This is a list of notable University of Albany people.
Notable alumni Arts Phoebe Adams (MFA 1978), painter and sculptor Sally Sheinman, painter, installation artist, digital artist
Business Steven Berkowitz (1980), former senior vice president of Microsoft Online Services, and CEO of MOVE Lisa Lillien (1987), entrepreneur"Lisa Lillien, B.A.’87; Back to Her Roots " Edward A. Maher (1867), president of the Third Avenue Railway Norman E. Snyder (1983), co-founder of SoBe Ronn Torossian (1995), CEO of 5W Public Relations, the 13th largest PR agency in the US Hamdi Ulukaya, founder and CEO of Chobani Tony Vinciquerra (1977), former CEO of Fox Entertainment Group and current CEO and chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment Jang Young-sik (PhD 1970), economist, former president of the Korea Electric Power Company
Education
Peter Afflerbach, literacy researcher and professor of education Herman Aguinis (1993), George Washington University School of Business professor and 77th president of the Academy of Management Julie Ancis, Distinguished Professor of Informatics at the New Jersey Institute of Technology"Julie Ancis" Henrietta Ash Bancroft (1843–1929), graduate, Albany State Normal School (1878); professor, Albion College Delia E. Wilder Carson (1833–1917), art educator Michael R. Gottfredson, former president of the University of Oregon Lucy Stedman Lamson (1857–1926), businesswoman, educator Harris Pastides, 29th president of the University of South Carolina
Government, law, and public policy Mike Arcuri (1981), former district attorney for Oneida County, New York; former representative for New York's 24th congressional district Catherine Bertini (1971), former executive director, United Nations World Food Programme; fellow of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Kevin Chambers (BA 1997), associate deputy attorney general in the Biden administration Rosa Clemente, 2008 Green Party vice presidential candidate Scott de la Vega, acting United States secretary of interior under Joe Biden Abdirahman Mohamud Farole (1990), former president of the Puntland region of Somalia Lewis A. Fidler (1975), politician and New York City councilman"Lew Fidler remembered as fighter, fan and friend by former staffers" Christopher Hahn (BA 1994), Fox News contributor and syndicated radio host Lansing Hotaling (1856), district attorney of Albany County; member of the New York State Assembly Gerald Jennings, mayor of Albany, New York Benjamin Kallos, lawyer and politician Jonathan Kanter (1995), lawyer, assistant attorney general for the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) from 2021 to 2024, during the administration of President Joe Biden"Former Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter" Lawrence Korb (PhD 1969), Council on Foreign Relations and Center for American Progress; assistant secretary of defense (1981–85) Garreth Lynch, member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives) Seth Marnin (BA, MA), judge, New York Court of Claims (2023–present), and first openly transgender male judge in the United States John M. McHugh (MPA 1977), congressman from New York's 23rd congressional district (1993–2009); U.S. secretary of the Army (2009–2015) Harvey Milk (1951), gay rights figure; former San Francisco city supervisor; assassinated in 1978 Susan Molinari (BA 1980, MA 1982), former New York congresswoman, Staten Island Zina Lisandrou Panagidi (MSc, 1993), former mayor of Lefkoniko Joseph E. Persico (1952), best-selling author of Nuremberg: Infamy on Trial; biographer of Edward R. Murrow, Nelson Rockefeller, William Casey; former Nelson Rockefeller speechwriter John D. Porcari (1985), deputy U.S. secretary of transportation under the Obama administration; former Maryland secretary of transportation Thomas Roach, mayor of White Plains, New York Angelo L. Santabarbara (BS, 2001), New York state assemblyman from New York's 111th district (2013–present) Martin M. Solomon, lawyer, judge, and politician"HON. MARTIN M. SOLOMON" Louis R. Tobacco (1994), New York state assemblyman (62nd District) Christine A. Varney (1977), assistant attorney general; United States Department of Justice Antitrust Division Mark Weprin (BA 1983), former member of the New York State Assembly and New York City Council Richard C. Wesley (1971), judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals, 2nd Circuit Lee M. Zeldin (BA 2001), US representative from New York's 1st congressional district (2015–2023); New York state senator from New York's 3rd district (2011–2014)
Journalism Tom Junod (1980), journalist and writer for Esquire magazine since 1997 Brian Lehrer, host of The Brian Lehrer Show on WNYC Gloria Rojas, journalist Bob Ryan (1967), former lead weatherman, WRC-TV (Channel 4, NBC affiliate in Washington, D.C.) Adrianne Baughns-Wallace, television journalist, WFSB, Channel 3 in Hartford, Connecticut, EssenceTelevision, WPIX-TV in New York City
Literature Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, author of the books Friday Black and Chain-Gang All-Stars Emma Lee Benedict (1857–1937), editor, educator, author Marcia Brown, children's author Lawrence J. Epstein, author Stephen Adly Guirgis (1990), playwright (Jesus Hopped the A Train, Our Lady of 121st Street) Joyce Hinnefeld, writer of fiction and nonfiction Jeffrey Levine, poet, publisher, musician, and attorney"A POETIC CALLING" Lyn Lifshin, poet and teacher"Honoring Lyn Lifshin" Gregory Maguire (1976), author of the books Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister and Wicked (which became a Broadway musical) Paul Pines, poet, writer, memoirist; founded The Tin Palace, a jazz nightclub on the Bowery in New York City, and the Jazz at the Lake: Lake George Jazz Weekend Radclyffe (Dr. Lenora Ruth Barot), writer and editor of lesbian romance, paranormal romance, erotica and mystery; founder and publisher of Bold Stroke Books Karen Schwabach (also uses the pen name Sage Blackwood), author of children's books and young adult fiction"Sydney Taylor Manuscript Award Speech; A Pickpocket's Tale" Tricia Springstubb, children's book and middle grade author
Performing arts and broadcasting Priya Anand, Indian film actress and model Awkwafina, aka Nora Lum (2011), rapper, television personality, and actress Lisa Barlow, businesswoman and television personality (The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City) Edward Burns, film actor and director Carolee Carmello (1983), Broadway actress and singer Randy Cohen (1971), former writer for Late Night with David Letterman; currently writes "The Ethicist" column for the New York Times Magazine and answers ethical questions from listeners of All Things Considered Jamie Gold (1991), television producer and 2006 World Series of Poker Main Event Champion Harold Gould (1947), actor (The Sting, Rhoda, Golden Girls) Rosaline Greene, actress"Rosaline Greene, Alpha Epsilon Phi, #NotableSororityWoman, #WHM2021" franbecque.com. Steve Guttenberg, film actor Randye Kaye, author, radio talk show host, and voice actress Brian Lehrer (1973), radio talk show host Monte Lipman, record executive and film producer"Monte and Avery Lipman Deliver University of Albany Commencement Speech," Billboard. Brandon Jay McLaren (2002), television actor Josh Ostrovsky (2006), social media personality, actor, entrepreneur Ignacyo Matynia (2013), film and television actor (Break Every Chain) Michael Nolin (1970), film studio executive; producer of Mr. Holland's Opus; screenwriter of Maniac Magee; professor at Savannah College of Art and Design John Ortiz, film and TV actor (The Job, Carlito's Way, Miami Vice, American Gangster) Stacey Prussman (1992), actress, radio host, stand-up comedian, 2021 New York City mayoral candidate Howard Reig (1942), radio and television announcer Marie Roda, television personality (The Real World, The Challenge) Japhe Tejeda, singer-songwriter ("The Boy Is Mine", "Don't Wanna Be a Player"), member of 90s R&B quartet 1 Accord signed to A&M Records Frank Whaley, film and television actor D.B. Woodside (1991), actor (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 24, Lucifer, Single Ladies)
Science Frances E. Allen (1954), IBM Fellow, Turing Award winner (2006) Sallie W. Chisholm (PhD 1974), biological oceanographer and professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology Alan M. Davis (1970), IEEE Fellow for contributions to software engineering; author; entrepreneur; pomologist; horticulturalist Lois Privor-Dumm (1986), director, Alliances and Information for PneumoADIP, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Myriam Gorospe, scientist, head of the RNA Regulation Section at the National Institute on Aging Coby Schal (1976), Polish-born American entomologist"Coby Schal, ESA Fellow (2006)," The Entomological Society of America. Alanna Schepartz (1982), Milton Harris Professor of Chemistry at Yale University and Director, Yale Chemical Biology Institute; Fellow, American Academy of Arts & Sciences Celal Sengor (1982), Turkish geologist, foreign member of the American Philosophical Society Omar M. Yaghi (1985), James and Neeltje Tretter Chair Professor of Chemistry and co-director of the Kavli Energy NanoSciences Institute at University of California, Berkeley; recipient of the American Chemical Society Chemistry of Materials Award (2009), 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry Calvin Zippin (1947), cancer epidemiologist, biostatistician, and professor emeritus in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of California School of Medicine in San Francisco"Calvin and Patricia Zippin Endowment Scholarship - JST," University at Albany.
Social sciences Robert H. Babcock (BA 1953, MA 1957), historian Anne Case (BA), economist Philip B. Coulter (PhD 1966), political scientist Peter Allen Golden, author, historian, journalist, and blogger Debra Hope (PhD 1990), clinical psychologist David Pietrusza (BA 1971, MA 1972), historian and author William J. Taverner (1990), author, sexologist, editor of the American Journal of Sexuality Education Gerhard Weinberg (1948), diplomatic and military historian
Sports Rashad Barksdale (2007), NFL cornerback Dave Clawson (MA, 1990), head football coach, Wake Forest Dave Cohen (1990), football coach"Dave Cohen," godeacs.com. Bouna Coundoul (attended 2002-04), Senegalese international soccer goalkeeper James Jones (BA 1986, MA 1995), Head Coach of the Yale University Men's Basketball Team Jordan Levine, professional lacrosse player Ashley Massaro, professional wrestler Brett Queener (2007), professional lacrosse player Joe Resetarits, professional lacrosse player Rob Senderoff (1995), college basketball coach" Rob Senderoff," Kent State Sports. Jason Siggers (born 1985), basketball player in the Israel Basketball Premier League Lyle Thompson, professional lacrosse player, two-time Tewaaraton Award Winner Tara VanDerveer (attended 1971–72), head women's basketball coach at Stanford University; member of Naismith Memorial and Women's Basketball Halls of Fame Jarren Williams, NFL defensive back
Other Arlene Istar Lev (1986), family therapist and author of Transgender Emergence: Therapeutic Guidelines for Working with Gender-Variant People and their Families Suzanne Lyall, sophomore who disappeared after getting off a bus at Collins Circle in 1998 Philip Markoff (2007), deceased, accused "Craigslist Killer" Raymond F. Shields Jr. (1986), Adjutant General of New York Peter Turkson, cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church
Notable faculty Frances Dorothy Acomb, historian Manuel Alvar (1977–1998), head of the Spanish Royal Academy; known for his linguistic atlases of Spain and Spanish South America Branka Arsić, scholar of American literature, won the Modern Language Association's James Russell Lowell Prize in 2016 Gonzalo Torrente Ballester (1966–70), Spanish novelist (1910–1999); won Cervantes Prize in 1985