This article lists notable alumni and students of the Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia.
Art
Diana al-Hadid – sculptor and installation artist (MFA 2005) Hannah Altman – photographer (MFA 2020) Chino Amobi – contemporary artist, musician and painter Fahmida Azim – Pulitzer Prize-winning illustrator Sam Bass – motorsports artist Trudy Benson – abstract artist (BFA 2007) Nell Blaine – landscape painter Noah Bradley – fantasy artist known for Dungeons & Dragons Loryn Brazier – painter, known for her portraits of Virginia politicians James Bumgardner – painter, multimedia artist, RPI, VCU art faculty (BFA 1955) Lauren Clay – sculptor known for her large fantasy inspired installations Daryl Cobb – children's book illustrator Tony Cokes – visual artist and educator (MFA 1985) Bonnie Collura – artist known for figurative multi-media sculptures, textiles and installations Rose Datoc Dall – painter (BFA 1990) Assil Diab – Sudanese graphic designer Paul DiPasquale – sculptor known for designing several public sculptures in Virginia, including the Arthur Ashe Monument on Richmond's Monument Avenue and King Neptune on Virginia Beach's boardwalk Tara Donovan – sculptor (MFA 1999) Rama Duwaji – animator, illustrator and ceramist, First Lady of New York City (BFA 2019) Torkwase Dyson – painter (BFA 1999) Joseph Craig English – printmaker (BFA 1970) Moses Jacob Ezekiel – sculptor (1866–68) Tarfia Faizullah – poet Colette Fu – photographer, book artist and paper engineer, known for her pop-up books Judith Godwin – abstract painter Emmet Gowin – photographer and portraitist Donwan Harrell – fashion designer, founder of Prps and Akademiks (BFA 1989) Sylvia Harris – graphic designer known for designing the U.S. Census and as a pioneer in social impact design Sally Heller – artist known for her large installations Lisa Hoke – sculptor and installation artist (BFA 1978) Brian Hubble – illustrator Katie Hudnall – artist known for woodworking Sterling Hundley – illustrator and painter (BFA 1998) Anna Journey – poet Michael Kaluta – comic book artist Abby Kasonik – painter (BFA 1998) Dawn Kasper – interdisciplinary artist Matt Kenyon – new media artist Ana Ines Barragan King – founder of the Latin Ballet of Virginia Mia LaBerge – oil painter Abigail Larson – fantasy artist Nate Lewis – cut paper sculptor (BS 2009) Whitney Lynn – sculptor and performance artist (BFA 2004) Philip B. Meggs – graphic designer and historian of design (BFA 1964, MFA 1971) Wiley Miller – cartoonist Eric Millikin – conceptual, internet, video and performance artist (MFA 2021) Ayanah Moor – conceptual artist Lois Morrison – book artist Charlotte Moss – interior designer, author and philanthropist Mel Odom – book cover artist G. Byron Peck – mural artist Jon Pineda – poet Kevin Powers – poet Alston Purvis – graphic designer and author Beatrice Riese – artist and art collector Rob G. – comic book artist Anne Savedge – photographic artist Steve Segal – Pixar animator Mark Sloan – museum curator Janice Smith – furniture maker (BFA 1976) Ron Smith – poet Carol Sutton – painter and sculptor (BFA 1967) Alice Tangerini – botanical illustrator Kevin Tinsley – comic book illustrator Allison Titus – poet Alessandra Torres – performance and installation artist (MFA 2006) Phil Trumbo – art director and graphic designer Betony Vernon – jewelry designer Charles Vess – fantasy and comics illustrator (BFA 1974)
Business
Richard M. Bracken – chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of the Hospital Corporation of America Jeff Ray Clark – economist specializing in public choice theory Edward N. Coffman – accounting scholar who specialized in its history Jerry Dipoto – Seattle Mariners baseball executive Catherine C. Eckel – behavioral economist Robert Graboyes – economist and musician John Graham – economist and professor at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business Donwan Harrell – creator of luxury denim line PRPS and designer at Nike Jenny Hollowell – music industry executive Mildred Callahan Jones – known as the "Flag Lady," she pioneered the decorative flag industry Carole Ann Klonarides – art consultant Angela Patton – CEO of Girls for a Change Christopher Poole – founder of 4chan Norman Sisisky – founder of Petersburg Bottling Company, which became Pepsi (BBA) Kenneth Sullivan – CEO of Smithfield Foods
Government
Watkins Abbitt, Jr. – member of the Virginia House of Delegates Lashrecse Aird – member of the Virginia State Senate Clay Athey – politician and jurist Danny Avula – mayor of Richmond, Virginia Lamont Bagby – member of the Virginia State Senate Carl E. Bain – pharmacist and politician who served in the Virginia House of Delegates Cynthia Ball – state politician from North Carolina Peter A. Blake – Virginia secretary of Education John Fulmer Bright – mayor of Richmond, Virginia Walter C. Caudill – member of the Virginia General Assembly Michael Chapman – director of Homeland Security for Missouri Keyanna Conner – Virginia secretary of Administration Virgil J. Cox – member of the Virginia House of Delegates Rosalyn Dance – former member of the Virginia State Senate Bob Deuell – member of the Texas Senate Rama Duwaji – First Lady of New York Natalie Edwards – former senior official at the United States Department of the Treasury Cerina Fairfax – Second Lady of Virginia Debra Gardner – member of the Virginia House of Delegates Conley E. Greear – politician and dentist Alan Gross – U.S. government contractor arrested in Cuba Todd Haymore – Virginia Secretary of Commerce (MBA) Megan Healy – Virginia secretary of Labor Cynthia Eppes Hudson – deputy attorney general for Virginia Anita Josey-Herring – chief judge of the Superior Court of Washington D.C. Chris LaCivita – senior advisor to Donald Trump's 2024 campaign Yasonna Laoly – Minister of Law and Human Rights of Indonesia (2014–present) John W. Marshall – secretary of Public Safety for Virginia Adele McClure – member of the Virginia House of Delegates Nancy McFarlane – former mayor of Raleigh, North Carolina (2011–2019) Delores McQuinn – member of the Virginia House of Delegates Jackson Miller – director of the Department of Criminal Justice Services of Virginia Kim E. Petersen – security and counter-terrorism expert Todd Pillion – member of the Virginia State Senate Will Sessoms – mayor of Virginia Beach, Virginia (2008–2018) Javaid Siddiqi – Virginia secretary of Education Marilyn Tavenner – administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services Kim Taylor – member of Virginia House of Delegates Ronald L. Tillett – Virginia secretary of Finance Dietra Trent – Virginia secretary of Education Schuyler VanValkenburg – member of Virginia House of Delegates Nikuyah Walker – mayor of Charlottesville, Virginia Justin Wilson – mayor of Alexandria, Virginia Rob Wittman – Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Virginia's 1st congressional district
Media
Mamé Adjei – runner-up of America's Next Top Model cycle 22 David Baldacci – author, best known for his novel Absolute Power (1996) Greg Barrett – journalist and public speaker Macon Blair – actor and Sundance Grand Jury Prize-winning filmmaker, known for his collaborations with Jeremy Saulnier Cocoa Brown – actress Reilly Brown – comic book illustrator and writer, known for his work on Cable & Deadpool Caressa Cameron – 2010 Miss America Paris Campbell Grace – TikToker, singer, and comedian Daryl Cobb – author, national children's educational presenter Chad L. Coleman – actor Andrea Detwiler – 2006 Daytime Emmy winner Stephen Furst – actor and director, known as "Flounder" in the National Lampoon classic Animal House (1978) as well as TV series St. Elsewhere and Babylon 5 Jason Butler Harner – Broadway, television, and film actor; performed in original production of Coast of Utopia; was in Clint Eastwood's Oscar-nominated film Changeling Jennifer A. Johnson – chief editor of the journal Sexualization, Media, and Society Bilal Khan – Pakistani singer and actor Zachary Knighton – actor, ABC series Happy Endings Boris Kodjoe – actor, model Robert Lanham – author, best known for his book The Hipster Handbook (2003) Valerie LaPointe – director and storyboard artist for Pixar Animation Studios Debbie Matenopoulos – TV host, known for co-hosting ABC's The View, The Daily 10, and TV Guide Channel's The Screening Room Rebekah McKendry – film director Wiley Miller – cartoonist and author of the comic strip Non Sequitur Caelynn Miller-Keyes – runner-up Miss USA 2018, Bachelor and Bachelor in Paradise contestant Trevor Moore – comedian and founding member of The Whitest Kids U' Know Howard Owen – journalist, author of crime fiction and the novel Littlejohn Jay Pharoah – comedian and Saturday Night Live cast member Jon Pineda – award-winning poet and novelist Christopher Poole, aka moot – founder of 4chan Amita Rao - actress, comedian, known for Deli Boys (2025) and Adults (2025–) Kevin Powers – novelist and poet, known for The Yellow Birds (2013), a finalist for the National Book AwardKevin Powers Tom Robbins – author, best known for his novel Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (1976) Steve Segal – comic artist, animation director Ronnie Sidney, II – graphic novelist Robb Spewak – producer and radio personality for The Don and Mike Show and The Mike O'Meara Show Steve Rasnic Tem – horror fiction writer, winner of the World Fantasy, British Fantasy and Bram Stoker Awards Phil Trumbo – film animator, artist Brandon Wardell – comedian and Twitter personality Mike Wieringo – comic book artist for Marvel and DC comics; co-creator of Image Comics series Tellos
Music
Chris Adler – drummer for Lamb of God Chino Amobi – experimental electronic musician Anthony Anderson – operatic baritone singer Anhayla – singer-songwriter, guitarist Sam Beam – singer/songwriter known as Iron & Wine Bruce Bouton – country music guitarist Lucy Dacus – singer-songwriter McKinley Dixon – rapper and singer Nickelus F – rapper, producer, videographer Gwar – several founding members of the band, including Dave Brockie Gordy Haab – composer of the Star Wars video games music and multiple award winner in that genre Loston Harris – jazz pianist Darius Jones – saxophonist Emre Kartari – Turkish jazz percussionist Lamb of God – several founding members of the band Stefan Lessard – bassist for Dave Matthews Band Matthew Ramsey – songwriter, lead singer for Old Dominion Nate Smith – drummer, songwriter, producer, and three-time Grammy nominee Eric Stanley – violinist, composer Robbin Thompson – singer-songwriter Steve West – drummer of the indie rock band Pavement and front man for Marble Valley
Science
Hunter "Patch" Adams – founder of the Gesundheit! Institute and subject of the movie Patch Adams Arpana Agrawal – psychiatric geneticist and professor of psychiatry, 2018 Theodore Reich Young Investigator Award Beatriz Amendola – Uruguayan-American radiation oncologist Meike Bartels – behavioral geneticist, known for research on the genetics of happiness Mary Baughman – physician, medical school professor, and clubwoman Baruj Benacerraf – winner of the 1980 Nobel Prize in Medicine, class of 1945 Frederick Bieber – Canadian-American geneticist currently serving as senior medical geneticist at Brigham and Women's Hospital, member of the Faculty of Medicine at Harvard University William Chivous Bostic Sr., class of 1905 Kathleen T. Brady – psychiatrist Lorna Breen – physician Caroline Orr Bueno (PhD) – social and behavioral sciences researcher specializing in disinformation networks Georgia Chenevix-Trench – cancer researcher who investigates genetic predispositions to cancer Anne L. Coleman – chair of the Department of Ophthalmology and Director of the Stein Eye Institute at University of California, Los Angeles Joseph DeJarnette – director of Western State Hospital, physician and eugenicist