List of Bowling Green State University alumni

This is a list of notable people associated with Bowling Green State University, located in the American city of Bowling Green, Ohio.

Arts and entertainment

Authors and writers

• Fernando Alegría, Chilean poet
• Tony Ardizzone, novelist
• James Baldwin, author, poet (writer in residence)
• Matt Bell, author
• Mary Biddinger, poet
• James Carlos Blake, author
• Philana Marie Boles, author of Glitz, Little Divas, In the Paint, and Blame It on Eve
• Scott Cairns, poet
• Gary Cohn, comic book writer
• Jennifer Crusie, writer
• Jim Daniels, poet and writer
• Tom De Haven, writer
• Anthony Doerr, Pulitzer Prize-winning writer ^[1]
• Frank Dungan, television producer and writer
• Edmundo Farolan, author and actor
• David Feldman, author of Imponderables
• Robert Ferrigno, writer
• Carolyn Forche, writer
• Charles Fort, poet
• Sally Miller Gearhart, science fiction writer, women's studies pioneer, and early gay rights activist
• Diana Pavlac Glyer, author and expert on J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, and the Inklings
• Darrell Hamamoto, writer
• Joseph D. Haske, author
• Alan Heathcock, fiction writer
• Steve Heller, fiction author
• Brad Hurtado, television producer
• Jack LoGiudice, television writer and producer
• Sandra Markle, children's book author
• Susan Neville, short story writer
• Charles Nicol, writer, expert on Vladimir Nabokov
• William Patrick Patterson, author and fourth way teacher
• Barbara Paul, author
• James Purdy, author
• Arnold Rampersad, Pulitzer Prize-nominated author
• Terry Ryan, writer
• Marc Sumerak, freelance writer, often works on Marvel Comics series
• Jean Thompson, fiction writer
• Anne Valente, author
• Allen Wier, author
• Dara Wier, poet
• Kayla Williams, linguist and author
• Theresa Williams, writer

Actors

• Lexi Allen, singer, actress, television personality
• Bernie Casey, former professional football player, actor, and visual artist
• Tim Conway, Emmy Award-winning actor ^[1]
• Frank Dungan, television producer and Primetime Emmy Award winner
• Quinton Flynn, voice actor
• Robert Patrick, actor
• James Pickens, Jr., actor ^[1]
• Ric Reitz, actors
• Kathia Rodriguez, actress
• Eva Marie Saint, Academy Award-winning actress ^[1]
• Ron Sweed, television actor
• Matt Zimmerman, actor

Musicians and composers

• Uzee Brown Jr, composer
• Chris Castle, folk musician
• David Conte, composer
• Hildward Croes, Aruban musician
• Joseph Dangerfield, composer
• Minnita Daniel-Cox, soprano
• Ray Davis, bass singer and founding member of The Parliaments
• John Douglas, conductor
• Tim Hagans, jazz musician
• Bob Hartman, Christian rock artist and founder of the band Petra
• Jennifer Higdon, Grammy Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning classical music composer ^[1]
• Michael Holmes, saxophonist
• Eglė Janulevičiūtė, Lithuanian classical pianist
• Marian McPartland, jazz musician
• Mildred Miller, mezzo-soprano, received an honorary degree
• Ric Ocasek, rhythm guitarist and songwriter for The Cars
• Griffen Palmer, country singer-songwriter
• Rich Perry, jazz musician
• Bill Randle, DJ, received an honorary doctorate
• James Swearingen, concert band literature composer
• William Takacs, musician

Artists

• Robert Archambeau, ceramic artist; worked in the studio of Jun Kaneko; colleague of painter Don Reichert
• Kathrine Baumann, handbag designer, model, and actress
• Barbara Bosworth, large format photographer
• George O. Hughes, painter, poet, performance artist
• Tony Kern, film director, directed A Month of Hungry Ghosts
• Dominick Labino, glass artist, scientist, honorary doctorate
• Tim McCreight, metal smith
• Jason Nelson, pioneering net artist, digital poet
• Ed Sayles, theater director
• William Silvers, wildlife artist, painter for Walt Disney, Industrial Light and Magic, Sony Pictures, DreamWorks, and Warner Brothers
• Douglas Steakley, metal smith and photographer; winner of the 2003 Ansel Adams Award for Conservation Photography
• Rick Valicenti, graphic designer

Dancers

• Mary Jo Freshley, Korean dance instructor at University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
• Judson Laipply, creator of the "Evolution of Dance"

Athletes

Olympians

• Rob Blake, Hall of Fame ice hockey player, won Stanley Cup in 2001; three-time member of the Canadian Olympic hockey team, winning a gold medal in 2002
• Scott Hamilton, professional figure skater and Olympic gold medalist
• Margarita Kalmikova, two-time Olympian swimmer from Latvia
• Ken Morrow, former professional ice hockey player and member of the 1980 USA Olympic hockey team
• Mark Wells, former professional ice hockey player and member of the 1980 USA Olympic hockey team
• Dave Wottle, won an Olympic gold medal for the 800 meter run at the 1972 Summer Olympics ^[1]

Soccer

• Bud Lewis, former professional soccer player and head coach at Wilmington College 1975–2017
• Dennis Mepham, former professional soccer player for the Cleveland Force (1978–1988)
• Dana Veth, former professional soccer player

Basketball

• Kate Achter, collegiate basketball coach
• Harold Anderson, former college basketball coach; Basketball Hall of Fame member
• Tom Collen, collegiate basketball coach
• Antonio Daniels, former professional basketball player
• Tom Hancock, basketball coach
• Bob Hill, professional basketball coach
• Richaun Holmes, professional basketball player for the Washington Wizards
• Howard Komives, former professional basketball player for the New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons, Buffalo Braves, and Kansas City Kings
• Jay Larranaga, former professional basketball player and current member of the Los Angeles Clippers coaching staff
• Keith McLeod, former professional basketball player
• Steve Merfeld, basketball coach
• Charlie Parker, basketball coach
• Isaac Rosefelt, American-Israeli former basketball player
• Richard Skeel, basketball coach
• Nate Thurmond, former professional basketball player; seven-time NBA All-Star; member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame; named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History ^[1]
• Daeqwon Plowden, professional basketball player for the Atlanta Hawks, of the National Basketball Association

Baseball

• Larry Arndt, infielder for the Oakland Athletics; BGSU Baseball Hall of Fame member
• Burke Badenhop, ^[2] former MLB pitcher
• Doug Bair, ^[3] former professional baseball player
• Jon Berti, ^[4] professional baseball player currently with the Miami Marlins
• Orel Hershiser, ^[5] former professional baseball player, currently an analyst for the Los Angeles Dodgers
• Jim Joyce, former MLB umpire
• Roger McDowell, ^[6] former professional baseball player and coach
• Nolan Reimold, ^[7] former MLB baseball player
• Andy Tracy, ^[8] former professional baseball player; current manager for the Columbus Clippers of the International League
• Chet Trail, former professional baseball player

Football

• Martin Bayless, former professional football player
• Karl Brooks, professional football player currently with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League
• Khary Campbell, former professional football player
• Jeff Genyk, current tight ends coach and special teams coordinator for the University of Wisconsin football team
• Joe Green, former professional player for the New York Giants
• Jeff Groth, former professional football player
• Josh Harris, professional football player, last with the New York Giants
• Omar Jacobs, professional football player currently with the Jacksonville Sharks of the Arena Football League
• Chris Jones, professional football player with the New England Patriots ^[1]
• Kamar Jorden, professional football player currently with the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League
• Kory Lichtensteiger, professional football player currently with the Washington Redskins
• Scotty Miller, professional football player, Super Bowl LV champion
• Quintin Morris, professional football player currently with the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League
• Scott Mruczkowski, professional football player
• Don Nehlen, former player who became a highly successful coach at West Virginia University and college football hall of fame member ^[1]
• Kevin O'Brien, former professional football player
• Dean Pees, NFL Defensive Coordinator
• Doyt Perry, former college football coach and college football hall of fame member
• Dave Preston, former professional football player
• Robert Redd, professional football player
• Bob Reynolds, former professional football player
• Jamie Rivers, former professional football player
• Bob Schnelker, former professional football player
• Bob Seaman, football coach
• Doug Smith, former professional football player
• Fred Sturt, former professional football player
• Shaun Suisham, professional football player currently with the Pittsburgh Steelers
• Vince Villanucci, former professional football player
• Phil Villapiano, former professional football player; four-time Pro Bowler
• Mike Weger, former professional football player
• Charlie Williams, former professional football player
• Bob Wolfe, football coach

Hockey

• Kevin Bieksa, professional ice hockey player currently with the Anaheim Ducks
• Aris Brimanis, professional ice hockey player currently with the Hannover Scorpions
• Dan Bylsma, former professional ice hockey player and current head coach of the Seattle Kraken
• Gino Cavallini, former professional hockey player, scorer for the Falcons NCAA National Championship, winning overtime goal
• Greg de Vries, former professional ice hockey player, won Stanley Cup in 2001
• Dave Ellett, former professional ice hockey player
• Nelson Emerson, former professional ice hockey player
• Alex Foster, professional ice hockey player
• Mark Friedman (born 1995), NHL player
• Garry Galley, former professional ice hockey player
• Andrew Hammond, professional ice hockey player
• Brian Hills, former professional ice hockey player, current associate head coach of the RIT Tigers men's hockey team
• Brian Holzinger, former professional ice hockey player and Hobey Baker Award winner ^[1]
• Mike Johnson, former professional ice hockey player, currently an analyst for the NHL Network, and TSN and color commentator for the Winnipeg Jets
• Dan Kane, former professional ice hockey player
• Ken Klee, former professional ice hockey player
• Mike Liut, former professional ice hockey player
• Brian MacLellan, professional ice hockey player, won Stanley Cup in 1989; current General Manager of the Washington Capitals ^[1]
• Jon Matsumoto, professional hockey player currently with the San Jose Sharks
• George McPhee, former professional ice hockey player, Hobey Baker Award winner, General Manager of NHL's Vegas Golden Knights and former GM of Washington Capitals ^[1]
• Todd Reirden, former professional ice hockey player and current head coach for the Washington Capitals; won Stanley Cup in 2018
• Dan Sexton, professional ice hockey player currently with the Tampa Bay Lightning
• Jonathan Sigalet, professional ice hockey player playing for Brynäs IF in the Swedish Hockey League
• Jordan Sigalet, former professional ice hockey player; currently the goaltending coach for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League
• Wayne Wilson, current head coach of the RIT Tigers men's hockey team
• Paul Ysebaert, former professional ice hockey player

Other

• Alissa Czisny, figure skater and 2009 US Figure Skating National Champion
• Mike McCullough, professional golfer
• Nick Mileti, former owner of Cleveland Cavaliers, Cleveland Indians, Cleveland Crusaders, and writer of Closet Italians
• Kurt Weaver, rugby match official

Politics

Ambassadors

• Daniel Ayalon, former Israeli ambassador to the U.S. ^[1]
• Leonardo Neher, US Ambassador to Upper Volta

Judicial

• John R. Adams, federal judge on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio ^[1]
• James Henry Gorbey, United States federal judge
• Brenda Hollis, Chief persecutor in the Special Court for Sierra Leone
• James R. Knepp II, United States District Judge
• Sara Elizabeth Lioi, United States District Judge
• James H. Wakatsuki, Justice of the Supreme Court of Hawaii

Activists

• Dominick Evans, activist, transferred to Wright State
• Sam Pollock, labor activist, did not graduate
• Baldemar Velasquez, labor activist, received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters

Politicians

• Elizabeth M. Boyer, lawyer, writer, publisher, and feminist founder of WEAL
• Dan Greenberg, former politician, Heritage Foundation analyst, and writer for Cato Institute; leader of the Advance Arkansas Institute
• Nick Licata, Seattle politician and activist
• Mike Reichenbach, South Carolina politician
• Pierre-Célestin Rwigema, 7th Prime Minister of Rwanda
• Edmond Spaho, Democratic Party of Albania MP
• Robin Weirauch, politician

United States Congress

• Robert P. Hanrahan, former U.S. Congressional Representative (R-IL)
• Gene Krebs, former Ohio State Representative (R-OH, 1993–2000)
• Bob Latta, U.S. Congressional Representative (R-OH) ^[1]
• Tom Luken, former mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio and U.S. Congressional Representative (D-OH)
• Tim Ryan, U.S. Congressional Representative (D-OH) ^[1]

City government

• Janeé Ayers, labor organizer, member of the Detroit city council
• Hou Chong-wen, deputy mayor of Chiayi City, Taiwan
• Sandi Jackson, Chicago alderman
• Paul Muenzer, former mayor of Naples, Florida (1992–1996) ^[9]
• Don Plusquellic, 59th mayor of Akron, Ohio
• Kathy Sheehan, mayor of Albany, New York (D)

State of Ohio government

• Bruce Johnson, 63rd Lieutenant governor of Ohio ^[1]
• Betty Montgomery, former Ohio Attorney General and State Auditor (R)
• Scott Nein, former Republican member of the Ohio General Assembly

Ohio House of Representatives

• Robin Belcher, former Democrat member of the Ohio House of Representatives
• Terry Boose, former Republican Member of the Ohio House of Representatives
• Tim Brown, former Republican member of the Ohio House of Representative
• Rex Damschroder, former Republican member of the Ohio House of Representatives
• Charlie Earl, former Ohio state representative, Libertarian candidate in the 2014 Ohio gubernatorial election
• Bruce Goodwin, former Republican member of the Ohio House of Representatives
• Charles Kurfess, former member of the Ohio House of Representatives and judge ^[10]
• Derek Merrin, Republican member of the Ohio House of Representatives
• Chris Redfern, former Ohio state Representative and former chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party (D) ^[11]
• Douglas Swearingen, Jr., Republican member of the Ohio House of Representatives and former baseball player

Ohio Senate

• Steve Buehrer, former member of the Ohio Senate and former director of the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation
• Kevin Coughlin, former Republican member of the Ohio Senate
• M. Ben Gaeth, former member of the Ohio Senate
• Randy Gardner, Ohio state senator (R) and Chancellor of the Ohio Department of Higher Education
• Theresa Gavarone, Republican member of the Ohio Senate

Other state governments

• Tim Berry, Indiana State Auditor (R) ^[12]
• Arnold E. Brown, first African American elected to represent Bergen County in the New Jersey Legislature
• Dan Carter, State Representative, Connecticut 2nd Assembly District
• Tal Hutchins, Democrat member of the West Virginia House of Delegates
• Sue Rocca, former republican member of the Michigan House of Representatives
• John Villapiano, former Democrat member of the New Jersey General Assembly and former professional football player

News

• Karen T. Borchers, former photojournalist for The Mercury News ; shared a Pulitzer Prize for covering the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake
• Ken W. Clawson, journalist and spokesman for President Richard Nixon
• David Dietz, science journalist, 1937 Pulitzer Prize winner, honorary degree
• Beth Macy, journalist and non-fiction writer; author of Truevine
• Jason Schmitt, journalist, director of Paywall: The Business of Scholarship

Broadcast journalism

• Leon Bibb, WEWS news anchor
• Herb Clarke, weatherman
• Steve Hartman, CBS News correspondent ^[1]
• Allison Payne, journalist and anchorwoman
• Wilma Smith, former television anchor, Lower Great Lakes Emmy Awards winner

Sports journalism

• Jay Crawford, ESPN sportscaster ^[1]
• Jim Day, sportscaster
• Mike Emrick, NHL on NBC play-by-play announcer
• Jason Jackson, ESPN sportscaster
• Steve Mason, sports journalist with ESPN
• Steve Mears, NHL Network sportscaster
• Grant Napear, sports journalist and former lacrosse player

Science

Geology

• Conrad Allen, geologist and inventor
• Barbara Bedette, paleontologist, cataloged 30,860 Cenozoic molluscs

Mathematics and statistics

• Jie Chen, statistician with interdisciplinary biology research
• Andrew Ogg, mathematician, creator of Ogg's formula, and involved in the creation of the Grothendieck–Ogg–Shafarevich formula, and the Néron–Ogg–Shafarevich criterion

Sociology

• Howard E. Aldrich, sociologist and business theorist
• Anthony Walsh, criminologist and author
• William Julius Wilson, university professor at Harvard, sociologist, and author; 80th president of the American Sociological Association; advisor to Sudhir Venkatesh

Psychology

• Russell Barkley, clinical psychologist
• Ralph Blair, psychotherapist and LGBT advocate
• J. Bruce Overmier, experimental psychologist
• Charlie Reeve, professor of psychology

Biology

• John E. Dohms, biologist specializing in avian disease pathology; member of the BGSU lacrosse team
• William Eugene Evans, marine biologist and 5th National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration president
• Dan O'Brien, wildlife biologist and author
• Sally Rockey, entomologist and former deputy director of the National Institutes of Health
• Seymour Van Gundy, nematologist

Technology

• James G. Nell, electrical engineer involved in the development of GERAM
• George Sweigert, first inventor to patent the cordless telephone, radio engineer
• Jeremy Zawodny, computer technologist, MySQL promoter, Linux Magazine columnist

Chemistry

• Gary Keck, organic chemist specialized in synthesis of natural products; ^[13] developer of Keck asymmetric allylation
• John Michael Ramsey, analytical chemist specializing in microfluidics and nanofluidics

Communications

• Arthur P. Bochner, communications scholar
• Suresh Canagarajah, Sri Lankan linguist specializing in translanguaging and linguistic imperialism
• Bradley S. Greenberg, communications theorist
• Joan Kaderavek, speech language pathologist

Economics

• William Easterly, development economist, author of The Elusive Quest for Growth and The Tyranny of Experts
• Paul Chongkun Hong, professor of operations management

Political science

• Roger A. Coate, political scientist, former professor at the University of South Carolina
• David J. Jackson, political science professor at BGSU
• W. Wesley McDonald, political scientist, author of Russell Kirk and the Age of Ideology

Business and philanthropy

• Jeffrey Boutelle, CEO of Pharmavite
• Judith Craven, leadership roles in Luby's and Sysco
• Otara Gunewardene, Sri Lankan founder of Odel ^[1]
• Michael C. Heim, CIO of Eli Lilly and Company
• Carole Kariuki, CEO of the Kenyan Private Sector Alliance ^{[14] [15]}
• Shantanu Narayen, CEO of Adobe Systems ^[1]
• Deborah Thigpen, entrepreneur and publicist

Historians

• Mary Beckinsale, art historian, President Emeritus of Studio Arts College International, honorary degree
• Robert Hugh Ferrell, historian focusing on World War I and American foreign policy
• Stanley Kutler, historian who sued for the release of tapes relating to Watergate
• Robert L. Paquette, historian, cofounder of the Alexander Hamilton Institute for the Study of Western Civilization
• William J. Reese, education historian
• H. Micheal Tarver, Latin American historian; Commissioner on the Arkansas History Commission and Arkansas Historical Records Advisory Board

Military

• John N. Abrams, four star general and commander of the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command
• Niles Fulwyler, former US Army major general and former commanding general of the White Sands Missile Range

Academic administrators

• Victor Boschini, chancellor of Texas Christian University ^[1]
• Dean L. Bresciani, president of North Dakota State University ^[1]
• Rosa Roberto Carter, former president of the University of Guam
• Erma Johnson Hadley, first African American chancellor of Tarrant County College
• Sarah Harder, feminist and former president of the American Association of University Women
• William N. Johnston, 16th president of Wesley College (Delaware)
• Adena Williams Loston, president of St. Philip's College, San Antonio, Texas; former Chief Education Officer at NASA
• Kathleen M. Murray, 14th president of Whitman College, 21st president of Hamline University, acting president of Macalester College
• Jack Ohle, president of Gustavus Adolphus College ^[1]
• Everett Piper, former president of Oklahoma Wesleyan University and political columnist ^[1]

Other

• Robert Balling, climate change denier
• Peter Manto, bishop of the Reformed Episcopal Church's Diocese of the Central States

References

1. "Prominent Alumni". Bowling Green State University. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
2. "Burke Badenhop Baseball Stats". www.baseball-almanac.com. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
3. "Doug Bair Baseball Stats". www.baseball-almanac.com. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
4. "Jon Berti Baseball Stats". www.baseball-almanac.com. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
5. "Orel Hershiser Baseball Stats". www.baseball-almanac.com. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
6. "Roger McDowell Baseball Stats". www.baseball-almanac.com. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
7. "Nolan Reimold Baseball Stats". www.baseball-almanac.com. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
8. "Andy Tracy Baseball Stats". www.baseball-almanac.com. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
9. "Paul W. Muenzer Obituary". Naples Daily News . October 18, 2014. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
10. Marshall, Aaron (August 14, 2017). "A humble public servant". The Ohio State University Alumni Association. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
11. "Ohio Democrats "Meet the Chairman"". Archived from the original on January 27, 2011. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
12. Tim Berry, Indiana State Auditor Biography
13. "Gary E. Keck - Department of Chemistry - The University of Utah". chem.utah.edu. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
14. Chege, Njoki (July 24, 2011). "Seeing Kenya's Economy Grow Is My Dream". The Standard (Kenya) . Nairobi. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
15. KEPSA (November 18, 2017). "Carole Kariuki, Chief Executive Officer, Kenya Private Sector Alliance: Short Biography". Nairobi: Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA). Retrieved November 18, 2017.