Notable Alumni of University of California-Irvine

Ami Bera 1965–

U.S. Representative from California and physician

Doctor of Medicine, Bachelor of Science · Class of 1991

Geoffrey R. Pyatt 1963–

Diplomat, former ambassador to Greece and Ukraine

Also attended: Yale University

Lee Yen-hsiu 1971–

Kuomintang legislator in Taiwan

Janet Nguyen 1976–

Orange County Board of Supervisors member

Rob Pardo 1970–

Game designer, former Blizzard Chief Creative Officer

Attended until 1996

Joe Lacob 1956–

Principal owner of the Golden State Warriors

Also attended: University of California-Los Angeles, Stanford University

David MacMillan 1968–

Scottish chemist and Princeton professor

Paul Mockapetris 1948–

Computer scientist who invented the DNS

Doctor of Philosophy

Also attended: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Roy Fielding 1965–

HTTP specification author and originator of REST

Doctor of Philosophy · Computer science · Class of 2000

Brigitte Jordan 1938–2016

German-American anthropologist

Doctor of Philosophy

Also attended: California State University-Sacramento

Paul Chien 1947–

Hong Kong-American biologist of intertidal organisms

Doctor of Philosophy · Class of 1971

Jawad A. Salehi 1956–

Iranian electrical engineer, optical CDMA pioneer

Also attended: University of Southern California

Sibling: Ali Akbar Salehi (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

Michael Chabon 1963–

Novelist and screenwriter

Also attended: Carnegie Mellon University, University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus

Spouse: Ayelet Waldman (Wesleyan University, Harvard University)

Jon Lovitz 1957–

Comedian and Saturday Night Live cast member

Coco Lee 1975–2023

Chinese-American singer, songwriter and actress

Spouse: Bruce Rockowitz (University of Vermont)

David Benioff 1970–

Screenwriter and co-creator of Game of Thrones

Also attended: Dartmouth College

Spouse: Amanda Peet (Columbia University in the City of New York)

Father: Stephen Friedman (Columbia University in the City of New York, Cornell University)

Richard Ford 1944–

Novelist, author of the Frank Bascombe novels

Also attended: University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Michigan State University, Washington University in St Louis

Nazanin Boniadi 1980–

British-Iranian actress and activist

Bob Gunton 1945–

Character actor of stage and screen

McG 1968–

Film director, producer and former record producer

Alice Sebold 1963–

Author of The Lovely Bones

Master of Fine Arts · Class of 1998

Also attended: Syracuse University, University of Houston

Spouse: Glen David Gold (University of California-Irvine, Wesleyan University)

Thuy Trang 1973–2001

Vietnamese-born actress in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers

James LeGros 1962–

Actor nominated for an Independent Spirit Award

Phil Tippett 1951–

Animator, visual effects supervisor, founder of Tippett Studio

Windell Middlebrooks 1979–2015

Actor and singer

Also attended: Sterling College

Arye Gross 1960–

Actor known for the sitcom Ellen

Neal Shusterman 1962–

Young adult author, National Book Award winner

Nevada Barr 1952–

Mystery novelist known for the Anna Pigeon series

Chris Burden 1946–2015

Performance artist and sculptor

Master of Fine Arts · Class of 1971

Also attended: Pomona College

Spouse: Nancy Rubins (University of California-Davis, Maryland Institute College of Art)

Crista Flanagan 1976–

Actress known for MADtv and Mad Men

Also attended: University of Evansville

Kyra Zagorsky 1976–

Film and television actress

Also attended: Southern Oregon University

Spouse: Patrick Sabongui (University of California-Irvine)

Patrick Sabongui 1975–

Canadian actor, David Singh in The Flash

Spouse: Kyra Zagorsky (University of California-Irvine, Southern Oregon University)

Joshua Ferris 1974–

Author of Then We Came to the End

Also attended: University of Iowa

Cecily Adams 1958–2004

Actress and casting director

Spouse: Jim Beaver (University of Central Oklahoma, Oklahoma Christian University)

Grace Byers 1984–

Actress who starred in Empire

Also attended: University of South Florida-Main Campus

Spouse: Trai Byers (Yale University, University of Kansas)

Aimee Bender 1969–

Novelist and short story writer

Also attended: University of California-San Diego

Bob Flanagan 1952–1996

Performance artist, writer and poet

Also attended: California State University--Long Beach

Sophie Oda 1991–

Actress and singer

Kelly Fremon Craig 1980–

Film director and screenwriter

English studies

Kang Eun-kyung 1971–

South Korean screenwriter of Bread, Love and Dreams

Tokimonsta 2000–

Record producer and DJ based in Los Angeles

Kelly Lin 1975–

Taiwanese actress and model

Wang Chong 1982–

Avant-garde theatre director and translator

Johnny Lu 1977–

Taiwanese-American actor

Fuslie 1992–

American live streamer and YouTuber

Also attended: University of California-Los Angeles

Yi-Fei Chen 1979–

Taiwanese actor

T. Jefferson Parker 1953–

Novelist of Southern California police procedurals

Danzy Senna 1970–

Novelist and essayist, author of Caucasia

Also attended: Stanford University

Spouse: Percival Everett (University of Miami, Brown University)

Tyler Hoechlin 1987–

American actor, starred as Michael Sullivan Jr

Also attended: Arizona State University-Tempe

Yusef Komunyakaa 1947–

Poet and 1994 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry winner

Also attended: University of Colorado--Colorado Springs, Colorado State University-Fort Collins

Gary Soto 1952–

American poet, novelist and memoirist

Also attended: Fresno City College

Sarah Lancaster 1980–

Actress known for Chuck

Michael Asher 1943–2012

Conceptual artist and CalArts professor

Deren Talu 1996–

Turkish actor

Also attended: University of California-Los Angeles

Vanness Wu 1978–

Taiwanese singer and actor, member of F4

Greg Louganis 1960–

Diver, Olympic gold medalist in 1984 and 1988

Also attended: University of Miami

Mike Powell 1963–

Long jump world record holder

Also attended: University of California-Los Angeles

Spouse: Rosey Edeh (Rice University)

Child: Micha Powell (University of Maryland-College Park)

Danny Sullivan 1950–

Racing driver, 1985 Indianapolis 500 winner

David Smith 1985–

US national team volleyball player

Brad Evans 1985–

Retired soccer midfielder and Sounders commentator

Amber Neben 1975–

Racing cyclist, two-time world time trial champion

Also attended: University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Kévin Tillie 1990–

French volleyball player, Olympic gold medalist

Sibling: Killian Tillie (Gonzaga University)

Sibling: Kim Tillie (University of Utah)

Kevin Magee 1959–2003

Basketball player, mainly for Maccabi Tel Aviv

Also attended: Saddleback College

Miguel Ibarra 1990–

Professional soccer player

Jim Storm 1941–

Rower at the 1964 Summer Olympics

Gregory Springer 1961–

Rower and Olympic silver medalist

Gary Figueroa 1956–

Water polo player, 1984 Olympic silver medalist

Brittany Hayes 1985–

Water polo player, 2008 Olympic silver medalist

Also attended: University of Southern California

Brian Keefe 1976–

Head coach of the Washington Wizards

Also attended: University of Nevada--Las Vegas

Kiana Palacios 1996–

Forward for Mexico women's national team

Bruce Ibbetson 1953–

Olympic silver medalist rower

Steve Scott 1956–

Middle-distance runner, founder of speed golf

Brian Thornton 1985–

Former volleyball player, Oklahoma associate head coach

Darren Fells 1986–

Former NFL tight end and college basketball player

C. David Baker 1953–

Former president and CEO of Pro Football Hall of Fame

Also attended: Pepperdine University

Scott Brooks 1965–

NBA coach; won 1994 title with Houston Rockets

Also attended: San Joaquin Delta College, Texas Christian University

Brady Anderson 1964–

Former MLB outfielder and hitting coach

Aurora Snow 1981–

Adult film actress and columnist

Also attended: Glendale Community College

Rosie Stephenson-Goodknight 1953–

Wikipedia editor addressing gender gap

Also attended: University of California-Los Angeles, University of California-San Diego

Erin Gruwell 1969–

Teacher behind The Freedom Writers Diary

Also attended: California State University--Long Beach

Brittany Maynard 1984–2014

Terminally ill activist for assisted dying legalization

Also attended: University of California-Berkeley

Sam Sheppard 1923–1970

Neurosurgeon convicted then cleared in 1954 murder case

Also attended: Hanover College, Case Western Reserve University

Aras Baskauskas 1981–

Survivor contestant and basketball player

Susan Alice Buffett 1953–

Philanthropist, daughter of Warren Buffett

Also attended: University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Father: Warren Buffett (University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Columbia University in the City of New York)

Mother: Susan Buffett (Northwestern University)