List of University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign people

This is a list of notable people affiliated with the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, a public research university in Illinois.

Notable alumni Not all listed alumni graduated from the university, and are so noted if the information is known.

Nobel Prize winners

Edward Doisy, B.S. 1914, M.S. 1916 – Physiology or Medicine, 1943 Vincent Du Vigneaud, B.S. 1923, M.S. 1924 – Chemistry, 1955; also served as faculty member Robert W. Holley, B.A. 1942 – Physiology or Medicine, 1968 Jack Kilby, B.S. 1947 – Physics, 2000; inventor of the integrated circuit Edwin G. Krebs, B.A. 1940 – Physiology or Medicine, 1992 Polykarp Kusch, M.S. 1933, Ph.D. 1936 – Physics, 1955 John Schrieffer, M.S. 1954, Ph.D. 1957 – Physics, 1972; also served as faculty member Phillip Sharp, Ph.D. 1969 – Chemistry, 1993 Hamilton O. Smith, attended 1948-50 – Physiology or Medicine, 1978 Wendell Stanley, M.S. 1927, PhD. 1929 – Chemistry 1946 Omar M. Yaghi, Ph.D. 1990 – Chemistry, 2025 Rosalyn Yalow, M.S. 1942, Ph.D. 1945 – Physiology or Medicine, 1977

Pulitzer Prize winners Leonora LaPeter Anton, B.S. 1986 – Investigative Journalism, 2016 Barry Bearak, M.S. 1974 – International Reporting, 2002 Michael Colgrass, B.A. 1956 – Music, 1978 George Crumb, M.A. 1952 – Music, 1968 David Herbert Donald, M.A. 1942, Ph.D. 1946 – Biography, 1961 and 1988 Roger Ebert, B.S. 1964 – Criticism, 1975 Roy J. Harris, B.A. 1925 – Public Service, 1950 Beth Henley – Drama, 1981 Paul Ingrassia, B.S. 1972 – Beat Reporting, 1993 Allan Nevins, B.A. 1912, M.A. 1913 – Biography, 1933 and 1937 Richard Powers, B.A. 1978, M.A. 1980 – Fiction, 2019 James Reston, B.S. 1932 – National Reporting, 1945 and 1957 Robert Lewis Taylor, B.A. 1933 – Fiction, 1959 Carl Van Doren, B.A. 1907 – Biography, 1939 Mark Van Doren, B.A. 1914 – Poetry, 1940

Academia Notable professors and scholars Warren Ambrose, B.S. 1935, M.S. 1936, Ph.D. 1939 – mathematics, professor emeritus of mathematics at MIT; often considered one of the fathers of modern geometry Icek Ajzen, M.A. 1967, Ph.D. 1969 – social psychology, professor emeritus at University of Massachusetts Amherst; considered the most influential social psychologist; known by his work on the theory of planned behavior; by 2021 had over 350,000 citations Steven Bachrach, B.S., Ph.D. (University of California, Berkeley) – dean of science at Monmouth University, previously the Dr D. R. Semmes Distinguished Professor of Chemistry at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas George C. Baldwin, Ph.D. 1943 – theoretical and experimental physicist; professor of nuclear engineering, at General Electric Company, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and Los Alamos National Laboratory John Bardeen – Endowed Chair Emeritus in Electrical and Computer Engineering and Physics at UIUC, member of National Academy of Engineering in Electronics, Communication & Information Systems Engineering and Materials Engineering for contributions to development of semiconductor controlled rectifiers, light emitting diodes, and diode laser, two-time Nobel Prize winner in Physics for work on the transistor and then for the BCS theory of superconductivity Nancy Baym, M.A. 1988, Ph.D. 1994 – professor of communication studies at the University of Kansas Arnold O. Beckman, B.S. 1922, M.S. 1923 – former professor of chemistry at Caltech Saint Elmo Brady, Ph.D. 1916 – notable HBCU educator, first African-American to obtain a Ph.D. degree in chemistry in the United States Roger Crossgrove, M.F.A. 1951 – professor of art emeritus at the University of Connecticut John Dossey, Ph.D. 1971 – distinguished professor of mathematics at Illinois State University Paul S. Dunkin, M.A. 1931, B.S. 1935, Ph.D. 1937 – professor emeritus of library services at Rutgers University Daniel Farber, B.A. 1971, M.A. 1972, J.D. 1975 – Sho Sato Professor of Law at the UC Berkeley School of Law Abdul Haque Faridi – Bangladeshi academic Gerald R. Ferris, Ph.D. 1982 – Francis Eppes Professor of Management and professor of psychology at Florida State University Thomas Gillespie, B.S., Ph.D. (University of Florida) – professor and chair of Environmental Sciences at Emory University Jessica Greenberg – assistant professor of Anthropology and Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies Marva Griffin Carter, Ph.D. – musicologist, author, and professor of music at Georgia State University Allan Hay, Ph.D. 1955 – Tomlinson Emeritus Professor of Chemistry at McGill University Nick Holonyak, Jr., B.S. 1950, M.S. 1951, Ph.D. 1954– John Honnold, William A. Schnader Professor of Commercial Law at University of Pennsylvania Law School Frances A. Karnes, Ph.D. 1973 – Professor at University of Southern Mississippi Fakhreddine Karray – Loblaws Research Chair of Artificial Intelligence at the University of Waterloo Clark R. Landis, B.A. 1980 – academic and professor of chemistry at University of Wisconsin–Madison A.C. Littleton, B.S. 1912, M.S. 1918, Ph.D. 1931 – professor and accounting historian at University of Illinois, editor-in-chief of The Accounting Review, Accounting Hall of Fame inductee Douglas A. Melton, B.S. – biologist, Xander University Professor at Harvard University Jennifer Mercieca, Ph.D. – rhetorical scholar and professor at Texas A&M University, author of Demagogue for president: The Rhetorical Genius of Donald Trump Michael Moore – professor of theoretical physics at the University of Manchester Andrew R. Neureuther – professor of electrical engineering and computer sciences at the University of California, Berkeley James Purdy – scholar of digital rhetoric Nora C. Quebral, Ph.D. – proponent of the development communication discipline; Professor Emeritus of development communication at University of the Philippines Los Baños Mark Reckase – University Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Michigan State University Maurice H. Rees – medical educator and dean of University of Colorado School of Medicine 1925–1945 Bernard Rosenthal, Ph.D. 1968 – professor emeritus of English at Binghamton University Clifford E. Singer – professor emeritus and director of the Program in Arms Control, Disarmament, and International Security Jessie Carney Smith, Ph.D. 1964 – librarian emeritus of Fisk University; first African-American to earn a Ph.D. in library science at UI Guy Standing, M.A. 1972 – professor of Development Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London William O. Stanley – former professor in the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign at the Urbana College of Education Gilbert Y. Steiner, Ph.D. 1950 – fourth president of the Brookings Institution Dewey Stuit – educational psychologist; dean of the College of Arts at the University of Iowa 1948–1977 Clyde Summers, B.S. 1939, J.D. 1942 – labor lawyer and law professor at the Yale Law School and University of Pennsylvania Law School, subject of In re Summers Maurice Cole Tanquary, A.B. 1907, M.A. 1908, Ph.D. 1912 – professor of entomology at several universities and member of the Crocker Land Expedition James Thomson, B.S. 1981 – professor of microbiology, University of Wisconsin – Madison Janis Driver Treworgy, M.A. 1983, Ph.D. 1985 – academic and sedimentary geologist James Vrentas, B.S. 1958 – chemical engineer Juyang Weng, M.Sc. 1985, Ph.D. 1989 – Chinese-American computer engineer, neuroscientist, author, and academic

College presidents and vice-presidents Benjamin J. Allen, M.A. economics 1973; Ph.D. economics 1974 – former president, University of Northern Iowa; former interim president, Iowa State University John L. Anderson, M.S., Ph.D. – eighth president, Illinois Institute of Technology; former provost, Case Western Reserve University Robert M. Berdahl, M.A. – president of American Association of Universities, former chancellor of UC Berkeley, former president of University of Texas at Austin Warren E. Bow, M.A. – president of Wayne State University Alvin Bowman, Ph.D. – president, Illinois State University Tom Buchanan, Ph.D. – twenty-third president, University of Wyoming David L. Chicoine, Ph.D. – president, South Dakota State University * Coching Chu, B.S. 1913 – sixteenth president, Zhejiang University (National Chekiang University period); former vice president, Chinese Academy of Sciences Ralph J. Cicerone, M.S. 1967, Ph.D. 1970 – president, National Academy of Sciences, former chancellor of UC Irvine Lewis Collens, B.S., M.A. – seventh president, Illinois Institute of Technology John E. Cribbet, J.D. – legal scholar, dean of the University of Illinois College of Law, and chancellor of the University of Illinois Lois B. DeFleur, Ph.D. – president, Binghamton University, former provost of University of Missouri W. Kent Fuchs, M.S. 1982, Ph.D. 1985 – twelfth president, University of Florida Philip Handler, Ph.D. 1939 – president, National Academy of Sciences Tori Haring-Smith, Ph.D. – president, Washington & Jefferson College Freeman A. Hrabowski III, M.A., Ph.D. – president, University of Maryland, Baltimore County Emil Q. Javier, B.S. 1964 – seventeenth president, University of the Philippines Alain E. Kaloyeros, Ph.D. 1987 – first president, State University of New York Polytechnic Institute Robert W. Kustra, Ph.D. – president, Boise State University Judy Jolley Mohraz. Ph.D. 1974 – ninth president, Goucher College John Niland, Ph.D. 1970 – fourth president, University of New South Wales, Australia J. Wayne Reitz, M.S. 1935 – fifth president, University of Florida Steven B. Sample, B.S. 1962, M.S. 1963, Ph.D. 1965 – tenth president, University of Southern California David J. Schmidly, Ph.D., – twentieth president, University of New Mexico Justin Schwartz, B.S. 1985 – chancellor of the University of Colorado Boulder Michael Schwartz, B.S. 1958, M.A. 1959, Ph.D. 1962 – president, Cleveland State University James J. Stukel, M.S. 1963, Ph.D. 1968 – fifteenth president, University of Illinois Dianne Boardley Suber, M.Ed. 1973 – tenth president of Saint Augustine's University William D. Underwood, J.D. – eighteenth president, Mercer University Marvin Wachman, Ph.D. – president, Temple University, former president of Lincoln University Arnold R. Weber, B.S. 1950 – fourteenth president, Northwestern University Herman B Wells – president, Indiana University Chen Xujing – vice president, Nankai University and Zhongsan University; president, Lingnan University and Jinan University

College provosts and vice provosts Joseph A. Alutto, M.A. – provost, Ohio State University Richard C. Lee, Ph.D. – vice provost, University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Architecture Max Abramovitz, B.S. 1929 – architect on many campus and prominent international buildings including the United Nations Building, Assembly Hall (since renamed to State Farm Center) and the Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center in New York City Henry Bacon – architect of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. Temple Hoyne Buell – architect for the first American central mall Jeanne Gang, B.S. 1986 – architect Walter Burley Griffin, B. Arch. 1899 – architect and designer of Canberra Ralph Johnson, B. Arch 1971 – principal architect of the Perkins&Will Arthur Rolland Kelly, B. Arch 1902 Ron Labinski – founder of HOK Sport David Miller, M. Arch 1972 – principal architect of the Miller/Hull partnership, FAIA César Pelli, M. Arch. 1954 – architect of the Petronas Twin Towers William Pereira, M. Arch. 1930 – notable mid-20th century architect in Los Angeles, known for Transamerica Pyramid and Geisel Library Nathan Clifford Ricker, D. Arch. 1871 – first architect to receive a degree in architecture from an American institution Patricia Saldaña Natke, B. Arch. 1986 – architect William L. Steele – architect of the Prairie School during the early-twentieth century Ralph A. Vaughn (1907–2000) – academic, architect and film set designer; founded the Pi Psi chapter of Omega Psi Phi

Art Ivan Albright – painter