List of Kean University people

This is a list of notable people affiliated with Kean University of New Jersey.

Alumni

Education

• Grace Baxter Fenderson, taught in Newark City Schools for 42 years; co-founded Newark chapter of NAACP in 1914
• Roseann Quinn (1966), schoolteacher whose 1973 murder was the basis for Judith Rossner's 1975 novel Looking for Mr. Goodbar and its derivative 1977 film ^[1]
• Robert Van Houten, president of the New Jersey Institute of Technology 1947–1970

Entertainment

• Adam Glyn, reporter on TMZ ^[2]

Government and politics

Alumnus James F. Sloan, head of intelligence for the U.S. Coast Guard

Alumnus Congressman Edward Patten meeting with Defense Secretary Robert McNamara in 1965

• Steve Adubato, Sr., Democratic politician; Kean honorary doctorate recipient
• León Febres Cordero, President of Ecuador (1984–1988)
• Edward J. Patten (Class of 1927), member of the United States House of Representatives from New Jersey's 15th congressional district (1963–1981); former New Jersey Secretary of State (1954–1962)
• Donald Payne Jr., U.S. Congressman from New Jersey's 10th congressional district (2012–2024)
• Nellie Pou, New Jersey Assemblywoman (1997–present); Assistant Minority Leader (2000–2001); Deputy Speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly (2002–2005)
• Nicholas Scutari, New Jersey Senator (2004–present)
• James F. Sloan, Assistant Commandant for Intelligence and Criminal Investigations; head of intelligence for the United States Coast Guard (2003–2009)
• Joseph Suliga, New Jersey Assemblyman (1994–2001); New Jersey Senator (2001–2004)
• Oadline Truitt, New Jersey Assemblywoman (2006–2008)

Music and art

• Richie Sambora, singer

Sports

• Crowbar (born Devon Storm), professional wrestler; graduated with a degree in Physical Therapy
• Petter Villegas, soccer winger; made his name with the MetroStars of Major League Soccer

TV, radio, and film

• Joe Bevilacqua (1982), actor, writer, producer, broadcaster, 2013 Kean Distinguished Alumni Award recipient ^[3]
• Chris Cimino, TV meteorologist
• Christine E. Dickson, cognitive psychologist
• Linda Morris (1969), Emmy Award-winning writer and producer of Frasier
• Ed Naha, writer of science fiction novels and the screenplay for Honey, I Shrunk the Kids ^[4]
• Roseann Quinn (1966), schoolteacher, literary and television character
• Vic Rauseo (1969), Emmy Award-winning writer and producer of Frasier
• Holly Taylor, actor, The Americans ^[5]
• Bruce Williams, businessman; radio talk show host; host of The Bruce Williams Show ^[6]

Faculty

• McKinley Boston, director of athletics at Kean College, 1986–1987; athletics director at University of Rhode Island, 1988–1990; athletics director at University of Minnesota, 1991–1995; vice president for student development and athletics at University of Minnesota, 1995–2000; athletics director at New Mexico State University, 2004–present
• Harriet Frances Carpenter (1868/75 – 1956), kindergarten educator (1898-), writer, suffragist
• Frank J. Esposito, historian; Distinguished Service Professor of History at Kean; 2009 candidate for Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey with independent candidate Christopher Daggett
• Vera King Farris, Kean College Vice President for Academic Affairs; third president of the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, 1983–2003; former administrator at Kean, Stockton, the State University of New York at Stony Brook, the State University of New York at Brockport, and the University of Michigan; first African-American president of a New Jersey public college; New Jersey Woman of the Year in 1992; New Jersey Policymaker of the Year 1994
• John Gerrish, composer (best known for The Falcon); professor of music at Kean University
• Terry Golway, curator of the John T. Kean Center for American History at Kean University; author of several books on American and Irish history; former member of the New York Times editorial board
• Michael Klein, art history professor at Kean (1996–1998); New York City art consultant and curator
• Susan MacLaury, health professor; social worker; Emmy and Academy Award-winning producer
• Frank X. McDermott, former trustee of Kean University; New Jersey delegate to the White House Conference on Education, 1955 (Dwight Eisenhower administration); member of the New Jersey General Assembly 1963–1967, 1975–1977 (assistant majority leader, 1965; minority leader, 1966); President of the New Jersey Senate and acting Governor of New Jersey, 1969; New Jersey Senator, 1967–1973 (Senate majority leader, 1968); Thomas Kean 1977 gubernatorial campaign chairman
• Jim McGreevey, former Governor of New Jersey; former ethics professor at Kean University
• Harold Norman Moldenke, former Kean professor; botanist; taxonomist
• Marysa Navarro, historian
• Daniel O'Day, Jr., Vice President-Scholarships, Professor of English, Kean University
• Richard O'Meara, retired Brigadier General in the United States Army; Vietnam War combat veteran; lawyer; member of the Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Army; taught at Kean University, Rutgers University-Newark, Monmouth University, and the Division of Global Affairs
• Ryan Spencer Reed, photojournalist; Kean University visiting artist lecturer
• John J. Wooten, playwright, director, and producer; founding member and Producing Artistic Director of Premiere Stages at Kean University
• Xiaobo Yu, Chinese palaeontologist and professor on biological sciences credited with first describing the lobe-finned fish Psarolepis romeri, a transitional species between fish and amphibians
• Raúl Zamudio, curator, art critic, art historian
• Irisa Leverette, mathematics professor, known for running viral TikTok and Instagram pages "Irisa and King Darius" and "myautismstar" featuring her autistic son, Darius

Athletic coaches

• Nick DiPillo, former assistant coach for the men's basketball team at Kean; assistant coach for the New York Liberty of the WNBA
• Kirk Jellerson, Kean defensive coordinator, 2000–2002; head football coach at Utica College in Utica, New York and Whittier College in Whittier, California

Football coaches

• John Audino, former head football coach for Kean University, 1990–1991; head football coach for Union College in Schenectady, New York; Notre Dame University football player
• Brian Carlson, Kean Cougars football head coach, 1992–1999
• Charlie Cocuzza, Kean Cougars football head coach (2003–2005); former assistant coach at Montclair State
• Ron San Fillipo, Cougars head coach, 1973–1974; Kean Cougars baseball head coach, 1973–1975
• Dan Garrett, Cougars head coach since 2006
• Jim Hazlett, Cougars head coach, 1980–1986; Susquehanna University and Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
• Glenn Hedden, Cougars head coach, 1987–1988; assistant football coach at Montclair State University
• Drew Gibbs, Cougars head coach, 1989
• Joe Loth, Cougars head coach, 2000–2002; 2009 guest coach for the Saskatchewan Roughriders; current head football coach for Otterbein College in Westerville, Ohio
• Ray Murphy, Cougars head coach, 1977–1979
• Hawley Waterman, first Cougars head coach, 1970–1971

References

1. Kaufman, Michael T. "Teacher, 28, Slain In Her Apartment On West 72d Street," The New York Times, Friday, January 5, 1973. Retrieved January 3, 2022
2. "Adam Glyn". Instagram .
3. Graduation Doesn't Mean Goodbye Archived 2007-12-10 at the Wayback Machine , accessed January 31, 2007 from
4. Ed Naha's Public Profile Archived 2011-07-24 at the Wayback Machine
5. Silman, Anna. "Holly Taylor's American Dream". The Cut. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
6. Eftimiades, Maria. "Radio Personality Without Limits", The New York Times , July 2, 1989. Retrieved February 20, 2008.