The following is a list of notable alumni and faculty of Northeastern University.
Alumni
Business
Nikesh Arora – chairman and chief executive officer of Palo Alto Networks Jeff Bornstein – CFO, General Electric Robert A. Brooks – founder and CEO, Brooks Fiber Properties George Chamillard – former CEO, Teradyne, Inc. Jeff Clarke – former CEO of Kodak Jeff Cooper – COO and co-founder, EPOX-Z Corporation Bob Davis – CEO and founder, Lycos Richard Egan – co-founder, EMC Shawn Fanning – founder, Napster Jerald G. Fishman – CEO, Analog Devices Roland Fomundam – agricultural entrepreneur, CEO of MoonLight Mining and Restoration Company George Kariotis – founder, Alpha Industries Amin Khoury – founder and CEO, B/E Aerospace Andrew Left – activist short seller Roger Marino – co-founder of EMC; former part-owner of Pittsburgh Penguins Alan McKim – CEO and founder, Clean Harbors Larry Meyer – CEO, Uniqlo USA Srinath Narayanan – principal, Canaccord Adams Marc Raibert – founder and CEO, Boston Dynamics Jeffrey Rosen – billionaire businessman Peter W. Smith – investment banker, Republican activist Sy Sternberg – chairman and former CEO, New York Life Insurance Company Biz Stone – co-founder of Twitter
Government and politics Jayson P. Ahern – deputy commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection Olubanke King Akerele – Liberian foreign minister George F. Archambault – pharmacy liaison officer for the United States Public Health Service Demetrius J. Atsalis – member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives (1999–2013) Thomas Calter – member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives (2007–2018) Christie Carpino – member of the Connecticut House of Representatives David Chu – member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong (1997–2004) and the 9th and 10th National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China Cheryl A. Coakley-Rivera – member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives (1999–2014) Mo Cowan – U.S. senator of Massachusetts Robert DeLeo – former speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives (2009–2020) Harold Daniel Donohue – member of the U.S. House of Representatives (1947–1974) Patrick Duddy – U.S. ambassador Richard Egan – U.S. ambassador David Ferriero – 10th archivist of the United States Thomas Finneran – former speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives (1996–2004) Zandra Flemister – first African-American woman to serve as a U.S. Secret Service agent Gordon D. Fox – majority leader of the Rhode Island House of Representatives (2010–2014) Peter Franchot – comptroller of Maryland Maggie Hassan – governor of New Hampshire (2013–2017) and the current junior United States senator from New Hampshire Maura Healey – governor of Massachusetts (2023–present) and Massachusetts attorney general (2015–2023) Russell Holmes – member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives (2011–present) Roderick L. Ireland – Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court chief justice Edward Jackamonis – speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly James Franklin Jeffrey – U.S. ambassador Lyndon LaRouche – perennial presidential candidate Hadassah Lieberman – wife of Connecticut Senator Joseph Lieberman Ron Mariano – speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives Adnan Aurangzeb Miangul – former Pakistani parliament member and prince of Swat, Pakistan Paul Parks – Massachusetts secretary of education (1975–1979) John O. Pastore – governor of Rhode Island Ari Porth – member of the Florida House of Representatives Larry Ross – member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives Theodore Speliotis – member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives Karen Spilka – member of the Massachusetts State Senate Wallace Stickney – director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency under President George H. W. Bush Thomas Winkowski – former acting commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP); former principal deputy assistant secretary for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Leslie Winner – North Carolina state senator Maynard L. Young Jr. – member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives
Judiciary Margot Botsford – justice, Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Linda Dalianis – justice, New Hampshire Supreme Court Dana Fabe – chief justice, Alaska Supreme Court Edward Hennessey – justice, Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Landya B. McCafferty – chief judge, United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire Victoria A. Roberts – senior judge, United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan Peter T. Zarella – justice, Connecticut Supreme Court
Science and technology Hans Baumann – inventor and engineer Hans R. Camenzind – inventor of the 555 timer IC Richard P. Gabriel – expert on the Lisp programming language Jerome F. Hajjar – civil engineer Gregory Jarvis – astronaut Eugene F. Lally – aerospace engineer, photographer, entrepreneur Yale Patt – engineer Albert Sacco – astronaut
Military Mark P. Fitzgerald – United States Navy admiral Richard I. Neal – United States Marine Corps general
Journalism and communications Ernie Anastos – New York City TV news anchorman Eddie Andelman – sports radio talk show host (MBA) Bill Barnwell – sportswriter, ESPN, Grantland Michelle Bonner – ESPN/CNN/FOX Sports anchor, reporter Fred Cusick – sportscaster Richard Daniels – former president, Boston Globe Nat Hentoff – contributing editor, The New Yorker Magazine Will McDonough – sportswriter, Boston Globe Don Orsillo – TV broadcaster Walter V. Robinson – investigative journalist, 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service recipient Michael Slackman – international managing editor, The New York Times Molly White – technology writer and Wikipedia editor
Arts and entertainment
Al Barile – singer, guitarist for hardcore punk band SS Decontrol Earle Brown – composer, developed open-form scores Joy Browne – radio talk show host Jose F. Buscaglia – philosopher, historian, social scientist Terry Carter – actor, Sgt. Joe Broadhurst in McCloud and Colonel Tigh in the original Battlestar Galactica Carla Cook – Grammy-nominated jazz vocalist Jane Curtin – actress, comedian, and founding member of Saturday Night Live Michael J. Epstein – filmmaker and musician Martín Espada – poet Damien Fahey – former host of the MTV program TRL Toby Fox – game developer and composer, creator of Undertale and Deltarune Alex Garcia – Food Network chef Meredith Garniss – visual artist and landscape painter Sidney Gish – singer/songwriter Elliot Grainge – CEO of Atlantic Records Alan Catello Grazioso (B.S. '92) – Daytime Emmy Awards–nominated television producer, podcast executive producer and host, and 2× Webby Awards-nominated online content creator
Mohammed Saeed Harib – creator of Freej"The Q&A: Mohammed Saeed Harib, animator." The Economist. August 10, 2011. Retrieved on March 29, 2012. Courtney Hunt – writer and director, whose film Frozen River was nominated for an Academy Award Plane Jane – drag queen and contestant on RuPaul's Drag Race season 16Maddy Morphosis (April 25, 2024). PLANE JANE | Give It To Me Straight | Ep 37. Event occurs at 27:08. Retrieved August 11, 2026 – via YouTube Beverly Johnson – supermodel and actress Aisha Kahlil – dancer, singer Barbara Kopple – documentary filmmaker Diana Lemieux – freelance photographer Patrice O'Neal – comedian and actor Peter Orner – fiction writer Jillian Wheeler – singer/songwriter Wendy Williams – radio and television, host of The Wendy Williams Show
Academia and nonprofit William M. Fowler – author, professor, and former director of the Massachusetts Historical Society Michael R. Lane – 15th president of Emporia State University Beulah Providence – non-profit founder Yuliya Snihur – professor and researcher at IESE Business School Dean Tong – author and consultant Michael L. Tushman – organizational theorist, professor at Harvard Business School Elizabeth Yeampierre – attorney and environmental activist
Sports
Peyton Anderson - PWHL, Minnesota Frost Zachary Aston-Reese – NHL, Pittsburgh Penguins Chloe Aurard - PWHL, New York Sirens, Boston Fleet José Juan Barea – Dallas Mavericks, NBA Harry Barnes – San Diego Rockets, NBA Ed Barry – Boston Bruins, National Hockey League (NHL) Sandy Beadle – Winnipeg Jets, NHL Bruce Bickford – gold medal-winning distance runner Randy Bucyk – Montreal Canadiens, Calgary Flames, NHL Joe Callahan – Boston Bees, MLB Bob Cappadona – former NFL running back Megan Carter - PWHL, Toronto Scepters, Seattle Torrent, PWHL Las Vegas Lynn Chiavaro – basketball player and coach Art Chisholm – Boston Bruins, NHL Rob Cowie – Los Angeles Kings, NHL Kendall Coyne Schofield - PWHL, Minnesota Frost, two-time USA Olympic gold-medalist Jerome Daniels – Miami Dolphins, Baltimore Ravens, Arizona Cardinals Jim Fahey – NHL defenseman, New Jersey Devils Amber Ferreira – professional triathlete Aerin Frankel - PWHL, Boston Fleet, USA Olympic gold-medalist Tony Fryklund – professional mixed martial arts fighter Adam Gaudette – Hobey Baker Award recipient, NHL center, Vancouver Canucks Chelsey Goldberg – ice hockey player, Boston Blades, CWHL Scott Gruhl – Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL Jordan Harris (born 2000) – Montreal Canadiens, NHL Brooke Hobson - PWHL, Ottawa Charge "Wild" Bill Hunnefield – Major League Baseball (MLB) Skylar Irving - PWHL, Montreal Victoire Shawn James – professional basketball player for Maccabi Tel Aviv Sean Jones – National Football League Reema Juffali – Saudi Arabian racing driver Saja Kamal – Saudi Arabian footballer Katy Knoll - PWHL, Minnesota Frost, PWHL Las Vegas Denisa Krizova - PWHL, Minnesota Frost, Vancouver Goldeneyes, New York Sirens, Czech Olympian Steven Langton – Olympian (bobsled) Dave Leitao – college basketball coach Sarah Levy (born 1995) – Olympic bronze medalist, rugby union and rugby sevens player Reggie Lewis – Boston Celtics Madison Mailey – Olympic gold medalist (rowing) Pat Mason – college baseball coach at Virginia Tech Dan McGillis – NHL defenseman Perry Moss – 1986 Washington Bullets, Philadelphia 76ers, 1987 Golden State Warriors Alina Muller - PWHL, Boston Fleet, PWHL Hamilton, two-time Swiss Olympic bronze-medalist Maureen Murphy - PWHL, Montreal Victoire, PWHL Las Vegas Chris Nilan – Montreal Canadiens, Boston Bruins, New York Rangers Jamie Oleksiak – NHL, Dallas Stars Adam Ottavino – 1st-round pick in 2006 MLB draft, pitcher for St. Louis Cardinals (2010), Colorado Rockies (2012–2018), New York Yankees (2019–2020) Boston Red Sox (2021–present) Carlos Peña – MLB first baseman/outfielder, Oakland Athletics, Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, Tampa Bay Rays Gwyneth Phillips - PWHL, Ottawa Charge, USA Olympic gold-medalist David Poile – NHL executive Bruce Racine – NHL goaltender, St. Louis Blues Dan Ross – NFL Cincinnati Bengals and Super Bowl record setter Michael Ryan – NHL left winger, Buffalo Sabres Hayley Scamurra - PWHL, Ottawa Charge, Toronto Sceptres, Montreal Victoire, PWHL Las Vegas, USA Olympic gold-medalist Florence Schelling – goaltender for the Switzerland's women's ice hockey team Cam Schlittler – MLB pitcher, New York Yankees (2025–present) Dylan Sikura – NHL center, Chicago Blackhawks Brian Sullivan – NHL, 1992–93 New Jersey Devils Harry Swartz (born 1996) – soccer player Josh Heinrich Taves – NFL football player, 2000–02, Oakland Raiders and Carolina Panthers Brad Thiessen – NHL, Pittsburgh Penguins Jocko Thompson – MLB pitcher, 1948–51 Philadelphia Phillies Johnny Tobin – MLB, 1932 New York Giants Shaun Tomson (born 1955) – South African world champion surfer Joe Vitale – NHL, center for Pittsburgh Penguins Jason Vosler (born 1993) – baseball third baseman for the San Francisco Giants Ashley Wagner (born 1991) – figure skater Kurt Walker – NHL, 1975–78 Toronto Maple Leafs Jim Walsh – Buffalo Sabres, NHL