Notable Alumni of CUNY Graduate School and University Center

Jane McAlevey 1964–2024

American union organizer and author

Doctor of Philosophy · Class of 2015

Also attended: University at Buffalo

Eleanor Sobel 1946–

Former Florida State Senator

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York, CUNY Brooklyn College, Teachers College at Columbia University

Roman Popadiuk 1950–

First US Ambassador to Ukraine

Also attended: CUNY Hunter College

Kevin Parker 1967–

New York State Senator

Also attended: The New School, The Pennsylvania State University

Lee A. Feinstein 1959–

Policy scholar and former State Department official

Also attended: Georgetown University, Vassar College

Winston Dang 1943–

Taiwanese politician and former environmental protection head

Also attended: Harvard University, Columbia University in the City of New York

Gustavo Rivera 1975–

New York State senator

Nancy Fraser 1947–

Philosopher and critical theorist

Hal Foster 1955–

Art critic and Princeton University professor

Also attended: Princeton University, Columbia University in the City of New York

Patricia C. Wright 1944–

Primatologist known for studying Madagascar lemurs

Also attended: Hood College

Maggie Nelson 1973–

Writer, poet and university teacher

Spouse: Harry Dodge (Bard College)

Dan Grimaldi 1946–

Actor and mathematics professor, known for The Sopranos

Also attended: Fordham University, New York University

Gregory Pardlo 1968–

Poet, 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry winner

Also attended: New York University

Douglas Crimp 1944–2019

Art critic and art historian

Also attended: Tulane University of Louisiana

Adeola Fayehun 1984–

Nigerian journalist

Master of Arts · Broadcast journalism · Class of 2008

Also attended: The University of Olivet

Janet Biehl 1953–

Author and artist working on social ecology

Also attended: Wesleyan University

Sharon Sutton 1941–

Architect, educator, visual artist and author

Also attended: University of Hartford, Columbia University in the City of New York, CUNY Hunter College

Brian D'Amato 2000–

American novelist, sculptor and artist

Also attended: Yale University

Mother: Barbara D'Amato (Northwestern University, Cornell University)

Patricia Phelps de Cisneros 1947–

Collector of Latin American art and education advocate

Also attended: Wheaton College (MA)

Spouse: Gustavo Cisneros (Babson College)

Child: Adriana Cisneros (Harvard University, Columbia University in the City of New York)

Holland Cotter 1947–

New York Times art critic and Pulitzer winner

Also attended: Harvard University, Columbia University in the City of New York

Merle Hoffman 1946–

American journalist and activist

Also attended: CUNY Queens College

Quynh Nguyen 1976–

Vietnamese-American classical pianist and educator

Also attended: The Juilliard School, The New School

Mark M. Goldblatt 1957–

Journalist, novelist and educator

Also attended: CUNY Queens College

Ryūhō Ōkawa 1956–2023

Japanese religious leader, founder of Happy Science

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