List of Bowling Green State University alumni

This is a list of notable people associated with Bowling Green State University, located in the American city of Bowling Green, Ohio.

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