Notable Alumni

From left to right: Vector scientist Anthony James ’73, Ph.D ’79; The Freedom Writers Diary author Erin Gruwell ’91; Olympic diver Greg Louganis ’83; and Broadway actor Teal Wicks ’05.

UCI alumni are leaders, innovators, dreamers, mentors and game changers. Though no two Anteaters are exactly alike, our 170,000+ alumni are united in their ability to see the world differently. When graduates leave our campus, they are ready to do important work and boldly embrace their passions to make their mark. Here are just a few notable and impactful UCI alumni who inspire and remind us of the transformational power of education.

Public Sector

Joe Adams, M.B.A. ’02, Discovery Science Foundation CEO

Ami Bera ’87, M.D. ’91, Congressman

Ferial Govashiri ’07, Former Personal Aide to the President of the United States

Mike Hamel ’92, Irvine Chief of Police

Shelley Hoss, M.B.P.A. ’87, Orange County Community Foundation president

Jackie Lacey ’79, Los Angeles District Attorney

Janet Nguyen ’00, California State Senator

Eloy Ortiz Oakley '96, M.B.A. '99, California Community Colleges president

Geoffrey Pyatt ’85, U.S. Ambassador to Greece

Paula Tomei '79, South Coast Repertory managing director

Kent Yamaguchi ’83 and ’84, Santa Ana Zoo director

Science and Technology

Roy Fielding ’88, M.S. ’93, Ph.D. ’00, Computer scientist and HTTP co-author

Patrick Hanratty, Ph.D. ’77, Computer scientist and CAD/CAM inventor

Anthony James ’73, Ph.D. ’79, Vector biologist

Paul Mockapetris, Ph.D. '82, Computer scientist and internet DNS pioneer

Kathie Olsen, Ph.D '79, National Science Foundation senior advisor

Siegfried Reich, Ph.D. '86, Chemist

Business

David Baker ’75, NFL Hall of Fame president and executive director

Aras Baskauskas, ’02, M.B.A. ’04, Television personality and entrepreneur

David Benioff, M.F.A. ’99, Game of Thrones co-creator and showrunner

Joe Lacob ’78, Golden State Warriors owner

Wright Massey, M.B.A. '92, Entrepreneur

Athletics

Brady Anderson, Major League Baseball player

Scott Brooks ’87, NBA head coach

Jennifer Chandler, Olympic gold medal-winning diver

Carl Cheffers ’82, NFL referee

Brad Evans '06, MLS soccer player

Darren Fells '08, NFL player

Greg Louganis ’83, Multiple Olympic gold medal-winning diver

Steve Scott '78, Track & field athlete

Film & Television

Maria Hall-Brown '84, TV host and producer

Allison Liddi-Brown '96, TV director

Jeff Greenberg '72, Casting director

Chris Kelly '05, television/comedy writer

Dale Mayeda '91, Effects supervisor

McG (Joseph McGinty Nichol), Film director

Kelly Perine, M.F.A. ’98, Actor

Phil Tippett ’74, Visual effects producer

Writing

Michael Chabon, M.F.A. ’87, Pulitzer Prize-winning author

Richard Ford, M.F.A. ’70, Pulitzer Prize-winning author

Erin Gruwell ’91, Freedom Writers author/educator

Yusef Komunyakaa, M.F.A. ’80, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet

T. Jefferson Parker '76, Best-selling crime novelist

Alice Sebold, M.F.A. ’98, Best-selling novelist

Hector Tobar, M.F.A. '95, award-winning writer

Arts

Nazanin Boniadi ’03, Actor

Chris Burden, M.F.A. ’71, Artist

Grace (Gealey) Byers, M.F.A. '10, Actor

Crista Flanagan, M.F.A. '01, Actor

Bob Gunton '68, Actor

Tyler Hoechlin, Actor

Jon Lovitz ’79, Actor/Comedian

Aubrey O’Day '05, Singer-songwriter

Michael Ramirez ’84, Pulitzer Prize-winning artist

Teal Wicks ’05, Actor