This page lists notable alumni and students of the University of California, Santa Barbara. Notable faculty members are in the article List of University of California, Santa Barbara faculty.

Awards, honors, and prize winners Nobel laureates

Name Degree(s) Prize year Prize field Reason (prize citation) Additional notability Carol W. Greider B.A. 1983 2009 Physiology or Medicine "For the discovery of how chromosomes are protected by telomeres and the enzyme telomerase." molecular biologist/geneticist and distinguished professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz

Pulitzer Prize Name Degree(s) Prize year Prize field Reason (prize citation) Additional notability David Moats B.A. 1969 2001 Editorial Writing "For his even-handed and influential series of editorials commenting on the divisive issues arising from civil unions for same-sex couples." editor at Rutland Herald and Barre Montpelier Times Argus Bob Sipchen B.A. 1976 2002 Editorial Writing "For their comprehensive and powerfully written editorials exploring the issues and dilemmas provoked by mentally ill people dwelling on the streets." also a staff member at the Los Angeles Times which won the 1993 Pulitzer Prize for Spot News Reporting Sanaz Toossi 2013 2023 Drama "For a distinguished play by an American author, preferably original in its source and dealing with American life." playwright and screenwriter

Academy Awards Name Degree(s) Prize year Prize field Additional notability Michael Douglas B.A. 1968 1976, 1988 Best Picture, Best Actor actor and producer who has also won six Golden Globe Awards, the Cecil B. DeMille Award, and the AFI Life Achievement Award Gwyneth Paltrow attended 1999 Best Actress actress and businesswoman; won a Golden Globe Award Eric Roth 1966 1995 Best Adapted Screenplay screenwriter nominated for 6 Academy Award Best Adapted Screenplays (one win), the second-most in historyAndy Jurgensen20042025Best Film Editingfilm editor for One Batter After Another (2025), Licorice Pizza (2021)

Emmy Awards Name Degree(s) Prize year Prize field Additional notability Dante Di Loreto 1984 2010, 2014 Outstanding Television Movie film and television producer who has also won a Daytime Emmy Award and Tony Award Jason Ross 1993 2003–2006, 2009, 2011, 2012 Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series writer and author

MacArthur Fellows The MacArthur Fellows Program is also known as the "MacArthur Fellowship" or "Genius Grant."

Name Degree(s) Prize year Additional notability Amir Abo-Shaeer B.S. 1996, M.S. 1998, M.Ed. 2001 2010 high school physics teacher and mechanical engineer Angela Belcher B.S. 1991, Ph.D. 1997 2004 materials scientist professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Robin Fleming B.A. 1977, Ph.D. 1984 2013 medieval historian and professor at Boston College Victoria Orphan B.A. 1994, Ph.D. 2002 2016 geobiologist and professor at the California Institute of Technology Jon Seger B.A. 1969 1987 evolutionary ecologist and professor at the University of Utah Edith Widder M.A. 1977, Ph.D. 1982 2006 oceanographer and marine biologist

Academics

R.J.Q. Adams, Ph.D. 1972 – American historian and Patricia & Bookman Peters Professor of History at Texas A&M University Reza Aslan, Ph.D. 2009 – Iranian-American author, commentator and religious scholar; professor of creative writing at University of California, Riverside Wendy Berry Mendes, Ph.D. 2003 – social psychologist and former Miss California Rory A. Cooper, Ph.D. 1989 – professor and founder of Human Engineering Research Laboratories Michael Dennin, M.A., Ph.D. 1995 – professor at the University of California, Irvine Denis Dutton, B.A. 1966, Ph.D. 1975 – professor, philosopher, and founder of Arts & Letters Daily Carol Folt, B.A. 1976, M.A. 1978 – president of the University of Southern California Nancy Guerra, M.A. 1977 – psychologist and dean of the School of Social Ecology at the University of California, Irvine James Kilgore, 1969 – former Symbionese Liberation Army and professor at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign Jakob Lothe, M.A. 1976 – literary scholar and professor at the University of Oslo Neda Maghbouleh, M.A. 2008, Ph.D. 2012 – American-born Canadian sociologist, scholar, writer, author, and educator; the Canada Research Chair in Migration, Race, and Identity and associate professor of Sociology at the University of Toronto Mississauga Heather McKillop, Ph.D. 1987 – Mayanist archaeologist and professor at Louisiana State University John D. Petersen, Ph.D. 1975 – former president of the University of Tennessee system Saba Soomekh, Ph.D. 2008 – religious author and visiting faculty at various universities Ronald Vale, B.A. 1980 – professor, University of California, San Francisco; Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator; executive director, Janelia Research Campus; member of the National Academy of Sciences Hans J. Van Miegroet, Ph.D. 1988 – professor at Duke University Tim Vivian, Ph.D. 1985 – scholar of Early Christianity and Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies at California State University, Bakersfield Jon Whitmore, Ph.D. 1974 – CEO of ACT, Inc., former president of San Jose State University and Texas Tech University Brian C. Wilson, M.A. 1991, Ph.D 1996 – scholar of American religious history Jay Alan Yim, B.A. 1980 – composer and associate professor at Northwestern University

Arts, entertainment, and literature

Marwan Abdelhamid, B.A. 2022 - Palestinian singer-songwriter and rapper Steve Aoki, B.A. 2000 – electro house musician, record producer, and founder of Dim Mak Records Gregg Araki, B.A. 1982 – film director, producer, and screenwriter; winner of a Cannes Film Festival award Tobin Armbrust, B.A. – film producer, president of Worldwide Productions and Acquisitions for Exclusive Media Tal Avitzur, M.A. 1985 – sculptor Brandon Baker – actor, Johnny Tsunami Jack Bannon – actor, Art Donovan on Lou Grant Roko Belic, attended – film director and producer; winner of Sundance Film Festival award Lo Bosworth, attended – reality television participant on Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County and The Hills Benjamin Bratt, B.F.A. 1986 – actor, Law & Order, Private Practice, Miss Congeniality Lisa Bruce, B.A. 1983 – film producer, The Theory of Everything Yau-Man Chan, M.S. 1977 – reality television participant on Survivor: Fiji and Survivor: Micronesia Kayte Christensen, B.A. 2002 – sports commentator and WNBA player Claudia Cowan, attended – television journalist for Fox News Channel Steve Czaban, B.S. 1990 – sports radio talk show host on Yahoo! Sports Radio and ESPN 980 Beth Rudin DeWoody, B.A. – arts patron, collector, curator, philanthropist Mark di Suvero, attended – sculptor and National Medal of Arts recipient Crystal Egger, B.A. 2000 – meteorologist for NBC4 Los Angeles and The Weather Channel Josh Elliott, B.A. 1993 – television journalist, NBC Sports, Today, Good Morning America Macduff Everton, B.A. 1981, M.F.A. 1984 – photographer and author Harris Faulkner, B.A. 1987 – newscaster and television host for Fox News Channel Scott Frank, B.A. 1982 – screenwriter, Minority Report, Marley & Me, The Wolverine Morgan J. Freeman, B.A. 1992 – producer and director, Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County and Teen Mom Tom Fruin, B.A. 1996 – sculptor Edi Gathegi, B.A. – actor, Superman, Twilight, X-Men: First Class Marc Germain, B.A. 1989 – radio talk show host known as Mr. KFI or Mr. KABC Dana E. Glauberman, 1990 – film editor, Juno, Up in the Air, and No Strings Attached James Gobel, MFA 1999, visual artist, painter, mix media, Toni Graphia, B.A. – television producer and writer Noah Harpster, B.F.A. 1998 – writer, actor, producer, director A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, Painkiller Mary Heebner, B.A. 1973, M.F.A. 1977 – painter and artist Paige Hemmis, B.A. 1994 – television host, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Don Hertzfeldt, B.A. 1998 – animator and producer, Rejected and Billy's Balloon Peter Horton – actor, thirtysomething Iration, attended or were attending USCB when founding band in 2004; multiple albums have topped Billboard reggae charts Wayne Isham, attended – award-winning music video director, Enter Sandman, Livin' on a Prayer, Bye Bye Bye Jack Johnson, B.A. 1997 – four-time platinum singer-songwriter and musician, In Between Dreams and On and On Moshe Kasher, B.A. – standup comedian and actor Kazu Kibuishi, B.A. 2000 – graphic novelist, Flight and Copper Aja Naomi King, B.F.A. 2007 – actress, How to Get Away with Murder Ken Korach, B.A. 1975 – sports radio play-by-play announcer, Oakland Athletics Robby Krieger, attended – guitarist and songwriter, original member of The Doors John La Puma, B.A. 1978 – physician, chef, and New York Times bestselling author Jenna Lee, B.A. 2002 – newscaster and television host of Happening Now on Fox News Channel Christine Lehner, B.A. 1973 – author Harvey Levin, B.A. 1972 – founder and managing editor of TMZ Audra Lowe, B.A. 1993 – television host of The Broadway Channel and formerly The Better Show Jordan Maron, attended – YouTuber and Twitch streamer Enrique Martinez Celaya, M.F.A. 1994 – artist Lon McEachern, B.A. 1980 – television broadcaster, ESPN's World Series of Poker Chanel Miller, B.A. 2014 – author of Know My Name: A Memoir and Emily Doe of People v. Turner Joel A. Miller, B.A. 1998 – author of Memoir of a Roadie, and writer, producer, director of The Still Life (2007 film) Matthew Mishory, B.A. 2004 – film and commercial director Mary Miss, B.A. 1966 – environmental artist Richard Munson – author Jeff Nathanson, attended – screenwriter, for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and Catch Me If You Can Nekrogoblikon – metal band formed as live act by UCSB students in 2006 Julie Nimoy – producer and director, Remembering Leonard Nimoy Benito Pastoriza Iyodo, M.A. 1981 – author Cathy Podewell – actress, portrayed Cally Harper Ewing on Dallas Rebelution – reggae rock band formed in Isla Vista composed of four UCSB graduates Philipp Richardsen, D.M.A. 2007 – Austrian classical pianist Jim Rome, B.A. 1987 – sports talk show host, The Jim Rome Show and Jim Rome Is Burning Barbara Rush, 1948 – Golden Globe-winning actress, Bigger Than Life, The Young Philadelphians, Robin and the 7 Hoods, Hombre, Peyton Place Robin Sax – legal analyst and commentator Andrew Schulz, B.A. 1995 – comedian, podcaster, television host (Schulz Saves America, The Brilliant Idiots, Guy Code) Richard Serra, B.A. 1961 – minimalist sculptor Brad Silberling, B.A. 1984 – film producer and director, Casper, Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events L. J. Smith, B.A. 1987 – New York Times bestselling author of The Vampire Diaries and The Secret Circle series Mark Andrew Smith, B.A. 2002 – comic book writer and graphic novelist Bahar Soomekh, B.A. 1997 – actress, Saw III Andrew Spence, M.F.A. 1971 – painter Andrea Sperling, B.A. 1990 – film producer Wolfgang Stoerchle, M.F.A. 1968 – conceptual artist Charissa Thompson, B.A. 2004 – television host, Fox Sports Live and Extra Fred Toye, B.A. – television director Jerry Trainor, B.F.A. – actor and comedian, iCarly Katy Tur, B.A. 2005 – television journalist, NBC News Leah Turner, attended – country music singer Patrick Vlaskovits, B.A., M.A. – New York Times bestselling author and entrepreneur Alie Ward, B.A. – writer, actress, and television and podcast host, Ologies Dasha Zhukova, B.A. 2004 – model and domestic partnerMiami Newsday: "Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich celebrates birth of his seventh child, his second with model Daria Zhukova" 14 April 2013 of Roman Abramovich

Astronauts

Joseph M. Acaba, B.S. 1990 – participated with STS-119 Leroy Chiao, M.S. 1985, Ph.D. 1987 – commander of Expedition 10 aboard International Space Station and participated with STS-65, STS-72, and STS-92 José M. Hernández, M.S. 1986 – participated with STS-128

Athletics

Eric Avila – plays for FC Dallas of the MLS