The following is a list of notable Pennsylvania State University alumni since the university's founding.
Alumni Academia Michael Anesko, literary critic, writer and professor; best known for his studies of Henry James and William Dean Howells Danielle Bassett, professor at the University of Pennsylvania; youngest individual to be awarded a 2014 MacArthur fellowship Samuel Preston Bayard, musicologist; established the folklore program at Penn State Robert D. Braun, academic and aerospace engineer; Space Sector head at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory and former NASA chief technologist M. Christopher Brown II, president of Alcorn State University T. Colin Campbell, chemist and professor; Jacob Gould Schurman Professor Emeritus of Nutritional Biochemistry at Cornell University Jason De León, professor at UCLA; MacArthur Fellow (2017) Walter Dobrogosz, professor; best known for his discovery and further research on the probiotic bacterium Lactobacillus reuteri Paul M. Doty, former Mallinckrodt Professor of Biochemistry at Harvard University Thomas R. Dye, emeritus professor of Political Science at Florida State University Katherine Faber, materials scientist; Simon Ramo Professor of Materials Science at the California Institute of Technology John Friedlander, mathematician; fellow of the American Mathematical Society A. Roberto Frisancho, biological anthropologist; Arthur F. Thurnau Professor of Anthropology at the University of Michigan Roland Fryer, Robert M. Beren Professor of Economics at Harvard University, MacArthur fellow, and recipient of the John Bates Clark Medal Edwin R. Gilliland, chemical engineer; former Institute Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Joe Gow (born 1960) (attended West Chester University before transferring to New York University and later to Penn State University, from which he graduated), academic, musician, pornographic actor, and university administrator, noted for being fired as chancellor of the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse in December 2023 after being outed for filming and starring in consensual pornographic videos with his wife, which they posted to public adult websites (without ever mentioning their names, careers, or university affiliations) Susanne Hambrusch, computer scientist and professor Marci Hamilton, professor at the University of Pennsylvania Graham Harman, philosopher and academic James T. Harris III, president of Widener University John W. Heston, president of Washington State University, South Dakota State University and Dakota State University David C. Hodge, president of Miami University in Oxford, Ohio Richard Hoover, former president of Hastings College Kate Hutton, seismologist; monitored earthquakes at California Institute of Technology for 37 years Dugald C. Jackson, electrical engineer; headed the Department of Electrical Engineering of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology 1907–1935 William Jaco, mathematician; known for his role in the JSJ decomposition theorem M. Eric Johnson, dean of the Owen Graduate School of Management, Vanderbilt University Mark L. Knapp, Distinguished Teaching Professor Emeritus at the University of Texas at Austin; internationally known for his research on nonverbal communication George Koob, professor; director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Leah Krubitzer, neuroscientist; professor of Psychology at University of California, Davis and MacArthur Fellow (1998) Max G. Lagally, Erwin W. Mueller Professor and Bascom Professor of Surface Science at the University of Wisconsin–Madison Steven Leath, president of Iowa State University 2012–2017 and Auburn University 2017–2019; appointed to the National Science Board in 2018 Herbert E. Longenecker, former president of Tulane University Daniel H. Lowenstein, provost at the University of California, San Francisco Jian Ma, computer scientist and computational biologist at Carnegie Mellon University, Guggenheim Fellowship Ronald Mallett, theoretical physicist and expert on possibility of time travel Robert McGrath, director of Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute Eoin McKiernan, early scholar in Irish Studies Lane Mitchell, ceramic engineer; founded Georgia Tech's School of Materials Science and Engineering Koraly Pérez-Edgar, McCourtney Professor of Child Studies and professor of Psychology at Pennsylvania State University John Pickles, Phillips Distinguished Professor of International Studies in the Department of Geography at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Robert B. Pippin, professor at University of Chicago Jonathan K. Pritchard, genetics professor at Stanford University Tatiana Proskouriakoff, Mayanist scholar and archeologist; contributed significantly to the deciphering of Maya hieroglyphs James Purdy, scholar of digital rhetoric Merritt Roe Smith, historian; Leverett and William Cutten Professor of the History of Technology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Richard Somerville, climate scientist; Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego Charles A. Sorber, civil engineer and academic administrator George D. Stoddard, former president of the University of Illinois and the University of the State of New York; former chancellor of New York University and Long Island University Ian Waitz, vice chancellor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology William Hultz Walker, chemist and professor; former chair of industrial chemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and former president of the American Electrochemical Society James J. Whalen, former president of Ithaca College Robert E. Witt, president of University of Alabama Iris Marion Young, political and social theorist, professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago
Architecture, design, and technology Louis Astorino, architect, PNC Park, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Paul Blasingame, United States Air Force officer and engineer who played an important role in the development of the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Matt Brezina, co-founder of Xobni Robert J. Cenker, aerospace and electrical engineer; worked at RCA Astro-Electronics and its successor company GE Astro Space on a variety of spacecraft projects Stanley Cole (1948), architect, designer of Citizens Bank Park Douglas Comer, computer science professor at Purdue; designed and implemented the Xinu operating system Joe Fafard, sculptor; officer of the Order of Canada, 1981 Nelson L. Goldberg, developed the first cable system to be acquired by Comcast Selda Gunsel, chemical engineer Samuel Kurtz Hoffman, engineer who specialized in rocket propulsion; developed the F-1 engines that would power the Saturn V rocket, and later worked on the Space Shuttle Main Engine John Hoke III, chief design officer of Nike Ehsan Hoque, computer scientist and academic Jim Keller, engineer, AMD, Apple Inc. and Tesla Motors John Mashey, computer scientist and entrepreneur; developed the ASSIST assembler language teaching software while at Penn State Jef Raskin, engineer, Apple Inc.; conceived and initiated the Macintosh project at Apple in the late 1970s Der Scutt, architect; designed a number of major and notable buildings throughout New York City and the United States Harry Shoemaker, pioneer radio engineer John H. Sinfelt, chemical engineer; research on catalytic reforming was responsible for the introduction of unleaded gasoline Ross William Ulbricht, founder of the Silk Road, as "Dread Pirate Roberts"
Art and literature Diane Ackerman, poet and naturalist Steve Alten, author, MEG series, Domain series, and The Loch John Balaban, author, poet, Words for My Daughter and Locusts at the Edge of Summer John Barth, writer John T. Biggers, African-American muralist who came to prominence after the Harlem Renaissance Caroline Bowman, Broadway actress Dale Brown, bestselling author, Act of War, Battle Born, and Plan of Attack Erica Cho, artist Jeanne Clemson, theater director, stage actress, and teacher; preserved the Fulton Opera House Geffrey Davis, poet Richard Diehl (M.A. 1965, Ph.D. 1969), Mesoamerican archaeologist and academic, expert on the Olmec civilization Kathleen Frank, artist Alan Furst, novelist Jean Craighead George, Newbery Medal-winning children's author Aaron Gilbert (A.S. 2000), painter Chip Kidd, book-jacket designer Norris J. Lacy, expert on the Arthurian legend Paul Levine, novelist, Jake Lassiter crime fiction series, screenwriter, JAG and First Monday Jerome Loving (BA), professor of American Literature and Culture at the University of Texas at Austin Anderson Delano Macklin (1933–2001), artist, educator Steve McCurry, photojournalist; most known for photograph of the "Afghan Girl" in National Geographic Magazine Susan Miller, playwright, My Left Breast, two-time Obie winner, Eugene O'Neill Contest winner, Emmy nominee David Morrell, novelist, First Blood James Morrow, author Robert Neffson, artist Lynne Rae Perkins, Newbery Medal-winning children's author John Pielmeier, playwright, Agnes of God Dianne H. Pilgrim, art historian and museum professional; held research and curatorial positions at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Finch College Museum of Art, and Brooklyn Museum of Art Davis Schneiderman, writer and professor at Lake Forest College Annika Sharma, author Oliver Smith, ten-time Tony Award-winning scenic designer David Wagoner, poet; former chancellor of the Academy of American Poets Henry Wessel Jr., photographer; recipient of two Guggenheim Fellowships Sophia Wisniewska, university administrator Robert Yarber, artist
Business and industry Louis D'Ambrosio, former CEO of Sears Holdings Corporation Donald W. Davis, former CEO of Stanley Black & Decker; taught at MIT Sloan School of Management for over 20 years Robert E. Eberly, chairman of Eberly Natural Gas Co.; Penn State benefactor Herman Fisher, co-founder of Fisher-Price toy company Kenneth Frazier, chairman and CEO, Merck & Company Jacqueline Hinman, former CEO of CH2M Lloyd Huck, chairman emeritus of Merck & Company and former CEO of Nova Pharmaceutical Richard T. James, inventor of the Slinky Saad Sherida al-Kaabi, president and CEO of QatarEnergy Lewis Katz, former co-owner of The Philadelphia Inquirer, New Jersey Nets and New Jersey Devils Andrew Thomas Kearney, founder of Kearney; first partner at McKinsey & Company Albert Lord, former CEO of Sallie Mae Craig Martell, computer scientist and technology executive Mike McBath, co-founder, part-owner of the Orlando Predators Gertrude Michelson, businesswoman; first woman to head the board of trustees at an Ivy League University (Columbia) and first woman to sit on the board of Macy's and General Electric Barry Myers, former CEO of AccuWeather; nominated by Donald Trump to lead the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Joel N. Myers, founder and CEO of AccuWeather Eugene O'Kelly, former CEO of KPMG Mark Parker, executive chairman and former CEO of Nike Karen Peetz, first female president of The Bank of New York Mellon Terry Pegula, billionaire owner of the Buffalo Sabres and Buffalo Bills Alan Pottasch, advertising executive and marketer best known for his five decades of work for PepsiCo Hugh Ellsworth Rodham, textile wholesaler; father of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Lindsay Rosenwald, doctor and life-sciences industry investor William Schreyer, chairman emeritus and former CEO of Merrill Lynch; namesake of Schreyer Honors College Alan Schriesheim, former CEO of Argonne National Laboratory Joanna Shields, Baroness Shields, technology executive and former British government official Frank Smeal, partner, Goldman Sachs; namesake of Smeal College of Business Derek V. Smith, former CEO of ChoicePoint