List of Bowling Green State University alumni

Arts and entertainment

Authors and writers

Fernando Alegría, Chilean poet
Tony Ardizzone, novelist
James Baldwin, author, poet (writer in residence)
Matt Bell, Author
Mary Biddinger, poet
Philana Marie Boles, author of Glitz, Little Divas, In the Paint, and Blame It on Eve
James Carlos Blake, author
Craig Brass, author, writer
Scott Cairns, poet
Gary Cohn, Comic book writer
Jennifer Crusie, writer
Jim Daniels, poet and writer
Tom De Haven, writer
Anthony Doerr, Pulitzer Prize-winning writer^[1]
Frank Dungan, television producer and writer
Edmundo Farolan, author and actor
David Feldman, author of Imponderables
Robert Ferrigno, writer
Carolyn Forche, writer
Charles Fort, poet
Sally Miller Gearhart, Science fiction writer, women's studies pioneer, and early gay rights activist.
Diana Pavlac Glyer, Author and expert on J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, and the Inklings.
Darrell Hamamoto, writer
Joseph D. Haske, author
Alan Heathcock, fiction writer
Steve Heller, fiction author
Brad Hurtado, Television producer
Jack LoGiudice, Television writer and producer
Sandra Markle, Children's book author* Susan Neville, short story writer
Charles Nicol, Writer, expert on Vladimir Nabokov
Ty Pak, Korean American author
William Patrick Patterson, author and fourth way teacher
Barbara Paul, author
James Purdy, author
Arnold Rampersad, Pulitzer Prize-nominated author
Terry Ryan, writer
Marc Sumerak, Freelance writer, often works on Marvel Comics series.
Jean Thompson, fiction writer
Anne Valente, author
Allen Wier, author
Dara Wier, poet
Kayla Williams, linguist and author
Theresa Williams, writer

Actors

Lexi Allen, singer, actress, television personality
Bernie Casey, former professional football player, actor, and visual artist
Tim Conway, Emmy Award-winning actor^[1]
Robert Patrick, actor
James Pickens, Jr., actor^[1]
Eva Marie Saint, Academy Award-winning actress^[1]
Quinton Flynn, voice actor
Ron Sweed, television actor
Frank Dungan, television producer and Primetime Emmy Award winner
Kathia Rodriguez, actress
Matt Zimmerman, actor
Ric Reitz, actors
Ransford Asante

Musicians and composers

Ray Davis, Bass singer and founding member of The Parliaments
Bob Hartman, Christian rock artist and founder of the band Petra
Jennifer Higdon, Grammy Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning classical music composer^[1]
Ric Ocasek, rhythm guitarist and songwriter for The Cars
James Swearingen concert band literature composer
John Douglas, conductor
Chris Castle, folk musician
Hildward Croes, Aruban musician
Tim Hagans, jazz musician
Marian McPartland, jazz musician
Uzee Brown Jr, composer
David Conte, composer
Joseph Dangerfield, composer
Minnita Daniel-Cox, Soprano
Griffen Palmer, country singer-songwriter
Rich Perry, jazz musician
William Takacs, musician
Mildred Miller, Mezzo-soprano, received an honorary degree
Bill Randle, DJ, received an honorary doctorate
Eglė Janulevičiūtė, Lithuanian classical pianist
Michael Holmes, saxophonist

Artists

Jason Nelson, pioneering net artist, digital poet
Barbara Bosworth, large format photographer
Tim McCreight, metal smith
Douglas Steakley, metal smith and photographer. Winner of the 2003 Ansel Adams Award for Conservation Photography.
William Silvers, Wildlife artist, painter for Walt Disney, Industrial Light and Magic, Sony Pictures, DreamWorks, and Warner Brothers.
Robert Archambeau, ceramic artist. Worked in the studio of Jun Kaneko. Colleague of painter Don Reichert
Tony Kern, film director, directed A Month of Hungry Ghosts
Rick Valicenti, graphic designer
Kathrine Baumann, handbag designer, model, and actress
Ed Sayles, Theater director
Dominick Labino, glass artist, scientist, honorary doctorate
George O. Hughes, painter, poet, performance artist

Dancers

Mary Jo Freshley, Korean dance instructor at University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Judson Laipply, creator of the "Evolution of Dance"

Athletes

Olympians

Rob Blake, Hall of Fame ice hockey player, won Stanley Cup in 2001; three-time member of the Canadian Olympic hockey team, winning a gold medal in 2002
Scott Hamilton, professional figure skater and Olympic gold medalist
Ken Morrow, former professional ice hockey player and member of the 1980 USA Olympic Hockey team
Mark Wells, former professional ice hockey player and member of the 1980 USA Olympic Hockey team
Dave Wottle, Won an Olympic gold medal for the 800 meter run at the 1972 Summer Olympics^[1]
Margarita Kalmikova, two time Olympian swimmer from Latvia

Soccer

Dennis Mepham, former professional soccer player for the Cleveland Force (1978–1988)
Dana Veth, former professional soccer player
Bud Lewis, former professional soccer player and head coach at Wilmington College between 1975 and 2017

Basketball

Harold Anderson, former college basketball coach; Basketball Hall of Fame member
Antonio Daniels, professional basketball player currently with the Texas Legends
Richaun Holmes, professional basketball player for the Sacramento Kings
Keith McLeod, professional basketball player currently with BC Kalev/Cramo
Jay Larranaga, professional basketball player, member of Ireland basketball team
Howard Komives, former professional basketball player, New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons, Buffalo Braves, Kansas City Kings
Isaac Rosefelt (born 1985), American-Israeli basketball player for Hapoel Jerusalem in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
Nate Thurmond, former professional basketball player; seven-time NBA All-Star; member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame; named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History^[1]
Bob Hill, professional basketball coach
Tom Collen, collegiate basketball coach
Tom Hancock, basketball coach
Steve Merfeld, basketball coach
Charlie Parker, basketball coach
Richard Skeel, basketball coach

Baseball

Larry Arndt, infielder for the Oakland Athletics; BGSU Baseball Hall of Fame member
Burke Badenhop,^[2] former MLB pitcher
Doug Bair,^[3] former professional baseball player
Jim Joyce, former MLB umpire
Nolan Reimold,^[4] former MLB baseball player
Andy Tracy,^[5] former professional baseball player; current manager for the Williamsport Crosscutters of the New York–Penn League
Orel Hershiser,^[6] former professional baseball player, currently an analyst for the Los Angeles Dodgers,
Roger McDowell,^[7] former professional baseball player and coach
Chet Trail, former professional baseball player
Jon Berti,^[8] professional baseball player currently with the Miami Marlins

Football

Martin Bayless, former professional football player
Khary Campbell, former professional football player
Jeff Groth, former professional football player
Jeff Genyk, current tight ends coach and special teams coordinator for the University of Wisconsin football team
Vince Villanucci, former professional football player
Phil Villapiano, former professional football player; four-time Pro Bowler
Mike Weger, former professional football player
Charlie Williams, former professional football player
Doug Smith, former professional football player
Fred Sturt, former professional football player
Shaun Suisham, professional football player currently with the Pittsburgh Steelers
Scott Mruczkowski, professional football player
Don Nehlen, former player who became a highly successful coach at West Virginia University and college football hall of fame member^[1]
Doyt Perry, former college football coach and college football hall of fame member
Dave Preston, former professional football player
Bob Schnelker, former professional football player
Bob Reynolds, former professional football player
Jamie Rivers, former professional football player
Kory Lichtensteiger, professional football player currently with the Washington Redskins
Chris Jones, professional football player with the New England Patriots^[1]
Josh Harris, professional football player, last with the New York Giants
Omar Jacobs, professional football player currently with the Jacksonville Sharks of the Arena Football League
Dean Pees, NFL Defensive Coordinator
Bob Seaman, football coach
Bob Wolfe, football coach
Joe Green, former professional player for the New York Giants
Robert Redd, professional football player
Kevin O'Brien, former professional football player
Kamar Jorden, professional football player currently with the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League
Scotty Miller, professional football player, Super Bowl LV champion
Quintin Morris, professional football player currently with the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League
Karl Brooks, professional football player currently with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League

Hockey

Kevin Bieksa, professional ice hockey player currently with the Anaheim Ducks
Aris Brimanis, professional ice hockey player currently with the Hannover Scorpions
Dan Bylsma, former professional ice hockey player and current head coach of the Buffalo Sabres^[1]
Gino Cavallini, former professional hockey player, scorer for the Falcons NCAA National Championship, winning overtime goal
Greg de Vries, former professional ice hockey player, won Stanley Cup in 2001
Dave Ellett, former professional ice hockey player
Nelson Emerson, former professional ice hockey player
Alex Foster, professional ice hockey player
Mark Friedman (born 1995), NHL player
Garry Galley, former professional ice hockey player
Dan Kane, former professional ice hockey player
Ken Klee, former professional ice hockey player
Wayne Wilson, current Head Coach of the RIT Tigers men's hockey team
Paul Ysebaert, former professional ice hockey player
Mike Liut, former professional ice hockey player
Brian MacLellan, professional ice hockey player, won Stanley Cup in 1989; current General Manager of the Washington Capitals^[1]
Jon Matsumoto, professional hockey player currently with the San Jose Sharks
Dan Sexton, professional ice hockey player currently with the Tampa Bay Lightning
Jordan Sigalet, former professional ice hockey player; currently the goaltending coach for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League
Jonathan Sigalet, professional ice hockey player playing for Brynäs IF in the Swedish Hockey League
George McPhee, former professional ice hockey player, Hobey Baker Award winner, General Manager of NHL's Vegas Golden Knights and former GM of Washington Capitals^[1]
Todd Reirden, former professional ice hockey player and current head coach for the Washington Capitals; won Stanley Cup in 2018
Brian Holzinger, former professional ice hockey player and Hobey Baker Award winner^[1]
Mike Johnson, former professional ice hockey player, currently an analyst for the NHL Network, and TSN and color commentator for the Winnipeg Jets
Andrew Hammond, professional ice hockey player
Brian Hills, former professional ice hockey player, current associate head coach of the RIT Tigers men's hockey team

Other

Alissa Czisny, figure skater and 2009 US Figure Skating National Champion
Mike McCullough, professional golfer
Nick Mileti, former owner of Cleveland Cavaliers, Cleveland Indians, Cleveland Crusaders, and writer of Closet Italians
Kurt Weaver, Rugby match official

Politics

Royalty

Benson Akinruntan, son of Fredrick Obateru Akinruntan, a Nigerian Monarch^[9]

Ambassadors

Daniel Ayalon, former Israeli ambassador to the U.S.^[1]
Leonardo Neher, US Ambassador to Upper Volta

Judicial

James Henry Gorbey, United States federal judge
John R. Adams, federal judge on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio^[1]
Brenda Hollis, Chief persecutor in the Special Court for Sierra Leone
Sara Elizabeth Lioi, United States District Judge
James H. Wakatsuki, Justice of the Supreme Court of Hawaii
James R. Knepp II, United States District Judge

Activists

Baldemar Velasquez, labor activist, received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters
Sam Pollock, labor activist, did not graduate
Dominick Evans, activist, transferred to Wright State
Hiroko Nakamoto, Hiroshima survivor, Interior Designer, Author and Peace Activist.^[10]

Politicians

Pierre-Célestin Rwigema, 7th Prime Minister of Rwanda
Edmond Spaho, Democratic Party of Albania MP
Elizabeth M. Boyer, lawyer, writer, publisher, and feminist founder of WEAL
Dan Greenberg, former politician, Heritage Foundation analyst, and writer for Cato Institute. Leader of the Advance Arkansas Institute
Nick Licata, Seattle politician and activist
Robin Weirauch, politician
Mike Reichenbach, South Carolina politician

United States Congress

Tom Luken, former Mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio and U.S. Congressional Representative (D-OH)
Gene Krebs, former Ohio State Representative (R-OH, 1993–2000)
Bob Latta, U.S. Congressional Representative (R-OH)^[1]
Tim Ryan, U.S. Congressional Representative (D-OH)^[1]
Robert P. Hanrahan, former U.S. Congressional Representative (R-IL)

City government

Hou Chong-wen, Deputy Mayor of Chiayi City, Taiwan
Kathy Sheehan, Mayor of Albany, New York (D)
Don Plusquellic, 59th mayor of Akron, Ohio
Paul Muenzer, former Mayor of Naples, Florida (1992–1996)^[11]
Janeé Ayers, labor organizer, member of the Detroit city council.
Sandi Jackson, Chicago Alderman

State of Ohio government

Betty Montgomery, former Ohio Attorney General and State Auditor (R)
Scott Nein, former Republican member of the Ohio General Assembly.
Bruce Johnson, 63rd Lieutenant governor of Ohio.^[1]

Ohio House of Representatives

Tim Brown, former Republican member of the Ohio House of Representative
Chris Redfern, former Ohio state Representative and former chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party (D)^[12]
Charles Kurfess, former member of the Ohio House of Representatives and judge.^[13]
Douglas Swearingen, Jr., Republican member of the Ohio House of Representatives and former baseball player.
Derek Merrin, Republican member of the Ohio House of Representatives.
Rex Damschroder, former Republican member of the Ohio House of Representatives.
Bruce Goodwin, former Republican member of the Ohio House of Representatives.
Terry Boose, former Republican Member of the Ohio House of Representatives.
Robin Belcher, former Democrat member of the Ohio House of Representatives
Charlie Earl, former Ohio state representative, Libertarian candidate in the 2014 Ohio gubernatorial election

Ohio Senate

Randy Gardner, Ohio state senator (R) and Chancellor of the Ohio Department of Higher Education
Theresa Gavarone, Republican member of the Ohio Senate.
M. Ben Gaeth, former member of the Ohio Senate.
Steve Buehrer, former member of the Ohio Senate and former director of the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation
Kevin Coughlin, former Republican member of the Ohio Senate.

Other state governments

Arnold E. Brown, first African American elected to represent Bergen County in the New Jersey Legislature.
John Villapiano, former Democrat member of the New Jersey General Assembly and former professional football player
Sue Rocca, former republican member of the Michigan House of Representatives.
Tal Hutchins, Democrat member of the West Virginia House of Delegates
Tim Berry, Indiana State Auditor (R)^[14]
Dan Carter, State Representative, Connecticut 2nd Assembly District

News

Beth Macy, journalist and non-fiction writer. Author of Truevine
Karen T. Borchers, former photojournalist for The Mercury News. Shared a Pulitzer Prize for covering the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake
Ken W. Clawson, journalist and spokesman for President Richard Nixon
Jason Schmitt, journalist, director of Paywall: The Business of Scholarship
David Dietz, science journalist, 1937 Pulitzer Prize winner, honorary degree

Broadcast journalism

Leon Bibb, WEWS news anchor
Wilma Smith, former television anchor. Lower Great Lakes Emmy Awards winner.
Herb Clarke, Weatherman
Steve Hartman, CBS News correspondent^[1]
Allison Payne, journalist and anchorwoman

Sports journalism

Jim Day, sportscaster
Steve Mason, sports journalist with ESPN
Grant Napear, sports journalist and former lacrosse player
Jason Jackson, ESPN sportscaster
Steve Mears, NHL Network sportscaster
Jay Crawford, ESPN sportscaster^[1]
Mike Emrick, NHL on NBC play-by-play announcer

Science

Geology

Barbara Bedette, Paleontologist, cataloged 30,860 Cenozoic molluscs
Conrad Allen, geologist and inventor

Mathematics and statistics

Andrew Ogg, Mathematician, creator of Ogg's formula, and involved in the creation of the Grothendieck–Ogg–Shafarevich formula, and the Néron–Ogg–Shafarevich criterion.
Jie Chen, statistician with interdisciplinary biology research

Sociology

Howard E. Aldrich, Sociologist and business theorist
William Julius Wilson, University professor at Harvard, sociologist, and author. 80th president of the American Sociological Association. Advisor to Sudhir Venkatesh
Anthony Walsh, criminologist and author

Psychology

Russell Barkley, clinical psychologist
Ralph Blair, Psychotherapist and LGBT advocate
Charlie Reeve, Professor of psychology
J. Bruce Overmier, experimental psychologist

Biology

John E. Dohms, biologist specializing in avian disease Pathology. Was a member of the BGSU Lacrosse team.
William Eugene Evans, Marine biologist and 5th National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration president
Sally Rockey, Entomologist and former deputy director of the National Institutes of Health
Seymour Van Gundy, Nematologist
Dan O'Brien, Wildlife biologist and author

Technology

James G. Nell, electrical engineer involved in the development of GERAM.
George Sweigert, first inventor to patent the cordless telephone, radio engineer.
Jeremy Zawodny, computer technologist, MySQL promoter, Linux Magazine columnist.

Chemistry

John Michael Ramsey, analytical chemist specializing in Microfluidics and Nanofluidics.
Gary Keck, organic chemist specialized in synthesis of natural products.^[15] Developer of Keck asymmetric allylation.

Communications

Bradley S. Greenberg, communications theorist
Arthur P. Bochner, communications scholar
Joan Kaderavek, speech language pathologist
Suresh Canagarajah, Sri Lankan linguist specializing in Translanguaging and Linguistic imperialism

Economics

William Easterly, development economist, author of The Elusive Quest for Growth and The Tyranny of Experts.
Paul Chongkun Hong, professor of Operations Management

Political science

David J. Jackson, political scientist
W. Wesley McDonald, political scientist, author of Russell Kirk and the Age of Ideology

Business and philanthropy

Shantanu Narayen, CEO of Adobe Systems^[1]
Carole Kariuki, CEO of the Kenyan Private Sector Alliance ^[16]^[17]
Otara Gunewardene, Sri Lankan and founder of Odel^[1]
Michael C. Heim, CIO of Eli Lilly and Company
Judith Craven, leadership roles in Luby's and Sysco
Deborah Thigpen, Entrepreneur and publicist.
Jeffrey Boutelle, CEO of Pharmavite

Historians

Robert Hugh Ferrell, historian focusing on World War I and American foreign policy.
Stanley Kutler, historian who sued for the release of tapes relating to Watergate
Robert L. Paquette, historian, cofounder of the Alexander Hamilton Institute for the Study of Western Civilization
William J. Reese, Education historian
H. Micheal Tarver, Latin American historian; Commissioner on the Arkansas History Commission and the Arkansas Historical Records Advisory Board
Mary Beckinsale, Art historian, President Emeritus of Studio Arts College International, honorary degree

Military

John N. Abrams, four star general and commander of the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command
Niles Fulwyler, former US Army Major general and former commanding general of the White Sands Missile Range

Academic administrators

Victor Boschini, Chancellor of Texas Christian University^[1]
Adena Williams Loston, President of St. Philip's College, San Antonio, Texas. Former Chief Education Officer at NASA.
Dean L. Bresciani, President of North Dakota State University^[1]
Rosa Roberto Carter, former president of the University of Guam
Erma Johnson Hadley, first African American chancellor of Tarrant County College
Sarah Harder, feminist and former president of the American Association of University Women
Charles "Chuck" Johnson, President of Vincennes University
William N. Johnston, 16th president of Wesley College (Delaware)
Kathleen M. Murray, 14th president of Whitman College, 21st president of Hamline University, acting president of Macalester College
Jack Ohle, President of Gustavus Adolphus College^[1]
Everett Piper, former president of Oklahoma Wesleyan University and political columnist.^[1]

Other

Karen Sparka, Miss Ohio America 1972
Katherine Baumann, Miss Ohio America 1969
Peter Manto, bishop of the Reformed Episcopal Church's Diocese of the Central States
Robert Balling, climate change denier

References

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