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60 notable alumni U.S. News #342

Notable Alumni of Cleveland State University

Notable alumni of Cleveland State University include Dennis Kucinich (Former U.S. representative from Ohio), Annie Easley (NASA mathematician and rocket scientist) and Marcia Fudge (Former US Secretary of Housing and Urban Development).

College data and admissions

Alumni list

Politics and law

Business

  • Koo Bon-moo 1945–2018

    South Korean business executive of LG Group

    Master's degree

    Also attended: Ashland University

  • Nancy Lerner 1960–

    Investor, philanthropist, and billionaire

Science and academia

Arts and media

  • Tim Russert 1950–2008

    Longtime moderator of NBC's Meet the Press

    Also attended: John Carroll University

    Spouse: Maureen Orth (University of California-Berkeley)

    Child: Luke Russert (Boston College)

  • Unoma Azuah 1969–

    Nigerian writer, activist and professor

    Also attended: Virginia Commonwealth University

  • Larisa Alexandrovna 1971–

    Journalist, essayist and poet

  • Robert Banks 1966–

    Experimental filmmaker

  • Billie Lawless 1950–

    American sculptor

  • Terry Pluto 1955–

    Sportswriter and columnist for The Plain Dealer

  • Ken Carpenter 1956–

    Journalist and journalism professor

    Also attended: University of Central Florida, Webster University

  • Delores Phillips 1950–2014

    Author of the novel The Darkest Child

  • Karen Kovacik 1959–

    Poet and former Indiana poet laureate

    Master of Arts · Class of 1990

    Also attended: Ohio State University-Main Campus

  • Donald Welsh 1943–2010

    Magazine publisher and editor

  • Kid Leo 1950–

    Radio DJ and music industry executive

Sports

  • Stipe Miocic 1982–

    Two-time UFC Heavyweight Champion

  • Norris Cole 1988–

    Former NBA player and two-time champion with Miami Heat

  • Bryn Forbes 1993–

    Professional basketball player and three-point shooter

    Also attended: Michigan State University

  • Jim Les 1963–

    Former NBA player, UC Davis men's basketball head coach

  • Bunki Bankaitis-Davis 1958–2021

    Road cyclist, 1992 world team time trial champion

  • Ike Nwamu 1993–

    Nigerian professional basketball player

  • Pape Badiane 1980–2016

    French professional basketball player

  • Franklin Edwards 1959–

    NBA point guard drafted in the first round, 1981

  • Rob Edwards 1997–

    Basketball player for Reggio Emilia

  • Tyree Appleby 1998–

    Professional basketball player

    Also attended: University of Florida

  • Micky Brennan 1952–

    English retired professional footballer

  • Darren Tillis 1960–

    Former NBA center and basketball coach

  • Ali Kazemaini 1963–

    Soccer forward and former Cleveland State head coach

  • D'Moi Hodge 1998–

    British Virgin Islander professional basketball player

  • Zachary Ellis-Hayden 1992–

    Soccer defender who represented Barbados

  • Nedim Nišić 1984–

    Swimmer who competed for Bosnia at the 2008 Olympics

  • Klaas de Boer 1942–

    Soccer coach and former professional player

  • Carlos English 1984–

    Professional basketball player

  • Modibo Niakate 1981–

    Malian basketball player

  • Roman Rosul 1953–

    Retired American soccer player

  • Tim Tyma 1960–

    Former soccer player, coach and referee

Other fields

  • James Anthony Griffin 1934–

    Former Catholic bishop of Columbus, Ohio

  • Jane Edna Hunter 1882–1971

    Social worker, founded Working Girls Association in Cleveland

    Also attended: Baldwin Wallace University

From Wikidata “educated at” records (including people who attended without graduating), ordered by the number of Wikipedia language editions. Degrees and years follow Wikidata and are left out where it has none.

Alumni network

Colleges that share the most alumni with Cleveland State University (people who attended both).