List of University of Florida alumni

This list of University of Florida alumni includes current students, former students, and graduates of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. Honorary degree recipients can be found on the list of University of Florida honorary degree recipients, and notable administration, faculty, and staff are found on the list of University of Florida faculty and administrators.

Engineering, science, and mathematics

Mark Adler, researcher, known for his work in data compression, and creator of zlib and gzip James Allchin, developed Microsoft operating systems, former executive Miguel Altieri, agroecologist at the University of California, Berkeley John D. Anderson, curator of aerodynamics at the National Air and Space Museum John Vincent Atanasoff, inventor of the first automatic electronic digital computer C. D. Atkins, co-creator of frozen orange juice concentrate Marc Baldus, physicist and expert in solid-state NMR spectroscopy Rodney J. Bartlett, chemist, Guggenheim Fellow Marston Bates, zoologist and fellow with the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Sidney W. Bijou, developmental psychologist Christina Bloebaum, systems engineer George F. Bond, physician, father of saturation diving Karen Ramey Burns, forensic anthropologist, Fulbright Scholar Brian Caffo, winner of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers Berry L. Cannon, aquanaut Archie Carr, zoologist, conservationist, and founder of the Caribbean Conservation Corporation Marjorie Harris Carr, pioneer in the American Conservation Movement Amitava Chattopadhyay, professor in Corporate Innovation Jack Clemons, aerospace engineer and air and space industry professional Paul Cootner, financial economist Robert Costanza, ecological economist, Gund Professor of Ecological economics and director of the Gund Institute for Ecological Economics at the University of Vermont Thomas R. Cundari, director of the Center for Advanced Scientific Computing and Modeling Thomas Des Jean, anthropologist Nils J. Diaz, former chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission Jonathan F. Earle, engineer, received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring G. B. Edwards, taxonomic entomologist specializing primarily in spiders John F. Eisenberg, zoologist David Ehrenfeld, biologist and author Wesley R. Elsberry, marine biologist Philip Don Estridge, led development of the original IBM Personal Computer (PC), known as "father of the IBM PC" Manuel Fernandez, entrepreneur, guiding force behind the Gavilan SC, the first laptop computer Fred Gage, researcher of Alzheimer's disease and the spinal cord Jesse James Garrett, experience designer, who coined the term Ajax Jürgen Gauß, German theoretical chemist Robert Gentry, nuclear physicist and creationist advocate Thomas Gillespie, professor and chair of Environmental Sciences, Emory University John W. Griffin, archaeologist, researcher, administrator, and author Keith E. Gubbins, member of the National Academy of Engineering in the chemistry section Herbert Gursky, former superintendent of the Naval Research Laboratory's Space Science Division Kelsie Harder, onomastician Steven Hebert, nephrologist Richard Highton, zoologist, current professor emeritus of biology at the University of Maryland Shere Hite, sex educator and feminist Horton H. Hobbs Jr., carcinologist, and former head curator of the United States National Museum James Hollan, cognitive scientist, professor at University of California, San Diego Nicholas Honerkamp, archaeologist George Kauffman, former professor emeritus of chemistry, Guggenheim Fellow Jerold Kemp, researcher in the field of Instructional Design Pramod Khargonekar, former dean of the University of Florida College of Engineering, control system theorist Thomas Kilduff, neuroscientist and the director of SRI International's Center for Neuroscience Bruce C. Kone, former dean of the University of Florida College of Medicine Martin Kreitman, geneticist, professor at the University of Chicago Kenney Krysko, herpetologist Jenna Jambeck, environmental engineer Thomas Des Jean, anthropologist Alan M. Jones, cell biologist, Kenan Distinguished Professor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Capers Jones, software engineer Joseph C. Joyce, current executive vice president of the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Reynol Junco, psychologist and social media researcher, fellow at Harvard University K Ullas Karanth, Indian zoologist Seymour London, physician, and inventor of the first automatic blood pressure monitor Ira Longini, biostatistician and infectious disease epidemiologist Robert Love, author, speaker, and open source software developer Louis G. MacDowell, co-creator of frozen orange juice concentrate Ron Magill, wildlife expert, photographer and communications director for the regional Miami-Dade Zoological Park and Gardens Chris Malachowsky, computer scientist and co-founder of NVIDIA M. Cristina Marchetti, physicist, professor at University of California, Santa Barbara Preston McAfee, current vice president of Yahoo! Research Edwin H. McConkey, biologist who studies evolution, current professor emeritus at the University of Colorado Jerald Milanich, anthropologist and archaeologist William J. Mitsch, ecologist Lee Ann Newsom, anthropologist, and MacArthur Fellow Nandini Nimbkar, current president of the Nimbkar Agricultural Research Institute in India Carole C. Noon, primatologist, founder of Save the Chimps Jerald Paul, former Deputy Administrator for the National Nuclear Security Administration Maryly Van Leer Peck, first woman to receive an M.S. and a PhD in chemical engineering at University of Florida, president at Polk Community College Gary John Previts, accountant, professor of Leadership and Enterprise Development David Price, anthropologist Peter Pritchard, zoologist Anil K. Rajvanshi, mechanical engineer, and current director of the Nimbkar Agricultural Research Institute in India K. R. Rao, electrical engineer and co-inventor of the Discrete cosine transform Michael Reynolds, astronomer Lesa Roe, current chancellor of the University of North Texas System, and former director of the NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia Douglas A. Rossman, herpetologist Michael Ryschkewitsch, former chief engineer for NASA Melvin Sabshin, former medical director of the American Psychiatric Association Sudhir Sastry, food engineer, academic, and author Stephanie Moulton Sarkis, psychotherapist and author Samuel Sears, psychologist Dana Shires, medical researcher, member of the team that developed Gatorade Aseem Shukla, professor of urology at University of Pennsylvania and co-founder of Hindu American Foundation Stephen C. Sillett, botanist Robert S. Singleton, engineer, inventor, scientist, teacher of magnetics and computing Sung Won Sohn, Korean American economist Eduardo Sontag, Argentine mathematician Jeffrey Spieler, current director of research for USAID Lewis Stadler, geneticist David Steadman, museum curator Will Steffen, executive director of the ANU Climate Change Institute Gilbert Stork, creator of the Stork enamine alkylation, professor emeritus of chemistry at Columbia University Ashutosh Tewari, Indian oncologist and urologist Michael Thomas, entomologist James Thompson, former director of the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Wolfgang A. Tomé, physicist Eva Vertes, Alzheimer's and cancer researcher Michael Warren, forensic anthropologist Annet Kirabo, researcher studying hypertension and oxidative stress, received her PhD from UFL

Nobel Prize laureates

Robert Grubbs, winner of the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 2005 for his work in the field of olefin metathesis Marshall Nirenberg, winner of the Nobel Prize for Physiology/Medicine in 1968 for describing the genetic code and how it operates in protein synthesis

Astronauts

Andrew M. Allen, former NASA astronaut, and former U.S. Marine Corps naval aviator William Frederick Fisher, former NASA astronaut, and current medical doctor Kevin A. Ford, former NASA astronaut pilot Fitzhugh L. Fulton, research pilot at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center Ronald J. Garan, NASA astronaut, and former U.S. Air Force pilot Donald L. Mallick, former NASA research pilot Bill Nelson, former U.S. senator and former U.S. representative; Space Shuttle payload specialist astronaut (non-NASA Astronaut Corps); part of NASA initiative for placing U.S. congressional members in space until initiative suspended following Columbia accident Ronald A. Parise, former NASA astronaut Norman Thagard, former NASA astronaut, and current professor of engineering at Florida State University

Presidents of universities and colleges

Byong Man Ahn, former president of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul, Korea, and former Ministry of Education, Science and Technology for South Korea M. S. Ananth, former director of Indian Institute of Technology Madras M. Katherine Banks, 26th and current president of Texas A&M University George F. Baughman, founding president of New College of Florida P. George Benson, current president of the College of Charleston Thomas G. Carpenter, former president of Memphis State University and University of North Florida Marshall Criser, former president of University of Florida and former chairman of Scripps Florida Harold B. Crosby, former president of University of West Florida and Florida International University Gay Culverhouse, former president of Notre Dame College and president of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sandy D'Alemberte, former president of Florida State University and the American Bar Association John Delaney, former president of the University of North Florida, former chancellor of the State University System of Florida Donald Eastman, current president of Eckerd College Ray F. Ferrero Jr., former president and current chancellor of Nova Southeastern University Fred Gainous, former president of Florida A&M University S. Malcolm Gillis, former president of Rice University Lori Stewart Gonzalez, 23rd president of Ohio University; interim president of University of Louisville Madlyn L. Hanes, current president of Penn State Harrisburg Carl Hite, president of Cleveland State Community College, Tennessee Carolyn Ringer Lepre, 10th president of Salisbury University; interim president of Radford University Robert Lindgren, current president of Randolph-Macon College Charles N. Millican, founding president of the University of Central Florida Stephen C. O'Connell, former president of the University of Florida, former Florida Supreme Court justice Eduardo J. Padrón, current president of Miami Dade College Paul G. Pearson, former president of Miami University and former interim president of Rutgers University William L. Proctor, former chancellor of Flagler College Michael Rao, current president of Virginia Commonwealth University, and former president of Central Michigan University W. Reece Smith Jr., former president of the University of South Florida and the American Bar Association, and Rhodes Scholar Norman L. Stephens Jr., current president of South Florida State College Ann Stuart, current president of Texas Woman's University Janet Todd, current president of Lucy Cavendish College at the University of Cambridge E. Jean Walker, former president of Virginia Highlands Community College

United States Cabinet members Alan S. Boyd Carol Browner Marco Rubio Pam Bondi Keith Sonderling

Alan S. Boyd, 1st United States Secretary of Transportation (1967–1969) under President Lyndon B. Johnson

Carol Browner, 8th Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (1993–2001) under President Bill Clinton

Marco Rubio, 72nd United States Secretary of State (2025–present) under President Donald Trump