This is a list of people connected to the University at Buffalo. There are more than 260,000 living alumni of UB. Notable alumni include the CEOs of Paramount Pictures and A+E Networks, two NASA astronauts, a recipient of the Edward R. Murrow Award, and a former prime minister. UB is one of the only two institutions of higher learning in the United States which were founded by a U.S. president (Millard Fillmore), the other being the University of Virginia.
Notable faculty This list includes both present and former faculty members.
Nobel laureates Name Known for Relationship to University at Buffalo Ronald H. Coase Winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics (1991) Professor (1951–1958) J. M. Coetzee South African author and winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature (2003) Professor (1968–1971)Carl Ferdinand Cori Winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (1947) Adjunct assistant professor Sir John Carew Eccles Australian winner of the Nobel Prize in Medicine (1963) for discoveries concerning the ionic mechanisms involved in excitation and inhibition in the peripheral and central portions of the nerve cell membrane (synapse) Distinguished Professor of Physiology and Biophysics (1968–1975) Herbert A. Hauptman Winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry (1985) Research professor of Biophysical Sciences, director of the Medical Foundation of Buffalo
Award recipients
Name Known for Relationship to University at BuffaloOm P. Bahl Molecular biologist, honored with the Padma Bhushan in 1973 for his contributions to science and engineering Former professor and chair of the Department of Biological Sciences John Barth Author known for his postmodern works, such as The Sot-Weed Factor, Lost in the Funhouse, and Chimera; winner of the National Book Award Professor (1965–1973)Robert Conquest Poet honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom Visiting poet and lecturer in English (1959–60) Robert Creeley Poet and winner of the Bollingen Prize for poetry Andreas W. Daum Humboldt Prize winner and historian ProfessorDavid Del Tredici Composer and Pulitzer Prize winner Samuel R. Delany Hugo Award-winning author and literary critic Carl Dennis Poet and winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry Professor Irving Feldman Poet and MacArthur Foundation fellow Professor (1962–2004)Amit Goyal Materials scientist, National Academy of Engineering and winner of the Ernest Orlando Lawrence Award SUNY Distinguished Professor Stephen McKinley Henderson Obie Award winner and Tony Award-nominated stage and screen actor; veteran performer of playwright August Wilson's ouvre Professor and former chair of the Department of Theater and DanceEdmund Klein Dermatologist and winner of the Lasker Award Research professorEli Ruckenstein Materials scientist, National Academy of Engineering and winner of the National Medal of Science Former SUNY Distinguished ProfessorEsther Takeuchi Materials scientist, National Academy of Engineering and winner of the E. V. Murphree Award Richard Aaker Trythall Composer, pianist, Guggenheim Fellow and winner of the Rome Prize Professor (1972–1973)
Academia Name Known for Relationship to University at BuffaloJoseph A. Alutto Provost and interim president of Ohio State University Dean of UB School of Management (1976–1990)Warren Bennis President of the University of Cincinnati Provost (1967–71) Ludwig von Bertalanffy Austrian biologist, one of the founders of general systems theory (GST) Professor in Center for Theoretical BiologyLynne Billard President of the American Statistical Association and the International Biometric Society Visiting professorJennifer Crocker Psychologist and president of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology Professor (1985–1995) Tim Dean British philosopher, author, notable in the field of contemporary queer theory Director of the Center for the Study of Psychoanalysis and Culture Isaac Ehrlich Academic economist and researcher, founding editor-in-chief of the Journal of Human Capital Chair of the Department of EconomicsMarvin FarberChairman of Department of Philosophy 1937–1961; founder of Philosophy and Phenomenological ResearchProfessor of Philosophy Michel Foucault Historian and philosopher Visiting professor (early 1970s) René Girard Historian, literary critic, and philosopher of social science Distinguished Professor (1971–1976) Paul Goldstein Globally recognized expert on intellectual property law; awarding-winning author Professor of law (1967–1975) Charles Haynie Long-time faculty member in interdisciplinary degree programs An award was established in his name after his death in 2001.Jörg Guido Hülsmann Economist and member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts Former professorBruce Jackson Recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship (1971); was nominated for a Grammy (1974); president of the American Folklore Society (1984); chairman of the Board of Trustees of the American Folklore Center in the Library of Congress (1988–89, trustee 1984–89); and director, then trustee of the Newport Folk Foundation (1965–) SUNY Distinguished Professor; Samuel P. Capen Professor of American Culture in 1997; James Agee Professor of American Culture Robert L. Ketter Authority on earthquake engineering research and a president of UB First chairman of the Civil Engineering Department; dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences; university president 1970–1981 Paul Kurtz Founder and chairman of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (formerly the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal), the Council for Secular Humanism, the Center for Inquiry, and Prometheus Books Professor emeritus of Philosophy Olive P. Lester Fellow of the American Psychological Association Chair of the Psychology Department 1952 (1952–1956 acting)–1966; 1973 Distinguished Alumni Award David Mark Pioneer of Geographic information science SUNY Distinguished Professor Steve McCaffery Canadian poet and scholar Holds the Gray Chair at UB Lester Walter Milbrath Environmental academic and public intellectual Professor of Political Science 1965–1991Teresa MillerEstablished the Office of Inclusive Excellence and created the university's first strategic diversity and inclusion planVice provost for Inclusive Excellence (2014–2017) Charles Mingus Jazz bassist, composer, bandleader and pianist Slee Professor of Music (1971)Robert E. Paaswell Interim president of the City College of New York, CEO of the Chicago Transit Authority Professor (1964–1982) Roswell Park Founder of Roswell Park Cancer Institute Former professor of Surgery Emanuel Parzen Statistician, pioneered the use of kernel density estimation (Parzen window) Professor (1970–1978)C. R. Rao National Medal of Science honored mathematician and statistician Professor David Riesman Law scholar and sociologist Visiting professor (1937–1941) Stephen Schanuel Mathematician known for discovering "Schanuel's lemma" Professor of Mathematics Albert R. Shadle Professor Chairman of Biology Department (1919–1953) and professor of Biology Bill Siemering Director of Programming and founding program director for National Public Radio recipient of MacArthur Foundation genius grant in 1993 First professional manager of university-sponsored radio station WBFO Leo Smit Composer of contemporary classical music Former professorHarvey G. Stenger President of Binghamton University Former professor, dean, and provostJohn J. Tyson President of the Society for Mathematical Biology Former professor Craig Venter Geneticist; founder of Celera Genomics and the J. Craig Venter Institute; on Time magazine's 2007 and 2008 lists of the 100 most influential people in the world Former professorGrace Wang President of the SUNY Polytechnic Institute Former professorJon Whitmore President of Texas Tech University and San Jose State University, CEO of ACT, Inc Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Letters and professor of theatre (1985–1990) Ernst Witebsky Formulated "Witebsky's postulates" that determine whether a disease entity can be regarded as an autoimmune disease Professor and chair of the Department of Bacteriology and Immunology (1941–1967); director of the Center for Immunology (1967 until his death in 1969) Ta-You Wu Chinese physicist known as the "father of Chinese physics" and president of Academia Sinica (1983–1994) Professor and chair of the Department of Physics (1968–1983)Marvin Zelen Biostatistician and developer of Zelen's design Professor 1967–1977
Collegiate athletics
Name Known for Relationship to University at Buffalo Mark Alnutt Director of Athletics of the Buffalo Bulls Athletic director (2018–present) Warde Manuel Director of Athletics of the University of Michigan Wolverines Athletic director (2006–2012) Danny White Director of Athletics of the University of Tennessee Volunteers Athletic director (2012–2015)
Notable alumni
Law, politics, and government