List of California State University, Northridge people

This page lists notable alumni and former students, faculty, and administrators of California State University, Northridge.

Alumni and former students

Academia

• David C. Lane – author, Professor of Philosophy and Sociology
• Ralph Larkin – sociologist
• Minnette Gersh Lenier – teacher who used magic to improve students’ learning skills
• C. Richard Tracy – ecologist and professor

Business

• Gene Baur – President and co-founder of Farm Sanctuary
• Jim Berk – CEO, Participant Media (An Inconvenient Truth, Waiting for Superman, The Soloist, Good Night & Good Luck)
• Stephen Bollenbach (1960) – Co-Chairman and CEO of Hilton Hotels
• Wendi Deng Murdoch – media executive, wife of News Corp Chairman Rupert Murdoch
• Christine Essel – Senior Vice President, Paramount Pictures
• Gene Haas – NASCAR team owner; Haas F1 Solo owner; Haas Automation, Inc. president
• Charles Noski – AT&T Corporation CFO
• Steve Pavlina – self-development professional
• Stan Polovets - energy executive and philanthropist
• Lee Soo-Man – founder and Chairman of SM Entertainment
• Frank K. Wheaton – sports agent and personal manager
• Alex Yemenidjian – Chairman and CEO of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc.
• Dan Pena – Known as the 50 Billion dollar man and founder of QLA

Film and television

Alumni of California State University, Northridge

Helen Hunt

Paula Abdul,

Eva Longoria,

Alyson Hannigan,

• Paula Abdul (attended) – entertainer; singer, dancer, judge for television series American Idol and The X Factor^[1]
• Ariane Andrew (2005) – wrestler
• David Michael Barrett (1992) screenwriter and film producer
• Deanne Bray (1989) – actress
• Joan Chen, BA 1979 – actress, filmmaker^[2]
• Morris Chestnut (1987) – film and television actor
• Karin Anna Cheung (1992) – actress
• Kevin Corcoran (1967) – actor, entertainment producer-director
• Bobby Diamond (1961) – Los Angeles attorney, former film and television actor
• Richard Dreyfuss (1965) - actor
• Jenna Elfman – film and television actress, Dharma and Greg
• Robert Englund – actor best known for his role as Freddy Krueger
• Shannon Fill – actor, Star Trek: The Next Generation film
• Teri Garr (1962) – film actress, comedian, Academy Awards nominee
• Alexandra Grey (2013) – film and television actress, singer
• Don Hahn, BA 1975 – film producer, film director; film producer of Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, The Hunchback of Notre Dame^[2]
• Alyson Hannigan (1992) – actress
• Phil Hartman (1966) – film and television actor, comedian, producer
• Helen Hunt (1981) – film and television actress
• Lillian Lehman – film and television actor
• Nicole Linkletter – Cycle 5 America's Next Top Model winner
• Eva Longoria – actress
• Adrianna Luna - Pornographic actress
• Cheech Marin – actor, comedian, co-star of Cheech and Chong film and television team
• Charles Martin Smith – actor and director
• Eva Mendes(1992) – actress
• Jillian Michaels – personal trainer and Biggest Loser coach
• David Mullich – game designer and producer
• Robert Newman – actor, Guiding Light
• Harry Northup – actor, Taxi Driver and The Silence of the Lambs; poet, "Red Snow Fence"
• Cubby O'Brien (1955–59) – musician; drummer, original member ("Mouseketeer") of The Mickey Mouse Club
• Chuck Pfarrer – screenwriter, author, former SEAL Team commander
• Eve Plumb (1976) – actress, "Jan" on The Brady Bunch
• Robbie Rist – actor and musician, "Cousin Oliver" on The Brady Bunch
• Mark Saul – actor, All That, Grey's Anatomy, The Social Network
• Scott Shaw (1976) – author, actor, filmmaker
• Lloyd Sherr – voice actor
• Phil Snyder – voice actor; voice of Disney character Jiminy Cricket; Professor, University of Houston
• Jeri Taylor – co-creator of Star Trek: Voyager
• Brian J. Terwilliger (1994) – producer/director of One Six Right
• Tim Toyama – playwright, producer
• Minoti Vaishnav - singer, screenwriter and producer
• Larry Wilcox – actor
• Debra Winger – film and stage actor

Government and politics

• Richard Alarcon (1971) – former California State Senator and Los Angeles City Council member
• Judy Baca (1964) – artist, civil rights activist
• Mike Curb (1962) – musician, record company executive, 42nd Lieutenant Governor of California
• Jamshid "Jimmy" Delshad (1958) – Mayor of Beverly Hills
• Brent A. Jones (born 1963), Republican member of the Nevada Assembly.^[3]
• Charlotte Laws – author, politician and animal rights advocate
• Olympia LePoint – author, professional public speaker and award-winning rocket scientist
• Linda Lingle – former Governor of Hawaii
• Esha Momeni – Iran detainee
• Mohamed Morsi – 5th President of Egypt
• Kevin Murray – former California State Assemblyman and Senator
• William Paparian – lawyer and former mayor of Pasadena, California
• Rick Rollens – former Secretary, California State Senate; autism health and research activist
• Amanda Simpson – test pilot, first openly transgender female presidential appointee

Journalism

• Tod Goldberg – author and journalist
• Bill Griffeth (BA 1980) – anchor (Closing Bell) and financial journalist on CNBC
• Bill Handel – KFI morning talk show host, attorney
• Sue Herera (BA 1980) – anchor (Power Lunch) and financial journalist on CNBC
• Ron Insana – analyst on CNBC
• Ana Kasparian (2004) – Internet personality, co-host of The Young Turks, professor of journalism
• Ken Lubas – photographer, photojournalist
• Rory Markas – play-by-play announcer for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
• Anita Sarkeesian (2002) – blogger, media critic
• James Taranto – columnist for the Wall Street Journal
• Jonathan Elias - News Anchor / Reporter WJLA Washington D.C.
• Lina Lecaro - radio host, DJ, journalist, author

Literature

• Kenneth G. Eade (1977) – author of legal thrillers and spy fiction
• David Gerrold – science fiction author and screenwriter
• Andy Luckey – television producer, children's book author and illustrator
• Lawrence M. Schoen (1983) – science fiction author

Music

• Mark Balderas (1982) – musician, keyboardist and songwriter with the rock band Human Drama.
• John Densmore (1962) – musician, former drummer of The Doors
• Daryl Dragon (1960) – musician, "The Captain" of Captain and Tennille fame
• Mike Elizondo – record producer (Eminem, Alanis Morissette, Pink, Natasha Bedingfield)
• James Fortune (1996) – musician, gospel singer
• Grant Geissman (1974) – guitarist, session guitarist, composer, recording artist
• Gordon Goodwin – big band composer, arranger, and saxophonist
• Andy Grammer (2007) – singer^[4]
• Kalani – musician, percussionist
• Fred Katz – jazz cellist^[5]
• Jim Pons (1961) – musician, bass guitarist and singer for The Leaves, The Turtles, and The Mothers of Invention
• Kentaro Sato – musician, composer
• Toshiyuki Shimada (1977) – music director, conductor and professor, Yale Symphony Orchestra, Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra, Yale School of Music
• Sebu Simonian – singer, songwriter, keyboardist, producer, half of the Los Angeles-based indie pop duo Capital Cities
• Leland Sklar – musician, session bassist
• Andy Summers – musician, guitarist with The Police
• Serj Tankian – musician, System of A Down
• Carol Vaness – opera singer
• Diane Warren – musician, Grammy-winning songwriter, music publisher
• Tim Weisberg (1960s) – jazz/rock fusion flautist, composer, producer, vocalist^[6]

Radio

• Marc Cohen – radio personality
• Barry Smolin – KPFK radio DJ, musician, teacher
• Devon Anjelica - radio personality, music director 93.7 "The Beat" Houston, Texas

Science

• Scott Horowitz – Space Shuttle astronaut

Sports

• Beth Allen, professional golfer.
• Sherdrick Bonner (1986) – quarterback for the Arizona Rattlers of the Arena Football League
• Lyman Bostock (1968) – star outfielder for the Minnesota Twins and California Angels
• Marcus Brady (1997) – quarterback for the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League
• Richard Bullock – United States Marine and CIF Champion football coach
• Paul Edmondson - pitcher for the Chicago White Sox
• Robert Fick – catcher and first baseman for the Washington Nationals
• Sean Franklin – professional soccer player; defender for Los Angeles Galaxy
• Florence Griffith Joyner – Olympic track and field champion
• D.J. Hackett – wide receiver for the Carolina Panthers
• Adam Kennedy – second baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers
• Kameron Loe (1999) – pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers
• Paul McCracken – NBA and Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball player
• Willie Sims – professional soccer player; former forward for New England Revolution
• Jason Thompson – first baseman for the Detroit Tigers, California Angels, Pittsburgh Pirates and Montreal Expos

Visual arts

• Greg Evans – cartoonist, artist
• Daniel Ramos – graffiti artist, better known as Chaka
• John Divola – artist

References