The Washington State University Alumni Association defines an alumnus as anyone who was a student at WSU and is no longer attending. This page lists accomplished alumni and faculty members of WSU.

Nobel laureates Norman Borlaug, Nobel Peace Prize, 1970, recipient for "Green Revolution", honorary doctorate recipient from WSU Irwin Rose, 1948, 2004 Nobel Prize in Chemistry winner for research in immune defense and proteins; first year of undergraduate study was at WSU; received WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2005 Mario Vargas Llosa, recipient of 2010 Nobel Prize in Literature, visiting faculty, 1968–69

Notable alumni

Academe Judith A. Bense, academic; president of University of West Florida Howard Bowen, 1929 B.A. economics, 1933 M.A. economics, former president of Claremont University Center, University of Iowa, Grinnell College and American Association of Higher Education; received WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1965 David Comer, consultant in field of circuit design for IBM, Intel, Lawrence Livermore National Labs, and Mobility Systems Inc. Gordon G. Gallup, psychologist at University at Albany's Psychology Department in biopsychology program Weldon Gibson, 1938 B.A. business administration, executive vice president of Stanford Research Institute; received WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1979 Henry Heald, 1923 B.S. civil engineering, president of Ford Foundation, New York University, Illinois Institute of Technology, and American Society for Engineering Education; received WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1962 W. Hudson Kensel, historian of American West David Miller, Seattle architect; co-founder of Miller/Hull Partnership; architecture professor at University of Washington; chair of UW Department of Architecture 2007–15 George B. Thomas, former professor of mathematics at MIT; best known for being author of widely used calculus textbook Jon Wefald, former president of Kansas State University Raymond L. Williams, Hispanic studies scholar at the University of California, Riverside

Animal husbandry Helen Elaine Freeman, conservationist and endangered species advocate; specialized in saving snow leopards Ivan Peterson, 1942 D.V.M., member of Alpha Tau Omega; president of Sphinx Club and of Crimson Court; veterinarian in California; worked with television series Lassie; friend to Jane Goodall and helped sponsor her chimpanzee research

The arts, literature and media Sherman Alexie, 1994 B.A. American studies, author and filmmaker; received WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2003 Rudy Autio, sculptor, best known for figurative ceramic vessels Cindy Brunson, 1996 B.A. communications/broadcasting, ESPN anchor, Pac-12 Networks commentator Ana Cabrera, 2004 B.A. communications, CNN reporter and anchor Betty Feves, artist Deborah Gardner, Peace Corps volunteer murdered in Tonga in 1976; subject of American Taboo by Philip Weiss Art Gilmore, 1931, voice actor and announcer Keith Jackson, 1954 B.A. sports communications, ABC-TV sports commentator; received WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1978 Edward Kienholz, pop art installation artist Grace Kim, cofounder of Schemata Workshop architecture firm in Seattle; cohousing expert; author of The Survival Guide to Architectural Internship and Career Development; commissioner of the Seattle Planning Commission Gary Larson, 1972 B.A. communications, Far Side cartoonist; received WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1990 Dolph Lundgren, Swedish actor, studied chemical engineering for a year at Washington State Scott MacDonald, television actor Patrick F. McManus, outdoor humor writer; studied at Washington State College before it became Washington State University Edward R. Murrow, 1930 B.A. speech, journalist for CBS; "father of television news broadcasting"; WWII radio correspondent; Hear It Now radio program host; See It Now television program host; received WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1963 Krist Novoselic, 2016 B.S. social sciences, founding member and bassist for grunge band Nirvana Eric Saindon, B.A. 1996, winner of the 2022 Academy Award for Best Visual Effects for his work as a visual effects supervisor on the film Avatar: The Way of Water while working for Wētā FX Barry Serafin, 1964 B.A. humanities, Emmy Award winning CBS and ABC News correspondent; received WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1991. D. C. Simpson, creator of webcomic Ozy and Millie and political cartoon I Drew This Clyfford Still, 1935 MFA, abstract expressionist painter Frances Yeend, lyric soprano opera singer

Business Paul Allen, 1977 (1973–75), co-founder of Microsoft; owner of Vulcan Enterprises, Seattle Seahawks and Portland Trail Blazers; philanthropist; received WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1999 Gary Dahl, businessman and inventor of the pet rock Jamie Kern Lima, 1999 B.A. business administration, co-founder of IT Cosmetics Robert L. Phillips, 1976 B.A. economics and B.A. mathematics author, entrepreneur and professor

Government, law and politics

Svend Auken, 1962, Danish politician, minister of Environmental Affairs 1993–2001 Bob Brogoitti, Oregon state representative John C. Early, American colonial administrator in the Philippines John Folger, 1914 B.S. horticulture, 1917 M.S. horticulture, US Ambassador to Belgium 1957–59; member of board of governors of New York Stock Exchange; president of Investment Bankers Association of America; chaired GOP National Finance Committee; received WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1963 Walt Horan, politician; Republican member of United States House of Representatives for ten terms Mike Lowry, 1962 B.A. general studies, former governor of Washington Jim Moeller, politician from Washington, serves in Washington State House of Representatives representing 49th Legislative District Sid Morrison, 1954 B.S. horticulture, US congressman, 1981–93, Washington's 4th District Patty Murray, 1972 B.A. physical education, US senator representing Washington Marshall Neill, 1936 B.A. political science, federal district court judge; Washington State Supreme Court judge; received WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1979 Travis Nelson, Democrat representing Oregon's 44th House district in the Oregon Legislature George Nethercutt, 1967 B.A. English, US congressman, 1995–2005 Eugene Prince, 1952 Agr. Eng., State representative Sam Reed, 2000–2013 Washington secretary of state Robert A. Roe, Democrat representing New Jersey in US House of Representatives for over 23 years Jim Youngsman, member of the Washington House of Representatives

Humanities Gary J. Coleman, general authority of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Anthony Curcio, 2004 social sciences, author and youth speaker; athlete; became notorious criminal known as D.B. Tuber after masterminding armored car robbery; has since devoted life to educating youth on drug addiction Timothy Leary, 1946 M.S. psychology Laurence Peter, 1963 Ed.D., co-author of international best seller The Peter Principle: Why Things Go Wrong; author of three sequels, The Peter Prescription, The Peter Plan, and The Peter Pyramid; received WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1980 William Julius Wilson, 1966 Ph.D. sociology, wrote The Truly Disadvantaged: The Inner City, the Underclass and Public Policy and The Declining Significance of Race; one of nine people to receive National Medal of Science; received WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1988

Military James Fleming, colonel in US Air Force; helicopter pilot; Medal of Honor recipient for life-saving actions at Duc Co, South Vietnam in 1968 Charles Ross Greening, 1936 B.S. Fine Arts, colonel in US Air Force; captained the Hari Kari-er in the Doolittle Raid of Japan Vernon J. Kondra, 1961 B.S. Biology, Air Force lieutenant general, Gulf War, led the largest air lift operation in history Dale Noyd, decorated captain and fighter pilot in US Air Force who gained worldwide attention when he became conscientious objector to protest Vietnam War Sigmund R. Petersen, 1961 B.S. in civil engineering, rear admiral in National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps (NOAA Corps); fourth director of NOAA Corps (1990–1995) Ronald J. Shurer II, 2001 B.A. Business Administration, staff sergeant and US Army Special Forces medic; recipient of the Medal of Honor for actions in the Battle of Shok Valley, 2008 in Afghanistan

Science, space and technology John Abelson, 1960 B.S. physics, co-founder and president of Agouron Pharmaceuticals; through rational drug design developed Viracept, leading drug used for controlling HIV infections, which cut death rate in half among AIDS patients in the mid-1990s; nephew of Philip Abelson and Neva Abelson; received the WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2004 Neva Abelson, 1934 B.S. chemistry, developed blood test for Rh disease; wife of Philip Abelson; received WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1989 Philip Abelson, 1933 B.S. chemistry, 1935 M.S. physics, "father of the nuclear-fueled submarine"; Manhattan Project participant; editor of Science; husband of Neva Abelson; received WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1962 Gary L. Bennett, scientist and engineer, specializing in aerospace and energy Jacob Bigeleisen, 1941 M.S. chemistry, founder of modern school of isotope chemistry; Manhattan Project participant; researcher at Brookhaven National Laboratory; vice president for research, dean of Graduate Studies and chemistry professor at State University of New York at Stony Brook; received WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1983 William A. Bugge, 1922 B.S. civil engineering, Washington director of highways 1949–63; project director for design and construction of Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) System in San Francisco; received WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1980 Jeffery Dagle, B.S., M.S.; electrical engineer; fellow of the IEEE John Fabian, 1962 B.S. mechanical engineering, NASA astronaut; received WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1983 Hary Gunarto, 1988 Ph.D. electrical & computer engineering, Professor Emeritus of Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, Japan Sharon Hillier, 1982 Ph.D. Bacteriology and Public Health, faculty member of University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Charles Glen King, 1918 B.S. chemistry, leading authority on Vitamin C; received WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1964 Simon S. Lam, 1969 B.S. electrical engineering, 2004 ACM SIGCOMM Award winner; member of National Academy of Engineering Krist Novoselic, 2016 B.S social science; former bassist from punk rock band Nirvana & Sweet 75; FAA licensed Pilot Wajih Owais, Jordanian professor and researcher; chairman of board of directors of King Abdullah University Hospital;t President of Jordan University of Science and Technology Martin Pall, professor emeritus of biochemistry and basic medical sciences, specializing in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and multiple chemical sensitivity Irwin Rose, 1948, 2004 Nobel Prize in Chemistry winner for research in immune defense and proteins; discoveries may lead to development of drugs to combat Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, cystic fibrosis, and cervical cancer; first year of undergraduate study was at WSU; received WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2005 Karl Sax, 1916 B.S. horticulture, radiation biologist and geneticist; received WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1966 Edmund Schweitzer, 1977 Ph.D. electrical engineering, founder of Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories Melissa Skala, 2002 B.S., cancer researcher and Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the Morgridge Institute for Research Orville Vogel, 1939 Ph.D. agronomy, wheat breeder whose findings sparked "Green Revolution"; received WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1977 Allan Wilson, 1957 M.S. zoology, evolutionist; received WSU Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1990