Baseball pitcher for the Cleveland Indians , Cy Young Award in 2020.
Joe Cannon – 2002 and 2004 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year , goalkeeper for Vancouver Whitecaps , former member of U.S. National Team
Cori Close - women's basketball head coach, UCLA
Chris Cope – professional mixed martial artist , formerly competing for Strikeforce and the Ultimate Fighting Championship [ 8]
Lynne Cox – long-distance open-water swimmer, writer and speaker.
Lucius Davis (born 1970) - basketball player
Noah Davis (nicknamed Diesel; born 1997), baseball pitcher for the Colorado Rockies in MLB
Larry Dierker – 1969 and 1971 Major League Baseball All-Star pitcher and 1998 NL Manager of the Year for Houston Astros
Eric Fonoimoana – 2000 Olympic Games gold medalist in beach volleyball
Rob Friend – soccer striker for Borussia Mönchengladbach of the German Bundesliga and the Canadian National Team
Tom Gamboa —baseball coach and manager
Scott Garson —college basketball coach
Bill Geivett – senior vice president, Major League Baseball Operations, assistant GM for Colorado Rockies
Max Heidegger (born 1997) - American-Israeli basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
Mario Hollands – pitcher for Philadelphia Phillies
Andy Iro – plays for Columbus Crew of the MLS
Carin Jennings – 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup and Golden Ball winner, 1996 Olympic Games gold medalist in soccer ; National Soccer Hall of Fame (personal) and United States Olympic Hall of Fame (as 1996 Women's Soccer team) inductee
Orlando Johnson , pro basketball player for Baskonia of Euroleague and NBA's Sacramento Kings , Indiana Pacers , Phoenix Suns
Neil Jones – has featured for New Zealand National Team , assistant coach for UCSB
Alan Keely – plays in Ireland for Shelbourne F.C. of FAI eircom League of Ireland First Division
Dan Kennedy – plays for Club Deportivo Chivas USA of MLS
Stuart Krohn (born 1962), professional rugby union player
Jason Lezak (born 1975) – four-time Olympic gold medalist and seven-time Olympic medalist swimmer in 2000 , 2004 , and 2008 Olympic Games
Tony Lochhead – soccer left back for Wellington Phoenix FC of Australian A-League and New Zealand National Team
Thiago Martins – soccer striker for FK Bodø/Glimt of the Norwegian Tippeligaen
Kevin McClatchy – co-owner of Major League Baseball's Pittsburgh Pirates franchise
David McGill – plays in Ireland for Shelbourne F.C. of the FAI eircom League of Ireland First Division
Tino Nuñez – plays for Real Salt Lake of MLS
James Nunnally (born 1990) - basketball player for Maccabi Tel Aviv of the Israeli Basketball Premier League and the Euroleague
Barbara Nwaba – 2015 American heptathlon champion
Chris Pontius – plays for D.C. United of MLS
Kyle Reynish – plays for Real Salt Lake of MLS
Todd Rogers – 2008 Olympic Games gold medalist in Beach Volleyball ; 1997 AVP Rookie of the Year, 2004-2007 AVP Best Defensive Player, 2006 AVP MVP, 2007 AVP Champion
Tyler Rosenlund – has featured for Canadian National Team
Skip Schumaker – former MLB second baseman for Cincinnati Reds
Brian Shaw – three-time (2000 , 2001 , 2002 ) NBA champion point guard for Los Angeles Lakers , former head coach of Denver Nuggets
Ryan Spilborghs – former MLB center fielder for Colorado Rockies
Bobby Webster – NBA general manager
Alan Williams – two-time NCAA rebounding leader and current player for the Phoenix Suns
Craig Wilson – U.S. Olympic water polo goalie silver medalist in 1984 and 1988 Olympic Games ; participant in 1992 Games
Michael Young – retired five-time (2004–2008) MLB All-Star shortstop for the Texas Rangers and 2006 MLB All Star Game MVP
Barry Zito – three-time (2002 , 2003 , 2006 ) MLB All-Star pitcher and 2002 American League Cy Young Award winner
Don Ford - former American basketball power forward in the NBA for the Los Angeles Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers
Gabe Vincent - Basketball player in the NBA for the Miami Heat
Richard Schroeder - U.S. Olympic swimming double gold medalist 1984 and 1988
Business leaders and entrepreneurs
Robert D. Arnott , B.S. 1977 – investor and writer, founder and CEO of Research Affiliates, LLC
Josh Berman , B.A. 1991 – entrepreneur; co-founder and former Chief Operating Officer of Myspace.com
Grady Booch , M.S. 1979 – software engineer; co-creator of the Unified Modeling Language ; Fellow of ACM, IBM, and IEEE
Tom Bruggere , B.A. 1968 – entrepreneur and founder of Mentor Graphics , former chairman of the board of Stamps.com
Anders Dahlvig , M.A. 1982 – former CEO and President of IKEA
Robert Duggan – CEO of Pharmacyclics Inc.
Logan Green , B.A. 2006 – co-founder and CEO of Lyft and Zimride
Jeffrey O. Henley , B.A. 1966 – current vice-chairman and former chairman of Oracle Corporation
Blair Hull , B.A. 1965 – businessman, investor, and founder of Ketchum Trading, former founder of Hull Trading Company
Ryan Kavanaugh , attended – film financier, founder and CEO of Relativity Media [ 9]
Ryland King , B.S. 2012 – entrepreneur, non-profit founder of Sprout Up, Surf Trip List
Karl F. Lopker , B.S. 1973 – current CEO of QAD Inc , co-founder of Deckers Outdoor Corporation
Pamela Lopker , B.A. 1977 – founder and President of QAD Inc
Richard Nanula , B.A. 1982 – former CFO of The Walt Disney Company and Amgen , former chairman of Colony Capital and Miramax
Priya Narasimhan , M.S. 1995, Ph.D. 1999 – founder and CEO of YinzCam , electrical & computer engineering professor at Carnegie Mellon University
Marc Nathanson , M.A. 1969 – entrepreneur and philanthropist, former founder and CEO of Falcon Cable TV
Doug Otto , B.A. 1973 – co-founder of Deckers Outdoor Corporation
Yngve Slyngstad , M.A. – CEO of Norges Bank Investment Management
Peter Sperling , B.A. – educator and businessman, Chairman of Apollo Group
Nick Swinmurn , B.A. 1995 – founder and former CEO of Zappos
Chade-Meng Tan , M.S. 2000 – software engineer, New York Times bestselling author, and employee number 107 for Google
Kazuhiro Tsuga , M.S. 1986 – current president of Panasonic
Brett White , B.A. 1984 – current chairman and chief executive officer of Cushman & Wakefield and former CEO of CBRE Group
Dave Asprey , B.S. - Founder of Bulletproof 360
Government, law, and public policy
Kwadwo Afari-Gyan , Ph.D. 1974 – Chairman of the Electoral Commission of Ghana
John Avalos , B.A. 1988 – member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors
Paul Bardacke , B.A. 1966 – Attorney General of New Mexico
Sam Blakeslee , Ph.D. 1989 – member of the California State Senate and California State Assembly
Barbara Bodine , B.A. 1970 – U.S. ambassador to Yemen during the USS Cole bombing
Barry Brucker , B.A. – Mayor of Beverly Hills, California
Joan Buchanan , B.A. 1973 – member of the California State Assembly
Lois Capps , M.A. 1990 – member of the United States House of Representatives
Salud Carbajal , B.A. 1990 – member of the United States House of Representatives
Tony Cardenas , B.A. 1986 – member of the United States House of Representatives
Norris Cochran , B.A. 1993 – acting United States Secretary of Health and Human Services
Kevin de León , attended – member of the Los Angeles City Council and former member of the California State Legislature
Delaine Eastin , M.A. 1971 – California State Superintendent of Public Instruction and member of the California State Assembly
Valerie Baker Fairbank , B.A. 1971, M.A. 1972 – senior judge of the United States District Court for the Central District of California
Raymond C. Fisher , B.A. 1961 – United States Associate Attorney General and senior judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Jean Fuller , Ph.D. 1989 – minority leader and member of the California State Senate
Ruth Ann Gaines , M.A. 1970 – member of the Iowa House of Representatives
Marc Grossman , B.A. 1973 – Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs and United States Ambassador to Turkey
Roger Hedgecock , 1968 – Mayor of San Diego and talk radio host
Jared Huffman , B.A. 1986 – member of the United States House of Representatives
Ken Khachigian , B.A. 1966 – political consultant and chief speechwriter for Ronald Reagan
Betty Koed , B.A. 1983, M.A. 1991, Ph.D. 1999 – Historian of the United States Senate
Robert J. Lagomarsino , B.A. 1950 – member of the United States House of Representatives
Brian Maienschein , B.A. 1991 – member of the California State Assembly
Edward L. Masry , attended – attorney of the Hinkley groundwater contamination case made famous by Erin Brockovich
Dionicio Morales , attended – Latino civil rights leader
Mariana Pfaelzer , B.A. 1949 – senior judge of the United States District Court for the Central District of California
Richard W. Pollack , B.A. – associate justice of the Supreme Court of Hawaii
Milan St. Protić , M.A. 1982, Ph.D. 1987 – Serbian ambassador to Switzerland and Federal Republic of Yugoslavian ambassador to the United States
Austin Quinn-Davidson , B.A. 2001 – acting mayor of Anchorage, Alaska
Nick Salazar , attended – member of the New Mexico House of Representatives
Paul Seaton , attended – member of the Alaska House of Representatives
Roslyn O. Silver , B.A. 1968 – senior judge of the United States District Court for the District of Arizona
Matthew Steen – co-founder of Weather Underground
Dave Uejio – Acting Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)
Knut Vollebaek – Norwegian diplomat and Ambassador to the US
Das Williams , MESM 2005 – member of the California State Assembly
Joseph C. Wilson – U.S. Ambassador to Gabon and São Tomé and Príncipe ; Distinguished Alumnus Award recipient; husband of Valerie Plame Wilson , classified CIA operative whose identity was leaked to the press in 2003
Science
Robert Ballard , B.S. 1965 – discovered the Titanic
Other notable alumni
Robert Mardian
References
^ "The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2009" . nobelprize.org . 2009. Retrieved May 9, 2022 .
^ "The 2001 Pulitzer Prize Winner in Editorial Writing" . pulitzer.org . 2001. Retrieved May 9, 2022 .
^ "The 2002 Pulitzer Prize Winner in Editorial Writing" . pulitzer.org . 2002. Retrieved May 9, 2022 .
^ "The 2023 Pulitzer Prize Winner in Drama" . pulitzer.org . 2023. Retrieved June 9, 2023 .
^ Taxin, Amy (February 13, 2019). "After The 1979 Revolution" . Newspapers.com . The Desert Sun. pp. A11, A14. Retrieved February 11, 2022 .
^ "The Limits of Whiteness: Iranian Americans and the Everyday Politics of Race" . Asian American / Asian Research Institute (AAARI) . Retrieved February 11, 2022 .
^ Miami Newsday: "Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich celebrates birth of his seventh child, his second with model Daria Zhukova" Archived 2013-09-16 at the Wayback Machine 14 April 2013
^ "Chris Cope UFC Bio" . Retrieved August 5, 2014 .
^ Bruck, Connie (October 1, 2012). "Cashier Du Cinema" . The New Yorker . Archived from the original on December 5, 2021. Retrieved January 6, 2022 .
^ "Meet Robert Ballard" . Office of Ocean Exploration and Research . Retrieved May 9, 2022 .
^ "Alexei V. Filippenko Professor of Astronomy" . astro.berkeley.edu . Retrieved May 9, 2022 .
^ "Ben Halpern" . Bren School of Environmental Science & Management . Retrieved May 9, 2022 .
^ "John R. Kirtley" . kirtleyscientific.com . Retrieved May 9, 2022 .
^ "Dr. Alison Murray" . Desert Research Institute . Retrieved May 9, 2022 .
^ "Alumni PhD Recipients in Anthropology" . anth.ucsb.edu . Retrieved May 9, 2022 .
^ "Christine Siddoway Ph.D, Professor of Geology" . sites.coloradocollege.edu . Retrieved May 9, 2022 .
^ "Deborah Steinberg CSX Professor; Dept. Chair, Biological Sciences" . Virginia Institute of Marine Science . Retrieved May 9, 2022 .
^ "Amy Wetherby Ph.D." med.fsu.edu . Retrieved May 9, 2022 .
^ "Amy Wetherby" . orcid.org . Retrieved May 9, 2022 .
^ "Go with the Flow" . alumni.ucsb.edu . Retrieved May 10, 2022 .
^ Perman, Stacy (April 2005). "Learning Curve" . Los Angeles . pp. 50–57. Retrieved May 9, 2022 .
^ "Gaucho Alumni in Politics Visit UCSB" . thebottomline.as.ucsb.edu . October 18, 2011. Retrieved May 9, 2022 .
^ "Q&A with Tracie D. Hall '91, ALA's New Executive Director" . library.ucsb.edu . July 29, 2020. Retrieved May 9, 2022 .
^ Karas, Rachel (May 9, 2019). "The Earliest Evidence of Shakespeare in America" . Chapman University . Retrieved May 9, 2022 .
^ "Endowed Scholarships" . Boundless Philanthropy . University of California, Santa Barbara . p. 60. Retrieved May 9, 2022 .
^ "Madsen still in the spotlight" . ESPN . September 20, 2007. Retrieved May 9, 2022 .
^ Sullivan, Patricia (July 21, 2006). "Robert Mardian; Attorney Caught Up in Watergate Scandal" . The Washington Post . Retrieved May 9, 2022 .
^ Martin, Douglas (July 22, 2006). "Robert Mardian, 82, Nixon Campaign Lawyer, Dies" . The New York Times . Retrieved May 9, 2022 .
^ " 'J–B' Cast Announced" . El Gaucho . Vol. 48, no. 59. Santa Barbara, California . January 15, 1968. p. 5. Retrieved May 9, 2022 .
^ "Olson back home in St. Paul" . St. Paul Pioneer Press . March 17, 2009. Retrieved May 9, 2022 .
Academics
Institutes Campus life Athletics
People