One measure of a great university is how its alumni change the world.
Champions
Rebecca Lobo ’95 (CLAS)
Olympic gold medalist, inductee into Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, ESPN analyst.
Diana Taurasi ’05 (CLAS)
Olympic gold medalist, winner of three WNBA championships, inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.
Ray Allen
Ten-time NBA All-Star and two-time championship winner; Olympic gold medalist and Basketball Hall of Fame inductee.
Andre Drummond
Two-time NBA All-Star.
Andrew Jean-Baptiste
2011 Big East Conference Defensive Player of the Year in men’s soccer, played with multiple professional teams.
Andy Bessette ’75 (CLAS)
Former men’s track and field All-American; executive vice president and chief administrative officer the Travelers Companies Inc.
Asjha Jones ’02 (BUS)
Olympic gold medalist, two-time WNBA All-Star and WNBA champion.
Breanna Stewart ’16 (CLAS)
First-round draft pick for the WNBA, starting power forward for the Seattle Storm, Olympic gold medalist. Stewart won league MVP, a WNBA championship, and finals MVP in 2018.
Byron Jones ’16 (CLAS)
Cornerback, first-round draft pick of the Dallas Cowboys.
Charles Nagy
Former MLB All-Star pitcher, now Los Angeles Angels pitching coach.
Chris Gbandi ’04 (CLAS)
Liberian footballer; played for several professional teams and Liberian national team.
Christine A. Dailey ’99 MA
Inductee into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, associate head coach for UConn Women’s Basketball.
Cliff Robinson
NBA All-Star and Sixth Man of the Year for the Portland Trail Blazers.
Damani Ralph ’09 (CLAS)
MLS Rookie of the Year.
Dan Orlovsky ’17 (BGS)
Quarterback for Detroit Lions, Houston Texans, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
UConn Magazine: The Future of Almost Everything: Who’s the Next Tom Brady?
Donald Brown ’10 (ED)
First Husky ever to be picked in the first round of an NFL Draft.
Donyell Marshall ’10 (CCS)
Fifteen-year career in the NBA, now head coach of the Central Connecticut State University men’s basketball team.
Emeka Okafor ’04 (BUS)
Olympic bronze medalist, No. 2 overall NBA pick and 2005 Rookie of the Year.
George Springer
Won a World Series ring with the Houston Astros in 2017 and was the World Series MVP.
Jennifer Rizzotti ’96 (CLAS)
Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, head coach of George Washington University’s women’s basketball team.
UConn Magazine: The Future of Almost Everything: She’s Got Game
John Dorsey ’92 (CLAS)
Green Bay Packers linebacker; general manager of the Cleveland Browns.
Kara Wolters ’97 (CLAS)
Olympic gold medalist, WNBA champion with the Houston Comets, inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame; studio analyst on SNY.
Kemba Walker
Two-time NBA All-Star and leading scorer in Charlotte Hornets franchise history.
Kevin Ollie ’95 (CLAS)
Twelve-year NBA point guard and former UConn head basketball coach; won NCAA championship in 2014.
Kirk J. Ferentz ’78 (ED)
Head football coach for the University of Iowa and Big Ten Coach of the Year.
Matt Barnes
Relief pitcher for the 2018 World Champion Boston Red Sox and first-round draft pick in 2011.
Maya Moore ’11 (CLAS)
Olympic gold medalist, WNBA All-Star and champion, and inductee into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.
Melissa Gonzalez ’11 (ED)
Olympian and former UConn field hockey standout.
Mike Aresco ’76 JD
Commissioner, American Athletic Conference.
Molly Qerim-Rose ’06 (CLAS)
ESPN anchor and host of “First Take.”
UConn Magazine: In the Hot Seat with ESPN’s Molly Qerim ’06 (CLAS)
Nick Ahmed
Shortstop for the Arizona Diamondbacks who won a 2018 Gold Glove Award and was a first-round draft pick.
Nick Giaquinto ’79 (ED)
Former running back who played in two Super Bowls, winning one.
Richard Hamilton
Three-time NBA All-Star, led Detroit Pistons to the 2004 NBA championship.
Sara Whalen ’98 (CLAS)
Olympic silver medalist, member of the 1999 Women’s World Cup championship soccer team, founding player of WUSA.
Scott Burrell ’10 (BGS)
First American athlete to be a first round draft pick of two major sports leagues: MLB and NBA.
Shabazz Napier ’14 (CLAS)
NCAA champion and 2014 NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player.
Sue Bird ’02 (CLAS)
Gold medalist, three-time WNBA champion.
Svetlana Abrosimova ’01 (BUS)
Olympic bronze medalist as member of Russian national team, nine years in WNBA.
Swin Cash ’02 (CLAS)
Olympic gold medalist, WNBA All-Star, and champion; inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.
Tina Charles ’10 (CLAS)
Olympic gold medalist, WNBA All-Star, and rebounding champion.
Tom Penders ’68 (BUS)
Competed in both NCAA Basketball Tournament and the College Baseball World Series, long-time basketball coach with positions at URI, Columbia, Tufts, Texas, George Washington University, and Houston.
UConn Magazine: The Quiet Genius of Coach Penders
Will Beatty, ’08 (CLAS)
Super Bowl Champion with the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles.
Creators
Wally Lamb ’72 (ED), ’77 MA
Best-selling author and UConn professor who wrote “She’s Come Undone” and “I Know This Much Is True”, among other novels.
UConn Today: Best Selling Author Wally Lamb Heads to the Big Screen
Ned Kahn ’82 (CLAS)
Environmental artist known for creating public art sculptures mobilized by air, wind, water, and fog around the world.
Inside UConn Nation: Sculpting with Wind and Fog
Ann Beattie ’70 (CLAS)
Award-winning novelist, short story writer, and professor; won the Rea Award for the Short Story and PEN/Malamud Award for excellence in the short story form.
Pat Sheehan ’67 (CLAS)
Retired Emmy-winning newscaster, investment advisor, and former member and chairman of the UConn Foundation Board of Directors.
David Ushery ’89 (CLAS)
Emmy-winning journalist and TV co-anchor.
Frank Litsky ’46 (CLAS)
“The New York Times” sports writer and author who won numerous writing awards, including one from the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association.
Les Payne ’64 (CLAS), ’03H
Pulitzer Prize-winning editor and columnist and founder of the National Association of Black Journalists.
Matthew Jensen ’08 (SFA)
Photographer who most recently won a John Simon Guggenheim Foundation Award.
Patricia MacLachlan ’62 (ED)
Best-selling children’s author and winner of the 1986 Newbery Medal, the 1986 Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction and the 1986 Golden Kite Award.
Ron Roy ’65 (CLAS)
Children’s mystery book author, best known for his A to Z Mysteries series.
UConn Magazine: The Future of Almost Everything: Books: The Original Entertainment Devices
Sara Bear Elizabeth Wishnevsky
Hugo and Sturgeon Award-winning science fiction and fantasy writer who writes under the pen name Elizabeth Bear.
Scott DaRos ’07 (SFA)
Emmy-winning stop-motion animator and creative director; won an Emmy Award for Individual Achievement in Character Animation in 2016.
Susanna Coffey ’77 (SFA)
Painter and educator with an international reputation.
Toni Press-Coffman ’76 (SFA)
Award-winning playwright who wrote the play “Touch.”
Entertainers
Bobby Moynihan ’99 (SFA)
Actor, comedian, impressionist; cast member on “Saturday Night Live.”
UConn Alumni: After SNL UConn Alum Bobby Moynihan Begins New Chapter
UConn Magazine: Bobby Moynihan ’99 (SFA)
Jackie Burns ’02 (SFA)
Broadway actress, starred as Elphaba in “Wicked.”
UConn Magazine: Jackie Burns ’02 (SFA), Star of the New Musical “If/Then”
Chris Donovan ’69 (SFA)
TV producer and director; longtime director of the Golden Globe Awards.
UConn Today: Alumni Perspective, Chris Donovan Golden Globe Awards Directory
Austin Stowell ’07 (SFA)
Actor known for roles in “Dolphin Tale” and Steven Spielberg’s “Bridge of Spies.”
Daily Campus: There’s Always Another Level to Get To
UConn Magazine: “Bridge of Spies” Actor Credits UConn for His Magnanimity
Brian Schulz ’97 (CLAS)
Emmy-winning director and cinematographer for Major League Baseball Productions.
Christopher Barreca ’97 (SFA)
Tony Award-winning scenic designer.
Dan Rousseau ’08 (SFA)
Emmy-winning lighting designer.
UConn Today: Light Shines on Alumnus as Emmy Winner
UConn Magazine: Dan Rousseau Lights It Up
Daniel Joseph “Dan” Lauria ’92 (SFA)
TV, stage, and film actor known for portraying the father on the TV series, “The Wonder Years.”
Forrest McClendon ’89 (SFA)
Actor and singer nominated for a Tony Award for his Broadway debut in “The Scottsboro Boys.”
Frank Filipetti ’71 (CLAS)
Grammy-winning music producer, engineer, and mixer.
Jean Marie Keevins ’99 (SFA)
Puppeteer, producer, writer, and designer who has built puppets for “Avenue Q,” Disney on Ice’s “Finding Nemo,” “Baby Einstein,” “The Muppets,” and other Broadway shows.
Jennifer Barnhart ’94 (SFA)
Actress, puppeteer, and voice-over talent.
John “Beau” M. Billingslea Jr. ’66 (CLAS) ’69 JD
TV and film actor, producer, and voice-over artist.
John Severino ’59 (CLAS)
Past president of CBS and ABC television networks; media consultant for WeR1 World Network.
Meg Ryan (CLAS)
Movie actress known for her roles in “When Harry Met Sally” and “Sleepless in Seattle.”
Michael John Bergin ’92 (BUS)
Actor and model considered one of the first men to achieve supermodel status.
Michael Koskoff ’66 JD
A principal at Koskoff Koskoff & Bieder who co-wrote the screenplay for the movie, “Marshall.”
Moby aka Richard Melville Hall
Musician, singer, and DJ, known for electronica music.
Paige Turco ’88 (SFA)
TV and film actress aka Jean Paige Turco.
Pam Arciero ’82 MFA
Puppeteer and voice-over artist who portrays Oscar the Grouch’s girlfriend, Grundgetta, on “Sesame Street.”
Richard Termine ’78 MFA
Puppet designer and builder; Emmy-winning designer for “Sesame Street.”
Stuart “Skip” Schoolnik ’71 (SFA)
Film producer, director, and editor known for “The Walking Dead” and “Angel.”
Tim Lagasse ’92 (SFA)
Puppeteer, puppet designer, and filmmaker; Emmy-nominated creator of a series of short puppet films.
Innovators
Kartik Chandran ’99 Ph.D
Kartik Chandran ’99 Ph.D.: MacArthur “Genius Grant” award-winner for groundbreaking work to transform wastewater into valuable resources like fertilizers and energy.
UConn Alumni: UConn Alum Wins Genius Award for Converting Wastewater into Energy Fertilizer
UConn Magazine: The Future of Almost Everything: A Better Poop Loop
Franklin Chang-Díaz ’73 (ENG), ’90H
Physicist, mechanical engineer, and veteran of seven Space Shuttle missions; founder and CEO of Ad Astra Rocket Co.
UConn Magazine: The Future of Almost Everything: To Infinity
T. Scott Case ’92 (ENG), ’15H
Technologist, entrepreneur, and inventor who co-founded Priceline.com.
UConn Magazine: The Future of Almost Everything: Hunting Unicorns
Bob Madonna ’82 (ENG)
CEO of Savant Systems.
Briggs W. Morrison ’85 M.D.
CEO of Syndax Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Daniel Earl Noble ’29 (CAHNR)
Executive vice chairman of the board of Motorola.
David M. Lee ’55 MA, ’97H
Physicist who won the Nobel Prize in Physics with Robert C. Richardson and Douglas Osheroff for discovering superfluidity in helium-3.
Dipayan Ghosh ’10 (ENG)
Fellow of New America’s Technology in the Public Interest initiative and the Open Technology Institute, focusing on advancing consumer-oriented public policy initiatives.
Doug Bernstein ’85 (CLAS)
Co-founder, president, and co-CEO of Melissa & Doug toys.
Frances Trelease ’83 (CLAS), ’96 MBA
Founder and president of Boomer Den LLC, an internship and job placement service for adult workers.
UConn Magazine: The Future of Almost Everything: New Tricks for Old Dogs
Jerold R. Mande ’78 (CAHNR)
Former senior adviser to the U.S. Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services.
Naturally@UConn: Distinguished Alumnus Jerold Mande Honored by UConn Alumni Association
Kevin Burns ’86 (ENG)
CEO of JUUL Labs Inc.
Peter D. Suzdak ’85 Ph.D.
Former CEO of Rexahn Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Richard Mastracchio ’82 (ENG), ’14H
Engineer and former NASA astronaut; flew on three NASA Space Shuttle missions.
UConn Today: UConn Alum Returning to Orbit for Fourth Space Mission
Robert Mastracchio ’64 (ENG), ’66 MS
Retired vice president of engineering and research for the Exxon Mobil Corp.
Roger Boissonneault ’71 (CLAS)
CEO and president of Warner Chilcott.
Roger Newton ’74 MS, ’05 H
Co-discovered Lipitor and was founder and member of the board of directors of Esperion Therapeutics, Inc.; director of a number of life science companies.
UConn Today: Co-Discoverer of Lipitor Speaks at Health Center About New Cholesterol Drug
Shankar Musunuri ’93 Ph.D.
Founder, chairman, and CEO of Ocugen Inc.
Theodore Millon ’54 Ph.D.
American psychologist known for groundbreaking work identifying personality disorders.
Tim Shannon ’85 MD
Former president and CEO of CuraGen Corp., now managing partner and general partner at Canaan Partners.
Leaders
Mr. Rodney A. Butler, BUS 1999
Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, Chairman & CEO
Lynn Malerba ’08 MPA
Treasurer of the United States,
Chief, Mohegan Tribe of Connecticut.
Debra Hess ’86 (BUS)
CFO of NorthStar Realty Finance Corp.
P. Courtney Gaine ’00 (CAHNR), ’05 Ph.D.
President and CEO of the Sugar Association.
Sam Gejdenson ’70 (CLAS)
U.S. Representative, Democrat, 1981-2001.
Robert N. Giaimo ’44 JD
U.S. Representative, Democrat, 1959-1981.
Gary Gladstein ’66 (CLAS), ’08H
Former managing director of Soros Fund Management.
Bernard F. Grabowski ’49 (BUS), ’52 JD
U.S. Representative, Democrat, 1965-1966.
Michael R. Grey ’84 MD
Chair of Medicine for Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center.
Eunice Groark ’65 JD
First female lieutenant governor of Connecticut.
Lubbie Harper Jr. ’67 MSW, ’75 JD
Connecticut Supreme Court judge and first African-American graduate from UConn School of Law.
Hajim al-Hassani ’90 Ph.D.
Speaker of Iraqi National Assembly under Iraqi Transitional Government.
Mark Freitas ’81 (BUS)
CEO and president, Mark Edward Partners.
Edward A. Horrigan Jr ’50 (BUS)
Former president and CEO of RJ Reynolds.
Samuel Jaskilka ’42 (CLAS)
Commandant of U.S. Marine Corps, four-star general.
Joette Katz ’77 JD
Former associate justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court- and Connecticut Commissioner of Children and Families.
John Kim ’87 MBA, BUS ’16
President of New York Life Insurance Co., the largest mutual life insurance company in America.
Michael Koppel ’78 (BUS)
Former executive vice president and CFO of Nordstrom, Inc.
Alan Kraut ’73 (ED)
Executive director of the Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System.
UConn Magazine: The Future of Almost Everything: Modernizing Mental Health Treatment
Paul Krebsbach ’93 Ph.D.
Dean, UCLA School of Dentistry.
John Krenicki ’84 (ENG), ’07H
Former president and CEO of GE Energy; senior operating partner at Clayton, Dubiler & Rice.
Mary Laschinger ’92 MBA
Chairman and CEO of Veritiv Corp.
Scott Cowen ’68 (BUS), ’10H
Former president of Tulane University.
UConn Magazine: The Future of Almost Everything: Whither the University?
N. Nangolo Mbumba ’73 MS
2nd Vice President of Namibia
Craig Ashmore ’85 (ENG)
Principal at Platinum Equity.
Stanley F. Battle ’75 MSW
Former president of Coppin State University.
Frank Borges ’78 JD
Chairman and managing partner at Landmark Partners.
Melinda Brown ’77 (BUS), ’85 MBA
Senior vice president and corporate controller of Coach.
UConn Business: Melinda Brown
J. Agnes Burns ’24 JD
First graduate of UConn School of Law to be admitted to the Connecticut Bar and first female lawyer to appear before the Connecticut Supreme Court.
Michael Callahan ’95 JD
Former general counsel of LinkedIn; executive director of the Arthur and Toni Rembe Rock Center for Corporate Governance & Law at Stanford University.
Tansu Penbe Ciller ’72 Ph.D.
First and only female prime minister of Turkey, 1993-96.
Robert Cizik ’53 (BUS)
Retired chairman and CEO of Cizik Interests.
Joe Courtney ’78 JD
U.S. Representative, Democrat since 2007.
Frank P. Longobardi Jr. ’77 (BUS)
Chief Executive Officer of CohnReznick, an accounting, tax and advisory firm.
Joanne C. Crevoiserat ’85 (BUS)
Executive vice president and CFO of Abercrombie & Fitch Co.
Robert Crispin ’75 MBA
Retired chairman and CEO of ING Investment Management, Inc.
Emilio Daddario ’42 JD
U.S. Representative, Democrat, 1959-1971.
Robert Diamond ’77 MBA, ’06H
Former president and CEO of Barclays Bank.
Doug Elliot ’82 (BUS) ’17H
President of The Hartford.
Gail Federici-Smith ’70 (CLAS)
Co-founder of John Frieda and chief executive of Federici Brands.
Robert W. Fiondella ’68 JD, ’97H
Former U.S. CEO of Phoenix Life Mutual Insurance Co.
Keith Fox ’80 (BUS)
Former vice president of Worldwide Corporate Marketing at Cisco Systems.
Chris Fraser ’80 (BUS) (CLAS)
President, CEO, and chairman of the board of KMG Chemicals.
Mike Soltys ’81 (CLAS)
Vice president, corporate communications, ESPN.
UConn Magazine: The Future of Almost Everything: Now Playing
Paula Riggi Singer ’76 (ED)
President and CEO of Laureate Global Products and Services Group.
Tony Rizza ’87 (BUS)
Senior managing director/portfolio manager of Columbus Circle Investors.
Rob Rodin ’77 (CLAS)
Former CEO of Marshall Industries; now general partner and managing director of Riordan, Lewis & Haden Equity Partners.
Harvey Rosenblum ’65 (CLAS)
Former executive vice president and director of research for the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.
John Rutherford ’75 MS
Co-founder and COO of Strategy Capital.
Ronald A. Sarasin ’60 (BUS), ’63 JD
U.S. Representative, Republican, 1973-1979.
Liz Scott and Jay Scott, ’91 (CLAS)
Husband-and-wife team that founded Alex’s Lemonade Stand after losing daughter, Alexandra, to cancer.
Mark Shenkman ’65 (CLAS), ’07H
Founder, president, and chief investment officer of Shenkman Capital Management Inc.
William “Bill” Simon ’81 (CLAS), ’88 MBA
Former president and CEO of Walmart U.S.
UConn Today: UConn Alum Named President CEO of Walmart US
UConn Magazine: The Future of Almost Everything: Shopping Spree
Karl L. Schultz ’93 MPA
U.S. Coast Guard Commandant.
UConn Magazine: Karl L. Schultz ’92 MPA is the new commander of the U.S. Coast Guard
Karen Maguire ’68 (CLAS), ’71 MA, ’81 Ph.D.
President/CEO and co-founder of Satuit Technologies, Inc.
Huw Thomas ’86 Ph.D.
Dean, School of Dentistry at Tufts University.
Dan Toscano ’87 (BUS)
Managing director at Morgan Stanley.
William Trueheart ’66 (CLAS)
Former president of Bryant University.
Rick Valachovic ’77 DMD
CEO and president of the American Dental Education Association.
Ann Withey-Miller ’86 (CLAS)
Founder, inspirational president, and director of Annie’s Homegrown Foods.
Gregory S. Woodward ’77 (SFA)
Former President of the University of Hartford.
UConn Alumni: 5 Questions with a Composer Turned College President
Paul A. Yost Jr ’59 MA
Former U.S. Coast Guard Commandant.
Dona D. Young ’80 JD
Former chairman, president, and CEO of The Phoenix Companies Inc.
Charles Zwick ’50 (CAHNR), ’51 MS
Economist, banker, and author.
Wayne Rawlins ’76 (CLAS), ’80 MD
Vice president, chief medical officer.
Frances P. Mainella ’69 (ED)
First female director, National Parks Service.
Myles Martel ’65 Ph.D.
President, founder, and CEO of Martel & Associates.
Philip Marucha ’83 DMD, ’90 Ph.D.
Dean of the School of Dentistry at Oregon Health Sciences University.
Anita McBride ’81 (CLAS)
Chief of staff for First Lady Laura Bush and assistant to George W. Bush.
Brett McGurk ’96 (CLAS)
Special presidential envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL.
Thomas Joseph Meskill Jr. ’58 JD
Governor of Connecticut, US Representative, Republican, Chief Judge of U.S. Court of Appeals.
Chris Murphy ’02 JD
U.S. Senator, Democrat.
Kathleen Murphy ’87 JD
President of Fidelity Personal Investing.
Randy Nardone ’77 (CLAS)
CEO, co-founder, principal, and director of Fortress Investment Group.
Denis Nayden ’76 (CLAS), ’77 MBA
Former chairman and CEO of GE Capital Corp.; managing partner of Oak Hill Capital Management.
Kenneth North ’53 (BUS)
Former U.S. Air Force Brigadier General.
William St. Onge ’48 JD
U.S. Representative, Democrat, 1963-1970.
Joseph C. Papa Jr ’78 (PHARM), ’12H
Chairman and CEO of Bausch Health Companies Inc.
Richard Piacentini ’84 MS
Director of the Phipps Botanical Gardens in Pittsburgh.
Robert Pianta ’78 (ED)
Dean of the Curry School of Education, University of Virginia.
Joseph Polisi ’69 (CLAS)
Former president of The Julliard School.
William Quinlan ’92 JD
President and COO of Eversource Energy.
UConn Magazine: The Future of Almost Everything: The Grid Reinvented
Carolyn Runowicz ’73 (CLAS)
Former president of the American Cancer Society; internationally recognized leader in women’s health and gynecological cancer.
Amy Errett ’79 (CLAS)
CEO and founder of Madison Reed, a tech-enabled hair care start-up.
UConn Magazine: Amy Errett ’79 (CLAS)
Timothy Shriver, ’97 Ph.D, ’09 H
Chairman of the Special Olympics, social leader, educator, activist, film producer, and business entrepreneur.
UConn Advance: Fulfill your own dreams, Shriver tells graduates
UConn Magazine: The Future of Almost Everything: Going for Gold