This list of Cal Poly Pomona people includes notable matriculating students, and alumni that have graduated or are non-matriculating students of California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, a public university, and one of the 23 general campuses of the California State University located in Pomona, California.
Alumni Art & entertainment
Name Class year Notability American Artist 2011 Alpert Award-winning artist Sara A. Carter Attended Fox News journalist, appointee to the Office of National Drug Control Policy Roy Conli 1983 Academy Award-winning producer (Big Hero 6) Dr DisrespectPopular livestreamer, esports streamer of the yearStudent (basketball team) Nguyễn Cao Kỳ Duyên Vietnamese-American personality and co-host of Thuy Nga's Paris by Night shows Student Kye Palmer Trumpet player who performs with The Tonight Show Band Student (B.S. Engineering) Will Pan American-born Taiwanese singer, rapper and drama actor; started his career as a host of Channel V programs Student Michael Steger Actor; best known for his role as Navid Shirazi on The CW's teen drama series 90210 Student Carol Vaness Metropolitan Opera soprano Student (B.A. Music 1974) Forest Whitaker Academy Award-winning actor (Panic Room, The Crying Game, The Last King of Scotland), director (Waiting to Exhale) and host of UPN's revival of The Twilight Zone Student James Williamson Guitarist for punk rock band The Stooges; later vice president for Technology Standards for Sony Student (B.S. Engineering 1982) Larry Wilmore N/A Actor, comedian, writer (The Daily Show, The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore, The Office; won aPrimetime Emmy for The Bernie Mac Show) Marc Wilmore Attended 1990s Television writer and producer (In Living Color, The PJs, The Simpsons, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno)
Athletics Alumni Notability Relationship to Cal Poly Pomona Citation Dan Beebe Former commissioner of the Ohio Valley Conference, 1989–2003, and Big 12 Conference, 2007–2011 Student athlete Jonathan Bornstein Professional soccer player who plays as a left midfielder/defender for the United States men's national soccer team and Chicago Fire FC in the MLS Student athlete Chi Cheng Olympic bronze medalist; world record setter; Taiwanese political leader; considered by many the top female Asian athlete of the 20th century Student athlete (B.A. Kinesiology 1971) Glenn Davis Won the Maxwell Award in 1944 and the Heisman Trophy in 1946; among the runners-up in 1944 and 1945; named the Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year in 1946 Student athlete Fred Ford Football halfback for the Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Chargers of the American Football League Student athlete Roman Gabriel Former NFL starting quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams and Philadelphia Eagles; coach of the football team during its last years Football coach Dave Mirra X Games multiple medalist, world record setter, considered by many the top BMX rider of the 20th century Student athlete (1995) Don Nomura Baseball agent dealing primarily with Japanese baseball players such as Hideo Nomo Student athlete Violet Palmer First female referee in U.S. professional sports; NBA referee; member of 1985 and 1986 NCAA championship teams Student athlete Mark Peel James Beard Foundation Award-nominated chef; founder of the La Brea Bakery Student Joe Prokop Former professional football player for the New York Jets Student athlete Kim Rhode Medalist in five separate Olympic Games, including three gold medals, for double trap shooting Student athlete Everett Sharp Football offensive tackle in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins Student athlete Al Smith Football Linebacker for the Houston Oilers in the National Football League Student athlete Art Williams Former professional basketball player; won an NBA Championship with the Boston Celtics in 1974 Student athlete Walter Ray Williams Jr. Professional ten-pin bowler who holds the all-time PBA titles record with 47; seven-time PBA Player of the Year; six-time world horseshoe pitching champion; six-time ESPY Award winner Student (B.S. Physics 1984) The Jordan Of ... Bowling - Espn The Magazine Jim Zorn NFL player; NFLPA's NFC Offensive Rookie of the Year (1976); starting quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks during their first seven seasons (1976–1983); head coach of the Washington Redskins in the National Football League (2008–2010) Student athlete
Business
Alumni Notability Relationship to Cal Poly Pomona Citation Beny Alagem Entrepreneur; founder of Packard Bell Electronics; owner of the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Santa Monica, California Student (1970s) Jack Dangermond Founder of ESRI consulting firm, the largest manufacturer and seller of GIS in the world Student (1967) Honorary Doctorate (2005) Eddy Hartenstein Co-president of Tribune Company; publisher and CEO of the Los Angeles Times and Los Angeles Times Magazine Student (B.S. Aerospace Engineering 1971) Kevin Lyman Creator of touring music and extreme sports festivals called the Warped Tour, the Taste of Chaos and the Mayhem tours Student (Recreation Administration) Satoshi Nakamoto Alleged founder of bitcoin digital currency Student (B.S. Physics) Paul Tollett Along with brother Perry Tollett, founder of Coachella and Stagecoach, and developers for the Pomona Fox Theater and the Glass House in Pomona Student (Chemical Engineering) Corrinne Yu Game programmer Student (1980s) http://www.allgame.com/person.php?id=2497
Education Alumni Notability Relationship to Cal Poly Pomona CitationStewart Donaldson Author, psychologist, evaluation research scientist Student (B.A. Behavioral Science 1984)
Government
Alumni Notability Relationship to Cal Poly Pomona Citation Jim Brulte Former Republican leader of the California State Senate Student (B.A. Political Science 1980) Jonathan D. Farrar Chief of Mission of the United States Interests Section in Havana, Cuba (USINT) Student (B.A. Political Science 1978) Ken MaddoxMember of the California State AssemblyStudent (B.S. in communication arts)Fiona NaveMember of the Montana House of RepresentativesStudent (B.S. in applied mathematics)Geoffrey OkamotoEconomist and assistant secretary of the TreasuryStudent (B.S. Business Administration, Computer Information Systems 2008) Richard Pombo Republican member of the United States House of Representatives Student (attended three years) Marie Royce Republican Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs under President Donald Trump, recipient of 1994 Distinguished Alumni Award Student (B.S. Marketing Management and Human Resources 1984), Former Faculty Hilda Solis Democratic United States Secretary of Labor under President Barack Obama, former member of the United States House of Representatives Student (B.A. Political Science 1979)
Faculty
Active faculty
Faculty Notability Gabriel Georgiades Professor of aerospace engineering and author; has been the regional chair, chair-elect, VC of Education and Advisory Committee representative; former "Evolution of Flight" program officer for the San Gabriel Valley Region of the American Institute of Aeronautics and AstronauticsAlvaro HuertaJoint professor of Urban & Region Planning and Ethnic & Women’s Studies, community organizer, writer, and recipient of the American Planning Association's Paul Davidoff award Christoph Kapeller Architecture lecturer; founding member of Norwegian firm Snohetta; design leader for the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Alexandria, EgyptThomas Keith Filmmaker, educator, and anti-sexism activistNancy KyesAdjunct theater lecturer; former actress; frequent collaborator of filmmaker John Carpenter Renford Reese Professor of Political Science; author; founder and director of the "Colorful Flags" program aimed at reducing ethnic and racial tensions, servicing 17 school districts and a variety of law enforcement, social service, and other agencies in Southern California Hilda Solis Member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, Democratic United States Secretary of Labor under President Barack Obama; former member of the United States House of Representatives; scholar-in-residence starting in 2014
Retired, deceased, and former faculty
Faculty Notability Virginia Hamilton Adair(deceased) Poet, author of Ants on the Melon Aaron BetskyServed as visiting instructor in the Department of Architecture Paul Caligiuri Head soccer coach and National Soccer Hall of Fame player whose 1990 "Goal Heard Round the World" (sic) launched the United States into the FIFA World Cup for the first time in 40 years; resigned as head coach after the 2008 season Craig Ellwood Lecturer at the Department of Architecture; influential Mid Century Modern architect Ray Kappe Former faculty; founding chair of the Department of Architecture; later founded the Southern California Institute of Architecture Saul Landau Director of digital media programs, noted internationally for his films and writing on domestic policy and cultural issues; recipient of a 1980 Emmy John T. Lyle Professor of landscape architecture;John T. Lyle Center for Regenerative Studies - History namesake of the Lyle Center for Regenerative Studies at Cal Poly Pomona and the Lyle plaza at the entrance to Adam Joseph Lewis Center for Environmental Studies at Oberlin College Thom Mayne Former professor in the Department of Architecture; principal of Morphosis; Pritzker Prize laureate; co-founder of Southern California Institute of Architecture Ronald Muldrow(deceased) Jazz guitarist and former member of the music faculty Richard Neutra Lecturer in the early days of the Department of Architecture;California State Polytechnic University, Pomona - Prioritization and Recovery Responses influential Mid Century Modern architect featured on the cover of Time magazine Donald H. Pflueger Historian, educator, prolific author of local stories; a founding member of the Glendora Historical Society and Pomona Valley Historical Society; served on the board of directors of the Historical Society of Southern California James Pulliam Modernist, instructor and campus architect; designed the bookstore, W. Keith and Janet Kellogg Art Gallery, and student union building (Bronco Student Center) Michele SaeeVisiting instructor in the Department of Architecture, 1998–1999 Raphael Soriano Noted modernist architect who experimented with steel in residential construction; appointed Special Sessions InstructorSociety Of Architectural Historians/Southern California Chapter Takeo Uesugi (deceased) Professor emeritus in Landscape Architecture noted for his work in Japanese gardens; designed the garden at The Washington Center in Washington, D.C., among other notable landmarks Martín Vásquez Assistant association football (soccer) coach in 1999 and 2000; head coach of C.D. Chivas USA, in Major League Soccer (MLS)Martin Vasquez named as assistant coach at San Diego Spirit Michael WooDean of the College of Environmental Design; former Los Angeles city councilman; in 1993 became the first Asian American to run for mayor of a major city; garnered 46 percent of the vote but lost the race for mayor of Los Angeles to Richard Riordan Richard Saul Wurman Former Dean of the College of Environmental Design, founder of the TED conference, credited with coining the term "information architect" Bernard Zimmerman Modernist architect, architecture instructor for over 30 years, helped co-found the department along with Ray Kappe
University presidents The following people have served as presidents of Cal Poly Pomona:
#NameTermCitation 1 Julian A. McPhee 1938–1966 2 Robert C. Kramer 1966–1977 3 Hugh O. LaBounty 1977–1991 4 Bob H. Suzuki 1991–2003 5 J. Michael Ortiz 2003–2014 6 Soraya M. Coley 2015–2025 - Iris S. Levine (interim) 2025–2026 7 Vanya Quiñones 2026–present
Honorary degrees Cal Poly Pomona has conferred 27 honorary doctorate degrees since 1969.Honorary Degrees Awarded Alphabetically By Last Name | CSU