List of University of California, Riverside people

This is a list of notable alumni and faculty of the University of California, Riverside.

Notable alumni

Nobel laureates Richard R. Schrock – Chemistry, 2005, professor at University of California, Riverside

Academia, science, and technology Peter Adriaens – professor of engineering and entrepreneurship at the selling Biology textbook Mason Gaffney – professor of economics and prominent Georgist Harmohinder Singh Gill – plant pathologist who pioneered fungus classification by disc electrophoresis Lynn G. Gref – technologist and systems engineer Anthea M. Hartig – director of the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of American History (2019–present) Matthew Haughey – blogger and founder of MetaFilter Marigold Linton – director of American Indian outreach at the University of Kansas Todd D. Little – professor of Educational Psychology, Texas Tech University Gary North – economist and author Arthur Riggs – director of the Beckman Research Institute and former geneticist with Genentech and father of modern biotechnology Pedram Salimpour – physician-scientist, author, and professor Bettie Steinberg – microbiologist, chief scientific officer for The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research Peter Steinberger – dean of the Faculty at Reed College, Robert H. and Blanche Day Ellis Professor of Political Science and Humanities Tim White – professor of integrative biology and research, paleoanthropologist Jennifer Wilby – director of the Centre for Systems Studies, University of Hull Charles E. Young – first UCR student body president and former chancellor at the University of California, Los Angeles

Arts, film, and literature Mark Andrus – Academy Award-nominated screenwriter, As Good as It Gets Earl W. Bascom – inventor, actor, rodeo cowboy, Hall of Fame inductee, international artist and sculptor Frank Bidart – Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Amine Bouhafa – Tunisian composer and engineer, winner of the 2015 César Award for Best Music for the movie Timbuktu Steve Breen – 1998 Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist Joanna Cameron – actress and model The Secrets of Isis Jamie Chung – actress, TV series The Real World: San Diego and films, such as I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry, Sorority Row, Grown Ups, The Hangover II Billy Collins – eleventh United States Poet Laureate Katherine Fugate – screenwriter Valentine's Day and creator of Army Wives TV series Elizabeth George – mystery writer Barbara Hambly – novelist and screenwriter Howard V. Hendrix – science fiction novelist of Better Angels and The Labyrinth Key Ryan Holiday – author of Trust Me, I'm Lying: Confessions of a Media Manipulator; director of marketing for American Apparel Jordan Howlett – social media personality, known online as "Jordan the Stallion" Lisa Kekaula – lead singer for The Bellrays Patricia Ja Lee – actress known for role as Cassie Chan as the Pink Ranger in the television series Power Rangers: Turbo and Power Rangers in Space Nakul Dev Mahajan – choreographer Daryl F. Mallett – author, editor, publisher Fatima Farheen Mirza – novelist, A Place for Us Steve Nguyen – film director, producer Ruben Quesada – poet Lindsay Ridgeway – actress, Boy Meets World Philip Michael Thomas – actor, Miami Vice Charlyne Yi – actress, comedian, and performance artist (Knocked Up)

Athletics Matt Andriese – Major League pitcher for the Seattle Mariners Michael Basinger – former professional football player for the Green Bay Packers Jennifer Bermingham – golfer AnnMaria De Mars – 1984 Judo World Champion, mother of Ronda Rousey Pat Hill – head football coach of Fresno State Butch Johnson – former professional football player for the Dallas Cowboys and the Denver Broncos Joe Kelly – Major League pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers Aaron Long – professional MLS soccer player for Los Angeles Football Club John Lowenstein – former Major League Baseball player Steve Lubratich – former Major League Baseball player and current Cleveland Indians Special Assistant to the GM Brenda Martinez – track and field athlete Gary McCord – professional golfer, CBS announcer and analyst and won the DII individual golf championship in 1970 Troy Percival – all-time saves leader for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Dan Runzler – Major League pitcher for the Boston Red Sox Marc Rzepczynski – Major League pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks Michael Salazar – professional MLS soccer player Eric Show – former professional baseball player for the San Diego Padres and Oakland Athletics Chris Smith – Major League pitcher for the Oakland Athletics Erasmo Solorzano – professional MLS soccer player for the Chivas USA acquired in the 2007 draft Brendan Steele – professional golfer on the PGA Tour

Business Gary North – economist Shelli Taylor – CEO of Alamo Drafthouse Cinema (2020–present)

Politics and law Ruben Barrales – deputy assistant to President Bush and director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs in the White House, former San Mateo County supervisor Sabrina Cervantes – current California state assemblywoman for the 60th District Paul Cook – former U.S. member of Congress for the CA-08 district, current supervisor for San Bernardino County David S. Cunningham, Jr. – Los Angeles City Council member, 1973–87 Patricia Lock Dawson – mayor of Riverside, 2020–present Julie Furuta-Toy – current U.S. ambassador to Equatorial Guinea Eduardo Garcia – current California state assemblyman for the 56th District Sherilyn Peace Garnett – United States district judge for the United States District Court for the Central District of California (2022–present) Michael Huerta – former administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration Jerold Krieger – judge for the Los Angeles Superior Court (1988–2002) Lloyd Levine – former California state assemblyman for the 40th District Jose Medina – current California state assemblyman for the 61st District Holly J. Mitchell – current California state senator for the 30th and 26th (2013–2014) districts, former California state assemblymember to the 54th and 47th (2010–2012) districts Ronald Neumann – former U.S. ambassador to Algeria Rod Pacheco – former Riverside County district attorney, California Assembly member Virginia A. Phillips – senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Central District of California Anthony Rendon – speaker of the California State Assembly (2016–2023) Gloria Romero – former State Senate majority whip, former California Assembly member, 49th District Stefanie Schaeffer – defense attorney, 2006 winner of The Apprentice Marc Steinorth – current California state assemblyman for the 40th District Mark Takano – current U.S. representative for the 41st District

Other Jeff Cooper – creator of the modern technique of shooting; firearms expert who defined the modern scout rifle John Mack Faragher – historian James Holmes – gunman in the 2012 Aurora, Colorado, shooting; currently serving a life sentence for murder Shruti Kapoor – economist, women's right's activist, and social entrepreneur Anil Raj – humanitarian activist killed in 2019 in a terrorist attack in Kabul while working for U.N.

Notable faculty Chris Abani – professor of creative writing and recipient of the Pen Center Freedom to Write Award, Prince Claus Award, a Lannan Literary Fellowship, a Hurston/Wright Legacy Award, and the Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award Mark Alber – distinguished professor of mathematics Michael F. Allen – distinguished professor of plant pathology Barry C. Arnold – distinguished professor of statistics Reza Aslan – Professor of Creative Writing, writer, producer, critic, religion scholar, television celebrity James Joyce Award Steven G. Axelrod – distinguished professor of English John Baez – professor of mathematics, mathematical physicist Malcolm C. Baker – distinguished professor of art history Alexander A. Balandin – professor of electrical engineering Lindon W. Barrett – professor and cultural theorist Bir Bhanu – Distinguished Professor of Electrical Engineering, director of the Center for Research in Intelligent Systems David F. Bocian – distinguished professor of chemistry Alfred M. Boyce – first dean of the College of Agriculture Ring Cardé – distinguished professor entomology Patricia Cardoso – filmmaker, professor of Film Christopher Chase-Dunn – sociologist, contributor to world-systems theory Walter Aaron Clark – distinguished professor of music Carl F. Cranor – distinguished professor of philosophy Sean Cutler – plant scientist noted for discovery of pyrabactin Mike Davis – emeritus professor, urban theorist and author MacArthur Fellow in 1998; won the Lannan Literary Award for Nonfiction James H. Dieterich – Distinguished Professor of Geophysics, member of the National Academy of Sciences Kim Yi Dionne – political scientist Josh Emmons – novelist Steve Erickson – Distinguished Professor of Creative Writing, author, Lannan Lifetime Achievement Award, Guggenheim Fellowship, American Academy of Arts and Letters Award Jay A. Farrell – KA Endowed Professor of electrical and computer engineering John Martin Fischer – professor of philosophy, vice president of the Pacific Division of the American Philosophical Association, primary proponent of semi-compatibilism Katie Ford – poet William T. Frankenberger – distinguished professor of soil science and soil microbiology Howard Friedman – professor of psychology Theodore Garland, Jr. – a founder of the field of evolutionary physiology Peter R. Griffiths – professor of chemistry Gail Hanson – Distinguished Professor of Physics Allison Adelle Hedge Coke – Distinguished Professor of Creative Writing, poet, writer, Witter Bynner Fellowship, Fulbright Scholar, American Book Award Juan Felipe Herrera – emeritus professor, poet, Tomás Rivera Endowed Chair, National Book Critics Circle Award, Guggenheim Fellowship, PEN USA Poetry Award, American Book Award, California State Poet Laureate, United States Poet Laureate Russ Hille – distinguished professor of biochemistry Ivan Hinderaker – former chancellor Nalo Hopkinson – professor of Creative Writing, science fiction and fantasy writer Andre Norton Award and British Fantasy Award Theodore L. Hullar – former chancellor Howard Judelson – professor of plant pathology Eamonn J. Keogh – distinguished professor of computer science and engineering David B. Kronenfeld – professor of anthropology Laila Lalami – professor, Pulitzer Prize finalist Perry Link – Chancellorial Chair, professor of China Studies Ronald O. Loveridge – mayor of Riverside, California Adam Lukaszewski – professor of botany and plant sciences Tom Lutz – Distinguished Professor of Creative Writing, author, literary critic, founder and editor of the Los Angeles Review of Books Robert Nisbet – conservative sociologist and early Dean of Letters and Science at UCR William H. Okamura – distinguished professor of chemistry John W. Olmsted – first chairman of the Humanities division Raymond L. Orbach – former chancellor and first Under Secretary of Energy for Science Dylan Rodríguez – distinguished professor of Black studies Robert Rosenthal – professor of psychology, former chair of Harvard's psychology department Evangelos Papalexakis – professor of computer science and engineering Michael C. Pirrung – distinguished professor of chemistry S. James Press – distinguished professor of statistics Donald T. Sawyer – professor of chemistry Reinhard Schultz – professor of mathematics Richard Seto – professor of physics and astronomy Irwin Sherman – professor of biology, specializing in malariology Jirka Šimunek – distinguished professor of environmental sciences George Edgar Slusser – professor of comparative literature, science fiction expert Jane Smiley – Distinguished Professor of Creative Writing, writer, Pulitzer Prize winning author