Skip to content
162 notable alumni U.S. News #59

Notable Alumni of University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus

Notable alumni of University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus include Wangari Muta Maathai (Kenyan environmentalist, 2004 Nobel Peace Prize winner), Gene Kelly (Dancer, actor, singer, director and choreographer) and Fred Rogers (Creator and host of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood).

College data and admissions

Alumni list

Politics and law

Business

Science and academia

  • Paul Lauterbur 1929–2007

    Chemist, 2003 Nobel laureate for MRI work

    Also attended: Case Western Reserve University

  • Philip Showalter Hench 1896–1965

    Physician, 1950 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine winner

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

  • John Money 1921–2006

    Psychologist, sexologist and Johns Hopkins professor

    Also attended: Harvard University

  • Patricia Churchland 1943–

    Neurophilosopher, professor emerita at UC San Diego

    Spouse: Paul Churchland (University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus)

  • Frederick Irving Herzberg 1923–2000

    Psychologist who introduced the motivator–hygiene theory

    Also attended: CUNY--City College

  • Mahmood Mamdani 1946–

    Anthropologist and Columbia University professor

    Also attended: Harvard University, Tufts University

    Spouse: Mira Nair (Harvard University)

    Child: Zohran Mamdani (Bowdoin College, Bank Street College of Education)

  • Katherine Oppenheimer 1910–1972

    Biologist, botanist and wife of J. Robert Oppenheimer

    Also attended: University of Pennsylvania

    Spouse: J. Robert Oppenheimer (Harvard University)

  • Herbert Boyer 1936–

    Biotechnologist, co-discoverer of recombinant DNA

  • Bennet Omalu 1968–

    Pathologist who first reported CTE in football players

    Also attended: Carnegie Mellon University, University of Washington-Seattle Campus

  • Nancy Cartwright 1944–

    Philosopher of science

    Also attended: University of Illinois at Chicago

  • Jaak Panksepp 1943–2017

    Neuroscientist who coined affective neuroscience

  • Bas van Fraassen 1941–

    Philosopher of science, Princeton professor emeritus

    Doctor of Philosophy · Class of 1966

  • Mary J. Rathbun 1860–1943

    Zoologist specializing in crustaceans

    Honorary master's degree

    Also attended: George Washington University

    Sibling: Richard Rathbun (Cornell University)

  • Paul Churchland 1942–

    Canadian philosopher known for neurophilosophy

    Spouse: Patricia Churchland (University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus)

  • Stuart Hameroff 1947–

    Anesthesiologist and University of Arizona professor

    Also attended: Drexel University

  • Philip Hershkovitz 1909–1997

    Mammalogist

    Also attended: University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

  • Théophile Obenga 1936–

    Congolese Egyptologist, linguist and professor

  • Milton S. Plesset 1908–1991

    Applied physicist in fluid mechanics and nuclear energy

    Also attended: California Institute of Technology, Yale University

  • Benjamin Whisoh Lee 1935–1977

    Korean-born theoretical physicist

    Also attended: Miami University-Oxford, University of Pennsylvania

  • Ernest Sosa 1940–

    Philosopher and Rutgers professor, epistemologist

    Also attended: University of Miami

  • Engin Arık 1948–2007

    Turkish particle physicist and Boğaziçi professor

  • Noël Carroll 1947–

    Philosopher of art and film

    Also attended: New York University

  • Nadrian C. Seeman 1945–2021

    Founder of the field of DNA nanotechnology

    Also attended: University of Chicago

  • Dalia Mogahed 1974–

    Researcher, director of research at ISPU

    Also attended: University of Wisconsin-Madison

  • Tsui Lap-chee 1950–

    Geneticist and former president of the University of Hong Kong

    Doctor of Philosophy · Class of 1979

  • Steve Fuller 1959–

    Social philosopher at the University of Warwick

    Doctor of Philosophy · Class of 1985

    Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York

  • Richard Lazarus 1922–2002

    Psychologist

    Also attended: New York University

  • Axel Leijonhufvud 1933–2022

    Swedish economist and UCLA professor emeritus

    Master of Arts · Class of 1961

    Also attended: Northwestern University

  • Angie Turner King 1905–2004

    Chemist, mathematician and educator

    Doctor of Philosophy

    Also attended: Cornell University, West Virginia State University

  • Charles Glen King 1896–1988

    Biochemist who isolated vitamin C

    Also attended: Washington State University

  • Robert Pape 1960–

    Political scientist and University of Chicago professor

    Master of Arts · Political science · Class of 1982

    Also attended: University of Chicago

  • William Schaus 1858–1942

    Entomologist of Neotropical Lepidoptera

    Also attended: University of Wisconsin-Madison

  • Mary Amdur 1921–1998

    Toxicologist who studied the Donora smog

    Attended until 1943

    Also attended: Cornell University

  • Brian Skyrms 1938–

    Philosopher and UC Irvine distinguished professor

  • William Kelly 1811–1888

    Inventor and a pioneer of modern steel production

  • Ernst W. Hamburger 1933–2018

    German-born Brazilian physicist and science popularizer

  • Holmes Rolston III 1932–2025

    Philosopher known for environmental ethics

    Master of Arts · Philosophy of science · Class of 1968

    Also attended: Davidson College, Union Presbyterian Seminary

  • Farkhonda Hassan 1930–2020

    Egyptian geology professor and politician

    Doctor of Philosophy

  • William Dunham 1947–

    Mathematician and historian of mathematics specializing in Euler

    Bachelor of Science · Class of 1969

    Also attended: Ohio State University-Main Campus

  • Sidney Dancoff 1913–1951

    Theoretical physicist of the Tamm–Dancoff approximation

    Also attended: University of California-Berkeley, Carnegie Mellon University

  • Helen M. Berman 1943–

    Chemist and former director of RCSB Protein Data Bank

    Doctorate

    Also attended: Barnard College

  • Jacob Pieter Den Hartog 1901–1989

    Dutch-American mechanical engineer and MIT professor

    Doctor of Philosophy · Mathematics

  • David Halliday 1916–2010

    Physicist, co-author of Fundamentals of Physics

    Doctor of Philosophy · Class of 1942

  • George Otto Gey 1899–1970

    Cell biologist who propagated the HeLa cell line

  • Li Yinhe 1952–

    Chinese sociologist and sexologist

    Doctor of Philosophy · Sociology · Class of 1988

    Spouse: Wang Xiaobo (University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus)

  • Daniel Tse 1934–

    Second president of Hong Kong Baptist University

    Also attended: Baylor University

  • Freddie Fu 1950–2021

    Orthopaedic surgeon and University of Pittsburgh professor

    Also attended: Dartmouth College

  • James T. C. Liu 1919–1993

    Historian and leading scholar of Song dynasty history

  • Jen-Chieh Peng 1949–

    Taiwanese-American experimental nuclear physicist

Arts and media

Sports

  • Jessica Pegula 1994–

    Professional tennis player

    Father: Terry Pegula (The Pennsylvania State University, The Pennsylvania State University)

    Mother: Kim Pegula (Houghton University)

  • Dan Marino 1961–

    Hall of Fame NFL quarterback for the Miami Dolphins

  • Steven Adams 1993–

    New Zealand NBA center

  • Bruno Sammartino 1935–2018

    Italian-American professional wrestler in the WWF

  • Matt Bloom 1972–

    Retired pro wrestler and WWE head trainer

  • Roger Kingdom 1962–

    Two-time Olympic 110m hurdles champion

  • John Woodruff 1915–2007

    1936 Olympic 800 metres champion

    Also attended: New York University

  • DeJuan Blair 1989–

    Former professional basketball player

  • Trecia-Kaye Smith 1975–

    Jamaican triple jump athlete

  • Khem Birch 1992–

    Canadian professional basketball player

  • Cameron Johnson 1996–

    NBA player for the Denver Nuggets

    Also attended: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

  • Rachel Brown 1980–

    English former women's football goalkeeper

    Also attended: The University of Alabama

  • Herb Douglas 1922–2023

    Long jump athlete

    Also attended: Xavier University of Louisiana

  • Mike Ditka 1939–2026

    American football player, coach and commentator

  • Brad Wanamaker 1989–

    Former NBA player for four seasons

  • Larry Fitzgerald 1983–

    Former NFL wide receiver, 17 seasons with Cardinals

  • Taylor Ellis-Watson 1993–

    Sprinter, 2016 Olympic 4x400m relay champion

    Also attended: University of Arkansas

  • Mark Blount 1975–

    Former NBA center

  • Aaron Gray 1984–

    Former NBA player with seven seasons

  • Billy Knight 1952–

    Former Indiana Pacers player and ABA, NBA All-Star

  • Charles Smith 1965–

    Former NBA player and college All-American

  • Lee McRae 1966–

    Sprinter, 1987 Pan American Games 100m champion

  • Britt Baker 1991–

    Professional wrestler and dentist

    Attended until 2018

    Also attended: The Pennsylvania State University

  • Lamar Patterson 1991–

    Basketball player in Australia's NBL

  • Levon Kendall 1984–

    Canadian former professional basketball player

  • Vonteego Cummings 1976–

    Former NBA guard who also played in Europe

  • Jamel Artis 1993–

    Professional basketball player, University of Pittsburgh alumnus

  • Damar Hamlin 1998–

    NFL safety for the Buffalo Bills

    Bachelor's degree · Communication studies · Class of 2020

  • Donatas Zavackas 1980–

    Lithuanian basketball player and executive

  • Richard Rydze 1950–2023

    Diver who competed in the 1972 Olympics

    Also attended: University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

  • Antonio Graves 1985–

    Professional basketball player

  • Carvin Nkanata 1991–

    Kenyan sprinter, 2014 African Championships 200m bronze

  • Bub Carrington 2005–

    NBA player for the Washington Wizards

  • Jerome Lane 1966–

    Former NBA player for six seasons

  • Justin Champagnie 2001–

    Basketball player for the Washington Wizards

    Sibling: Julian Champagnie (St John's University (NY))

  • Shavonte Zellous 1986–

    Professional basketball player

  • Pol Calvet 1994–

    Retired Spanish footballer

  • Marty Schottenheimer 1943–2021

    NFL head coach for 21 seasons

    Child: Brian Schottenheimer (University of Florida, University of Kansas)

  • Darren Morningstar 1969–

    Former NBA center, 1992 second-round pick

    Also attended: United States Naval Academy

  • Chevon Troutman 1981–

    American professional basketball player

Other fields

  • Ory Okolloh 1977–

    Kenyan activist, lawyer and blogger

    Also attended: Harvard University

  • Charles Graner 1968–

    Former soldier court-martialed over Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse

    Spouse: Megan Ambuhl (Coastal Carolina Community College)

  • Kakenya Ntaiya 1978–

    Kenyan educator and founder of a girls' school

    Also attended: Randolph College

  • Paul J. Bradley 1945–

    Former Catholic bishop of Kalamazoo

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 University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus (people who attended both).