Notable Alumni of Carnegie Mellon University

Vasily Kuznetsov 1901–1990

Soviet politician, acting head of state

William Perry 1927–

Former US Secretary of Defense under Clinton

Also attended: The Pennsylvania State University, Stanford University

Charles Erwin Wilson 1890–1961

Former Secretary of Defense and General Motors president

Jairam Ramesh 1954–

Indian National Congress politician and Rajya Sabha member

Also attended: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Garry Davis 1921–2013

Peace activist who renounced US citizenship in 1948

Also attended: East-West University

Carmen Yulín Cruz 1963–

Former mayor of San Juan, Puerto Rico

Also attended: Boston University

Susie Lee 1966–

US Representative for Nevada, Democrat

Troy Carter 1963–

U.S. Representative from Louisiana

Also attended: Xavier University of Louisiana

Irene Tinagli 1974–

Italian economist and Member of the European Parliament

Sydney Kamlager-Dove 1972–

U.S. representative for California

Master of Arts · Class of 1996

Also attended: Compton College, University of Southern California

Yeh Kuang-shih 1957–

Taiwanese politician, former interim Mayor of Kaohsiung

Also attended: University of Delaware

Nara Lokesh 1983–

Indian politician, Andhra Pradesh minister

Also attended: Stanford University

Luis von Ahn 1978–

Co-founder and CEO of Duolingo

Doctor of Philosophy · Computer science · Class of 2008

Also attended: Duke University

Charles Geschke 1939–2021

Co-founder of Adobe and co-creator of PDF

Also attended: Xavier University

Vinod Khosla 1955–

Sun Microsystems co-founder, Khosla Ventures founder

Also attended: Stanford University

Spouse: Neeru Khosla (San Jose State University, Stanford University)

Kai-Fu Lee 1961–

Founder of Microsoft Research Asia, former Google China president

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York

Andy Bechtolsheim 1955–

Co-founder of Sun Microsystems; early Google investor

Master's degree · Computer science · Class of 1976

Also attended: Stanford University

David Tepper 1957–

Hedge fund founder and Carolina Panthers owner

Master of Business Administration · Class of 1982

Also attended: University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus

Avie Tevanian 1961–

Former Apple senior VP of software engineering

Doctor of Philosophy · Computer science · Class of 1988

Also attended: University of Rochester

Mark Russinovich 1966–

CTO of Microsoft Azure

Bachelor's degree, Doctor of Philosophy · Computer engineering · Class of 1994

Also attended: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Ruchi Sanghvi 1982–

First female engineer hired by Facebook

Yang Zhilin 1992–

Co-founder of AI company Moonshot AI

Doctorate

Qi Lu 1961–

Head of MiraclePlus, former Baidu COO

John Forbes Nash 1928–2015

Mathematician known for game theory

Bachelor of Science, Master of Science · Mathematics · Class of 1948

Also attended: Princeton University, Bluefield University

Spouse: Alicia Nash (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

John L. Hall 1934–

American physicist

Clifford Shull 1915–2001

American physicist

Also attended: New York University

Oliver E. Williamson 1932–2020

Economist, 2009 Nobel Memorial Prize winner

Doctor of Philosophy

Also attended: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University

James Gosling 1955–

Founder and lead designer of the Java language

Finn E. Kydland 1943–

Norwegian economist known for business cycle theory

Edgar Mitchell 1930–2016

Apollo 14 astronaut, sixth person to walk on the Moon

Bachelor of Science · Industrial management

Also attended: Naval Postgraduate School, United States Naval Academy, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Edward C. Prescott 1940–2022

Economist; 2004 Nobel economics laureate

Doctor of Philosophy · Class of 1967

Also attended: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Princeton University, Case Western Reserve University

Judith Resnik 1949–1986

NASA astronaut who died in Challenger disaster

Also attended: University of Maryland-College Park

Dale T. Mortensen 1939–2014

Economist and Nobel Memorial Prize winner

Also attended: Willamette University

Alan Perlis 1922–1990

Computer scientist and first ACM Turing Award recipient

Bachelor of Science · Chemistry · Class of 1943

Also attended: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Randy Pausch 1960–2008

Carnegie Mellon computer science professor and author

Also attended: Brown University

Shafrira Goldwasser 1958–

Israeli-American computer scientist and MIT professor

Also attended: University of California-Berkeley

Ivan Sutherland 1938–

Computer scientist, pioneer of computer graphics

Also attended: California Institute of Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Allen Newell 1927–1992

Cognitive scientist and AI pioneer at Carnegie Mellon

Doctor of Philosophy · Class of 1957

Also attended: Princeton University, Stanford University

Andrew Y. Ng 1976–

AI researcher, cofounder of Google Brain

Also attended: University of California-Berkeley, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Spouse: Carol Reiley (Santa Clara University)

Edward Feigenbaum 1936–

Father of expert systems, 1994 ACM Turing Award winner

Raoul Bott 1923–2005

Mathematician known for Bott periodicity theorem

Doctor · Mathematics · Class of 1947

Philip Morrison 1915–2005

MIT physics professor and Manhattan Project scientist

Also attended: University of California-Berkeley

Henry Giroux 1943–

Founding theorist of critical pedagogy and cultural critic

Bennet Omalu 1968–

Pathologist who first reported CTE in football players

Also attended: University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus, University of Washington-Seattle Campus

Robert H. Dennard 1932–2024

American electrical engineer and inventor

John Ousterhout 1954–

Stanford computer science professor, creator of Tcl

Doctor of Philosophy · Computer science · Class of 1980

Also attended: Yale University

Hans Berliner 1929–2017

Chess player and computer scientist

Marvin Leonard Goldberger 1922–2014

Theoretical physicist, former Caltech president

Also attended: University of Chicago

Charles E. Leiserson 1953–

Computer scientist and MIT professor

Also attended: Yale University

David Servan-Schreiber 1961–2011

French physician, neuroscientist and author

Roger Schank 1946–2023

AI theorist and cognitive psychologist

Also attended: The University of Texas at Austin

David Parnas 1941–

Canadian software engineering pioneer, information hiding

Doctor of Philosophy · Class of 1965

Joshua Bloch 1961–

Software engineer who designed Java Collections Framework

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York

Arthur T. Benjamin 1961–

Mathematician and Harvey Mudd College professor

Also attended: Johns Hopkins University

Zohar Manna 1939–2018

Computer science professor at Stanford University

Doctor of Philosophy · Class of 1968

Monica S. Lam 1950–

Computer science professor at Stanford University

Doctor of Philosophy · Class of 1987

Dorothy Maharam 1917–2014

Mathematician known for contributions to measure theory

Also attended: Bryn Mawr College

Spouse: Arthur Harold Stone (Princeton University)

John Muth 1930–2005

Economist, father of rational expectations

George Pake 1924–2004

Physicist, helped found Xerox PARC

Also attended: Harvard University

Felix Otto 1966–

German mathematician and professor

Also attended: New York University

Shang-Hua Teng 1964–

Professor of computer science and mathematics at USC

Also attended: University of Southern California

Mao Yisheng 1896–1989

Chinese bridge engineer and educator

Also attended: Cornell University

Feng-hsiung Hsu 1959–

Computer scientist behind Deep Thought chess computer

Yun Wang 1964–

Cosmologist and poet from Guizhou, China

Dawn Song 1975–

UC Berkeley professor of computer security

Also attended: University of California-Berkeley

Zhang Qianfan 1964–

Peking University constitutional law professor

Also attended: The University of Texas at Austin

Diyi Yang

Computer scientist, Stanford assistant professor

Doctor of Philosophy · Class of 2019

Wu Ziliang 1917–2008

Metallurgist who led uranium separation membrane development

H. T. Kung 1945–

Harvard computer scientist who produced the systolic array

I-Chen Wu 1960–

Taiwanese AI researcher and computer science professor

Harry Shum 1966–

Computer scientist

Jonathan M. Rothberg 1963–

Scientist and entrepreneur in DNA sequencing

Also attended: Yale University

Andy Warhol 1928–1987

Artist and filmmaker, leading figure of pop art

Sibling: John Warhola (Carnegie Mellon University)

Kurt Vonnegut 1922–2007

Satirical novelist and author

Also attended: University of Chicago, Cornell University, The University of Tennessee-Knoxville

Child: Mark Vonnegut (Harvard University, Swarthmore College)

Sibling: Bernard Vonnegut (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

Ethan Hawke 1970–

Actor, author and filmmaker

Also attended: New York University, The University of Texas at Austin

Child: Levon Hawke (Brown University)

Holly Hunter 1958–

American actress

Bachelor of Fine Arts

Spouse: Janusz Kamiński (American Film Institute Conservatory)

George A. Romero 1940–2017

Filmmaker known as father of the zombie film

Zachary Quinto 1977–

Actor, played Spock in Star Trek

Patrick Wilson 1973–

Actor who began in Broadway musicals

Bachelor of Fine Arts

Spouse: Dagmara Domińczyk (Carnegie Mellon University)

Matt Bomer 1977–

Actor and Golden Globe Award winner

Josh Groban 1981–

Singer, songwriter and actor

Ted Danson 1947–

Actor, star of sitcom Cheers

Bachelor of Fine Arts · Class of 1972

Also attended: Stanford University

Spouse: Mary Steenburgen (Hendrix College, Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theater)

Ming-Na Wen 1963–

Macau-born American actress and model

Attended until 1986

Michael Chabon 1963–

Novelist and screenwriter

Also attended: University of California-Irvine, University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus

Spouse: Ayelet Waldman (Wesleyan University, Harvard University)

James Cromwell 1940–

Actor nominated for an Oscar for Babe

Also attended: Middlebury College

Mother: Kay Johnson (American Academy of Dramatic Arts-New York)

Gabriel Macht 1972–

Actor known for Harvey Specter in Suits

Father: Stephen Macht (Tufts University, Dartmouth College)

Frank Gorshin 1933–2005

Actor, comedian and impressionist

George Peppard 1928–1994

Actor who starred in Breakfast at Tiffany's

Also attended: Purdue University-Main Campus

Spouse: Elizabeth Ashley (Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theater)

Spouse: Sherry Boucher (University of Southern California, Northwestern State University of Louisiana)

René Auberjonois 1940–2019

Actor and Tony Award winner

Child: Remy Auberjonois (Wesleyan University, Yale University)

Josh Gad 1981–

Actor, singer and comedian, Grammy winner

Albert Brooks 1947–

Actor, comedian, director and screenwriter

Spouse: Kimberly Brooks (University of California-Berkeley, University of California-Los Angeles)

Sibling: Bob Einstein (Chapman University)

Joe Manganiello 1976–

Actor, played Flash Thompson in Spider-Man

Bachelor of Fine Arts · Acting · Class of 2000

Also attended: University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus

Arthur Kennedy 1914–1990

Actor with five Academy Award nominations

Cote de Pablo 1979–

Chilean-American actress

Bachelor of Fine Arts

Rob Marshall 1960–

Film and theater director and choreographer

Jack Klugman 1922–2012

Stage, film and television actor

Elizabeth Hartman 1943–1987

Actress, Oscar-nominated for A Patch of Blue

Spouse: Gill Dennis (American Film Institute Conservatory)

Cherry Jones 1956–

Actress, founding member of American Repertory Theater

Robert Cummings 1910–1990

Actor in Dial M for Murder and Saboteur

Also attended: Drury University, American Academy of Dramatic Arts-New York

Ian Harding 1986–

Actor, known for Pretty Little Liars

William Atherton 1947–

American actor

Michael McKean 1947–

American actor, comedian and musician

Billy Porter 1969–

Singer and actor who rose on Broadway

Also attended: University of California-Los Angeles

Dagmara Domińczyk 1976–

Polish actress in The Count of Monte Cristo

Spouse: Patrick Wilson (Carnegie Mellon University)

Nancy Marchand 1928–2000

Actress, four-time Primetime Emmy winner

Laura San Giacomo 1962–

Actress known for Sex, Lies, and Videotape

Also attended: Washington College

Victoria Pedretti 1995–

Actress in The Haunting of Hill House and You

Renée Elise Goldsberry 1971–

Actress and singer, Tony and Grammy winner

Also attended: University of Southern California

Judith Light 1949–

Stage, film and television actress

Spouse: Robert Desiderio (Seton Hall University)

Stephen Schwartz 1948–

Musical theatre composer; wrote Godspell, Wicked

Also attended: The Juilliard School

Steven Bochco 1943–2018

TV writer and producer, Hill Street Blues creator

Bachelor of Fine Arts · Class of 1966

Also attended: New York University

Spouse: Barbara Bosson (Carnegie Mellon University)

Tom Savini 1946–

Prosthetic makeup artist, actor and director

Also attended: Point Park University

Robert Foxworth 1941–

Film, stage and television actor

Spouse: Elizabeth Montgomery (American Academy of Dramatic Arts-New York)

Pablo Schreiber 1978–

Actor, known for The Wire and American Gods

Also attended: University of San Francisco

Sibling: Liev Schreiber (Yale University, Hampshire College)

Leslie Odom Jr. 1981–

Actor, singer and songwriter

Undergraduate degree

Spouse: Nicolette Robinson (University of California-Los Angeles)

Blair Underwood 1964–

Actor, starred in L.A. Law

Sada Thompson 1927–2011

Actress, Emmy winner and Tony winner

Neil Druckmann 1978–

Naughty Dog studio head, co-creator of The Last of Us

Also attended: Florida State University, University of Florida

Sutton Foster 1975–

Broadway actress, two-time Tony Award winner

Patricia Tallman 1957–

Actress and stunt performer, Babylon 5

Seamus Dever 1976–

Actor known for Detective Ryan in Castle

Master of Fine Arts · Acting

Also attended: Northern Arizona University

LisaGay Hamilton 1964–

Actress known for The Practice

Also attended: The Juilliard School, New York University

Spouse: Robin Kelley (California State University--Long Beach, University of California-Los Angeles)

Kali Rocha 1971–

Actress in Liv and Maddie

Siân Héder 1977–

Filmmaker, writer and director of CODA

Spouse: David Newsom (Ithaca College)

Mariette Hartley 1940–

Film and television actress

Casey Cott 1992–

Actor known as Kevin Keller on Riverdale

Also attended: Boston University

Sibling: Corey Cott (Carnegie Mellon University)

Anthony Carrigan 1983–

Actor known for HBO series Barry

Sushma Seth 1936–

Indian actress

Katy Mixon 1981–

Actress known for Eastbound & Down

Spouse: Breaux Greer (University of Louisiana--Monroe)

Lola Tung 2002–

Actress known for The Summer I Turned Pretty

Aaron Staton 1980–

Actor known for Mad Men

Mark Frost 1953–

Screenwriter and co-creator of Twin Peaks

Father: Warren Frost (Middlebury College)

Rachel Keller 1991–

Actress known for Legion and Tokyo Vice

Barbara Feldon 1933–

Actress known as Agent 99 in Get Smart

Greg Mottola 1964–

Film director and screenwriter

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York

Michael Tucker 1945–

Actor known for L.A. Law

Spouse: Jill Eikenberry (Yale University)

June Gable 1945–

Actress, Joey's agent Estelle in Friends

Gaius Charles 1983–

Actor known for Friday Night Lights

Bud Yorkin 1926–2015

Film and television producer, director and screenwriter

Spouse: Peg Yorkin (Barnard College)

Spouse: Cynthia Sikes (Wichita State University, Southern Methodist University)

Tamara Tunie 1959–

Actress known for Law & Order: SVU

Michael Hollick 1973–

Actor, voice of Niko Bellic in Grand Theft Auto IV

Barbara Bosson 1939–2023

Actress known for Hill Street Blues

Spouse: Steven Bochco (New York University, Carnegie Mellon University)

Dan Amboyer 1984–

Actor, starred in Younger and Uncoupled

Demetrius Grosse 1981–

Actor in Straight Outta Compton and Banshee

Jonathan Adams 1967–

Actor known for Bones

Josef Sommer 1934–

Stage, film and television actor

Lisa Sheridan 1974–2019

Television actress

Sarah Pidgeon 1996–

Actress known for The Wilds

Bachelor of Fine Arts

Michael Goldenberg 1965–

Screenwriter of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Abby Brammell 1979–

Television and stage actress

John Wells 1956–

Producer, writer and showrunner of ER

Also attended: University of Southern California

Earl Wild 1915–2010

Pianist known for jazz and classical transcriptions

Jack Plotnick 1968–

Film and television actor, writer and producer

Bachelor of Fine Arts

Ann Roth 1931–

Costume designer with two Academy Awards

John Pasquin 1944–

Director of film, television and theatre

Also attended: Beloit College

Spouse: JoBeth Williams (Brown University)

David Hornsby 1975–

Actor in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

Spouse: Emily Deschanel (Boston University)

Robin Thomas 1949–

Actor and sculptor, known for Halloweentown

Daniel H. Wilson 1978–

Novelist with New York Times bestsellers

Also attended: University of Tulsa

Kenneth Johnson 1942–

Creator of V and The Incredible Hulk series

Lou Scheimer 1928–2013

Co-founder of Filmation

Art · Attended until 1955

Paula Wagner 1946–

Film producer and studio executive

Spouse: Robin Wagner (San Francisco Art Institute)

Yancey Arias 1971–

Actor in Kingpin and Thief

Dara Birnbaum 1946–2025

Video and installation artist

Father: Philip Birnbaum (Columbia University in the City of New York)

Phyllis Love 1925–2011

Theater and television actress

John Currin 1962–

Painter known for satirical figurative paintings

Also attended: Yale University

Diane Wei Liang 1966–

Chinese-born writer living in London

Patina Miller 1984–

Actress and singer, Broadway's Sister Act

Megan Hilty 1981–

Broadway actress and singer, Glinda in Wicked

Kennedy McMann 1996–

Actress, star of Nancy Drew

Sonia Manzano 1950–

Actress known as Maria on Sesame Street

Mary Kate Schellhardt 1978–

Actress known for Apollo 13

Donna Lynne Champlin 1971–

Actress known for Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

Ali Spagnola 1984–

Musician and YouTuber

Roxanne Benjamin 1901–

Film director, writer and producer

Also attended: University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus, Belmont University

Hale Appleman 1986–

Actor known for The Magicians