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
• Philana Marie Boles, author of Glitz, Little Divas, In the Paint, and Blame It on Eve
• James Carlos Blake, author
• Craig Brass, author, writer
• 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
• Ty Pak, Korean American author
• 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]
• Robert Patrick, actor
• James Pickens, Jr., actor ^[1]
• Eva Marie Saint, Academy Award-winning actress ^[1]
• Quinton Flynn, voice actor
• Ron Sweed, television actor
• Frank Dungan, television producer and Primetime Emmy Award winner
• Kathia Rodriguez, actress
• Matt Zimmerman, actor
• Ric Reitz, actors
• Ransford Asante

Musicians and composers

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

Artists

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

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
• 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]
• Margarita Kalmikova, two time Olympian swimmer from Latvia

Soccer

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

Basketball

• Harold Anderson, former college basketball coach; Basketball Hall of Fame member
• Antonio Daniels, former professional basketball player
• Richaun Holmes, professional basketball player for the Washington Wizards
• Keith McLeod, former professional basketball player
• Jay Larranaga, former professional basketball player and current member of the Los Angeles Clippers coaching staff
• Howard Komives, former professional basketball player for the New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons, Buffalo Braves, and Kansas City Kings
• Isaac Rosefelt, American-Israeli former basketball player
• 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]
• Bob Hill, professional basketball coach
• Tom Collen, collegiate basketball coach
• Tom Hancock, basketball coach
• Steve Merfeld, basketball coach
• Charlie Parker, basketball coach
• Richard Skeel, basketball coach

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
• Jim Joyce, former MLB umpire
• Nolan Reimold, ^[4] former MLB baseball player
• Andy Tracy, ^[5] former professional baseball player; current manager for the Columbus Clippers of the International League
• Orel Hershiser, ^[6] former professional baseball player, currently an analyst for the Los Angeles Dodgers,
• Roger McDowell, ^[7] former professional baseball player and coach
• Chet Trail, former professional baseball player
• Jon Berti, ^[8] professional baseball player currently with the Miami Marlins

Football

• Martin Bayless, former professional football player
• Khary Campbell, former professional football player
• Jeff Groth, former professional football player
• Jeff Genyk, current tight ends coach and special teams coordinator for the University of Wisconsin football team
• 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
• Doug Smith, former professional football player
• Fred Sturt, former professional football player
• Shaun Suisham, professional football player currently with the Pittsburgh Steelers
• 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]
• Doyt Perry, former college football coach and college football hall of fame member
• Dave Preston, former professional football player
• Bob Schnelker, former professional football player
• Bob Reynolds, former professional football player
• Jamie Rivers, former professional football player
• Kory Lichtensteiger, professional football player currently with the Washington Redskins
• Chris Jones, professional football player with the New England Patriots ^[1]
• 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
• Dean Pees, NFL Defensive Coordinator
• Bob Seaman, football coach
• Bob Wolfe, football coach
• Joe Green, former professional player for the New York Giants
• Robert Redd, professional football player
• Kevin O'Brien, former professional football player
• Kamar Jorden, professional football player currently with the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League
• Scotty Miller, professional football player, Super Bowl LV champion
• Quintin Morris, professional football player currently with the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League
• Karl Brooks, professional football player currently with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League

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 Buffalo Sabres ^[1]
• 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
• Dan Kane, former professional ice hockey player
• Ken Klee, former professional ice hockey player
• Wayne Wilson, current Head Coach of the RIT Tigers men's hockey team
• Paul Ysebaert, 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
• Dan Sexton, professional ice hockey player currently with the Tampa Bay Lightning
• Jordan Sigalet, former professional ice hockey player; currently the goaltending coach for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League
• Jonathan Sigalet, professional ice hockey player playing for Brynäs IF in the Swedish Hockey League
• 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
• 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
• 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

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

Royalty

• Benson Akinruntan, son of Fredrick Obateru Akinruntan, a Nigerian Monarch ^[9]

Ambassadors

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

Judicial

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

Activists

• Baldemar Velasquez, labor activist, received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters
• Sam Pollock, labor activist, did not graduate
• Dominick Evans, activist, transferred to Wright State
• Hiroko Nakamoto, Hiroshima survivor, Interior Designer, Author and Peace Activist. ^[10]

Politicians

• Pierre-Célestin Rwigema, 7th Prime Minister of Rwanda
• Edmond Spaho, Democratic Party of Albania MP
• 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
• Robin Weirauch, politician
• Mike Reichenbach, South Carolina politician

United States Congress

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

City government

• Hou Chong-wen, Deputy Mayor of Chiayi City, Taiwan
• Kathy Sheehan, Mayor of Albany, New York (D)
• Don Plusquellic, 59th mayor of Akron, Ohio
• Paul Muenzer, former mayor of Naples, Florida (1992–1996) ^[11]
• Janeé Ayers, labor organizer, member of the Detroit city council.
• Sandi Jackson, Chicago Alderman

State of Ohio government

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

Ohio House of Representatives

• Tim Brown, former Republican member of the Ohio House of Representative
• Chris Redfern, former Ohio state Representative and former chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party (D) ^[12]
• Charles Kurfess, former member of the Ohio House of Representatives and judge. ^[13]
• Douglas Swearingen, Jr., Republican member of the Ohio House of Representatives and former baseball player.
• Derek Merrin, Republican member of the Ohio House of Representatives.
• Rex Damschroder, former Republican member of the Ohio House of Representatives.
• Bruce Goodwin, former Republican member of the Ohio House of Representatives.
• Terry Boose, former Republican Member of the Ohio House of Representatives.
• Robin Belcher, former Democrat member of the Ohio House of Representatives
• Charlie Earl, former Ohio state representative, Libertarian candidate in the 2014 Ohio gubernatorial election

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.
• M. Ben Gaeth, former member of the 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.

Other state governments

• Arnold E. Brown, first African American elected to represent Bergen County in the New Jersey Legislature.
• John Villapiano, former Democrat member of the New Jersey General Assembly and former professional football player
• Sue Rocca, former republican member of the Michigan House of Representatives.
• Tal Hutchins, Democrat member of the West Virginia House of Delegates
• Tim Berry, Indiana State Auditor (R) ^[14]
• Dan Carter, State Representative, Connecticut 2nd Assembly District

News

• Beth Macy, journalist and non-fiction writer. Author of Truevine
• 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
• Jason Schmitt, journalist, director of Paywall: The Business of Scholarship
• David Dietz, science journalist, 1937 Pulitzer Prize winner, honorary degree

Broadcast journalism

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

Sports journalism

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

Science

Geology

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

Mathematics and statistics

• 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.
• Jie Chen, statistician with interdisciplinary biology research

Sociology

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

Psychology

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

Biology

• John E. Dohms, biologist specializing in avian disease Pathology. Was a member of the BGSU Lacrosse team.
• William Eugene Evans, Marine biologist and 5th National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration president
• Sally Rockey, Entomologist and former deputy director of the National Institutes of Health
• Seymour Van Gundy, Nematologist
• Dan O'Brien, Wildlife biologist and author

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

• John Michael Ramsey, analytical chemist specializing in Microfluidics and Nanofluidics.
• Gary Keck, organic chemist specialized in synthesis of natural products. ^[15] Developer of Keck asymmetric allylation.

Communications

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

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

• 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

• Shantanu Narayen, CEO of Adobe Systems ^[1]
• Carole Kariuki, CEO of the Kenyan Private Sector Alliance ^{[16] [17]}
• Otara Gunewardene, Sri Lankan and founder of Odel ^[1]
• Michael C. Heim, CIO of Eli Lilly and Company
• Judith Craven, leadership roles in Luby's and Sysco
• Deborah Thigpen, Entrepreneur and publicist.
• Jeffrey Boutelle, CEO of Pharmavite

Historians

• 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 the Arkansas Historical Records Advisory Board
• Mary Beckinsale, Art historian, President Emeritus of Studio Arts College International, honorary degree

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]
• Adena Williams Loston, President of St. Philip's College, San Antonio, Texas. Former Chief Education Officer at NASA.
• 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
• Charles "Chuck" Johnson, President of Vincennes University
• William N. Johnston, 16th president of Wesley College (Delaware)
• 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

• Karen Sparka, Miss Ohio America 1972
• Katherine Baumann, Miss Ohio America 1969
• Peter Manto, bishop of the Reformed Episcopal Church's Diocese of the Central States
• Robert Balling, climate change denier

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. "Nolan Reimold Baseball Stats". www.baseball-almanac.com. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
5. "Andy Tracy Baseball Stats". www.baseball-almanac.com. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
6. "Orel Hershiser Baseball Stats". www.baseball-almanac.com. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
7. "Roger McDowell Baseball Stats". www.baseball-almanac.com. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
8. "Jon Berti Baseball Stats". www.baseball-almanac.com. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
9. "Royal Nigerian brothers find new home in BGSU" . Retrieved November 25, 2019.
10. "Hiroko Nakamoto Hiroshima". www.hiroshimagatewaytopeace.org. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
11. "Paul W. Muenzer Obituary". Naples Daily News . October 18, 2014. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
12. "Ohio Democrats "Meet the Chairman"". Archived from the original on January 27, 2011. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
13. Marshall, Aaron (August 14, 2017). "A humble public servant". The Ohio State University Alumni Association. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
14. Tim Berry, Indiana State Auditor Biography
15. "Gary E. Keck - Department of Chemistry - The University of Utah". chem.utah.edu. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
16. Chege, Njoki (July 24, 2011). "Seeing Kenya's Economy Grow Is My Dream". The Standard (Kenya) . Nairobi. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
17. 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.