This is a list of notable people associated with San Diego State University, a California State University campus located in the United States.

Alumni

Entertainment, arts, and media

* Lloyd Bryan Molander Adams, executive producer, channel executive and director *

K.D. Aubert Karen Denise Aubert, (born December 6, 1978) also known as K.D. Rose, is an American actress, fashion model and singer. She owns her own record label, Roseland. Early life Aubert was born in Shreveport, Louisiana on December 6, 1978. She des ...

, supermodel, model, actress and Fantanas member *

David Hasemyer David Hasemyer is an American journalist and author. With Lisa Song and Elizabeth McGowan, he won the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting, and a 2016 Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award. He graduated, in 1979, from San Diego State Universi ...

, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist; B.A. Journalism 1979 * John Baldessari, conceptual artist; B.A., 1953; M.A., 1957 * Greg Bear, science fiction author; B.A. English, 1973 * Cleveland Berto, actor *

Jesse Billauer Jesse Billauer (born February 24, 1979) is a well-known surfer from Pacific Palisades, California. Billauer suffered an accident at the age of 17 on March 25, 1996, hitting his head on a shallow sandbar after being knocked off his surfboard by a ...

, quadriplegic, motivational speaker, surfer; B.A. Communications, 2002 *

Luke Brugnara Luke Dominic Brugnara (born ) is an American commercial real estate investor and developer. Brugnara became known for purchasing real estate in downtown San Francisco during the 1990s. In 2015, he was convicted of defrauding an art dealer and ...

, businessman, casino mogul. * Brian Patrick Butler, actor and filmmaker *

Russell Carpenter Russell Paul Carpenter, (born December 9, 1950) is an American cinematographer and photographer, known for collaborating with directors James Cameron, Robert Luketic and McG. He won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography for the 1997 Best Pic ...

, cinematographer of '' Titanic''; B.A. English, 1972 *

Dan Corson Dan Corson (born 1964) is an artist living in Hawaii and is a former member of the Seattle Arts Commission. He works in the field of public art, creating large-scale, concept-driven works installed in urban environments including in parks, railw ...

, artist; B.A. Theater, 1986 * Erika De La Cruz, television host and media personality for Fashion Week; B.A. Film and Fashion * Amy Devers, furniture designer and TV personality (Freeform Furniture, '' Designer People'', '' Trading Spaces'', ''Home Made Simple''); B.A. Furniture Design, 1997 * DJ Rectangle, DJ/turntablist and Grammy Award-nominated dance/hip hop/club record producer; B.B.A. * Fred Dryer, actor-producer and former

NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major ...

player * Manny MUA, YouTuber; B.A., 2013 * Faye Emerson, actress * Sid Fleischman, author of children's books and screenplays; B.A. English * Matt Flynn, drummer of

Maroon 5 Maroon 5 is an American pop rock band from Los Angeles, California. It currently consists of lead vocalist Adam Levine, keyboardist and rhythm guitarist Jesse Carmichael, lead guitarist James Valentine (musician), James Valentine, drummer Matt ...

(attended briefly) * Courtney Friel, television host; B.A. Political Science, 2002 * Vic Fuentes, lead singer of Pierce the Veil * Ted Giannoulas,

The San Diego Chicken The San Diego Chicken, also known as The Famous Chicken, the KGB Chicken or just The Chicken, is a sports mascot played by Ted Giannoulas. History Origin The character originated in 1974 in an animated TV commercial for KGB-FM Radio in San Diego ...

* Bob Goen, media personality and ''

Entertainment Tonight ''Entertainment Tonight'' (or simply ''ET'') is an American Broadcast syndication, first-run syndicated news broadcasting news magazine, newsmagazine program that is distributed by CBS Media Ventures throughout the United States and owned by Para ...

'' anchor-correspondent; B.A. Telecommunications and Film, 1976 * Mark Grace, long time

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...

first baseman, current color analyst for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Fox Sports * Justin Halpern, author; B.A., 2003 * Crystal Harris, model * Fred Holle, fine art painter and educator * Brion James, actor * Darren Kavinoky, lawyer, TV personality * Julie Kavner, actress; voice of Marge Simpson, '' The Simpsons''; B.A. Drama, 1971 * Kathleen Kennedy, film producer; B.A. Telecommunications and Film, 1976 *

Cassandra Kunze Cassandra or Kassandra (; Ancient Greek: Κασσάνδρα, , also , and sometimes referred to as Alexandra) in Greek mythology was a Trojan priestess dedicated to the god Apollo and fated by him to utter true prophecies but never to be believ ...

, 2014 Miss California USA * George Lewis, '' NBC Nightly News'' correspondent *

Joe Liggins Joseph Christopher Liggins, Jr. (born Theodro Elliott; July 9, 1916 – July 26, 1987) was an American R&B, jazz and blues pianist and vocalist who led Joe Liggins and his Honeydrippers in the 1940s and 1950s. His band appeared often on the ''B ...

, R&B musician who wrote and recorded "The Honeydripper" * Jim Lindberg, lead singer of punk band Pennywise (band) (attended briefly) *

Art Linkletter (1912–2010), veteran entertainer; B.A. Teaching, 1934 * Cleavon Little, actor; B.A. Drama *

Abby Martin Abigail Suzanne Martin (born September 6, 1984) is an American journalist, TV presenter, and activist. She helped found the citizen journalism website ''Media Roots'' and serves on the board of directors for the Media Freedom Foundation which ...

, journalist, RT TV network;

9/11 The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial ...

conspiracy theorist; activist with mediaroots.org; B.A. Political Science, 2006 * David McKenna, writer, " American History X" * Adam Montoya, Internet celebrity, known as SeaNanners; B.A., 2006 * Kathy Najimy, actress; voice of Peggy Hill on ''King of the Hill'' *

Gregory Peck Eldred Gregory Peck (April 5, 1916 – June 12, 2003) was an American actor and one of the most popular film stars from the 1940s to the 1970s. In 1999, the American Film Institute named Peck the 12th-greatest male star of Classic Hollywood ...

, actor *

Lisa Dergan Podsednik Lisa Dergan (born August 10, 1970) is an American model, actress, media personality, and sportscaster. She was '' Playboys Playmate of the Month for July 1998. Dergan has established a career beyond ''Playboy'', in particular in the world ...

, model * Zach Porter, lead singer of pop band

Allstar Weekend Allstar Weekend was an American pop rock band based in Poway, California. The band gained its popularity from the Disney Channel television network. The band consisted of lead singer Zachary "Zach" Porter, bassist Cameron Quiseng, drummer Mic ...

Andy Rathbone Andy Rathbone is the author of a number of ...for Dummies books about Microsoft Windows as well as other computing books. Biography Rathbone was born in San Diego, California. He attended San Diego State University, majoring in comparative litera ...

, author of '' ...for Dummies'' books, technology writer; B.A. Literature, 1986 * Constance Reid, author of several biographies of mathematicians and popular books about mathematics; B.A. 1938 *

Michael Matteo Rossi Michael Matteo Rossi (born June 1, 1987) is an American film director, writer, and producer. He is most known for his action thriller film ''Chase'', released through Vertical Entertainment starring Damien Puckler, Aries Spears and Jessica Morri ...

, Filmmaker * Marion Ross, TV actress (''Happy Days'') * Marisa Scheinfeld, photographer; M.F.A., 2011 *

Whitney Shay Whitney Shay (born September 16) is an American blues, soul, and rhythm and blues singer and songwriter. To date, Shay has released three albums including her 2012 debut issue, ''Soul Tonic''. She has won four San Diego Music Awards, including ' ...

, blues singer, 2008 *

Tammie Souza Tammie Souza is a multiple Emmy-winning meteorologist, working at WCAU-TV in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from March 2017 until December 2019. Personal life Souza was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and raised in San Diego, California. She rece ...

, television meteorologist; B.S. Biology *

Suzy Spafford Suzy Spafford, also known as Suzy Spafford Lidstrom (born 1945), is an American cartoonist best known for drawing whimsical animal characters. Her "Suzy's Zoo" line of greeting cards, stickers, stationery, calendars, and similar products is sol ...

, cartoonist, creator of "Suzy's Zoo"; B.F.A., 1957 *

J. Michael Straczynski Joseph Michael Straczynski (; born July 17, 1954) is an American filmmaker and comic book writer. He is the founder of Synthetic Worlds Ltd. and Studio JMS and is best known as the creator of the science fiction television series ''Babylon 5'' ...

, writer; B.A. Psychology and Sociology, 1976 * Susanna Thompson, actress; B.A. Drama, 1980 *

Salvador Torres Salvador Roberto Torres (born July 3, 1936) is a Chicano artist and muralist and an early exponent of the Chicano art movement. He was one of the creators of Chicano Park, and led the movement to create its freeway-pillar murals.Chicano Park murals; M.A. Painting and Drawing, 1973 * Joan D. Vinge, author; B.A., 1971 * Alison Waite, model * Carl Weathers Calgary 2015

Carl Weathers, actor/former professional football player, Apollo Creed in '' Rocky'' *

Don Weeke Don Weeke (born 1947) is an American fiber and gourd artist from Addieville, Illinois best known for combining basketry with gourds using natural materials from the environment. His work is regularly on display nationally at galle ...

, fiber and gourd artist, M.S.W, 1976 * Raquel Welch, actress *

Steve Yuhas Steve Yuhas (born February 4, 1973) is a conservative radio personality in Southern California. He is a frequent guest on radio and television programs and contributes to a myriad of newspapers and magazines. ''The Steve Yuhas Show'' airs on Ne ...

, radio broadcaster and television personality *

Jeanne Zelasko Jeanne Zelasko (born October 26, 1966) is an American journalist and sportscaster who worked for "The Beast" AM980 KFWB and Fox Sports West in Los Angeles County, California. Prior to taking that position Zelasko had a relatively lengthy career w ...

, sports journalist, Fox Sports * Saweetie, rapper. Saweetie attended SDSU for two years before transferring to the University of Southern California

Business

* Charles Brandes, founder of Brandes Investment Partners; B.A. Economics, 1965 *

Norman E. Brinker Norman Eugene Brinker (June 3, 1931 – June 9, 2009) was an American restaurateur who was responsible for the creation of new business concepts within the restaurant field. He served as president of Jack in the Box, founded Steak and Ale, and h ...

, founder of Steak & Ale, former president of Jack in the Box, restaurateur innovator; B.S. Management 1957 * Adelia Coffman, founding CFO of Qualcomm Incorporated; B.S. Accounting 1976 *

Vince Ferraro Vince Ferraro is an American business executive best known for his global marketing vice president positions with Hewlett-Packard and Eastman Kodak. Education Vince Ferraro graduated from San Diego State University with a Bachelor of Science de ...

, Senior General Management and Marketing Executive, ExecRank's 2012 list of top 50 CMOs; B.S. Business Administration *

Van Arsdale France Joseph Van Arsdale France (October 3 1912 – October 13 1999) is credited with establishing the process for training new employees in Disney-owned and other "theme parks" around the world. Early career Prior to working for Disney, his skills in la ...

, '34, founding employee training manager at Disneyland, co-creator of "Disney University" *

Maruta Gardner Maruta Rubens Gardner (February 20, 1947 – February 13, 2016) was an American community activist and public school administrator serving in the roles of teacher, vice principal, principal, and assistant superintendent of schools in San Diego Co ...

, American educator and community activist; M.S. Administration and Supervision 1976 * Rick Hamada CEO of Avnet; B.S. Finance 1982 *

Chris R. Hansen Christopher R. Hansen is an American hedge fund manager. In March 2008, he founded Valiant Capital Management, a San Francisco, California-based global long/short equity hedge fund that had $2.7 billion in assets in 2012. Early life Hansen grew ...

, hedge fund manager, unsuccessfully tried to lure the Sacramento Kings to Seattle in 2013 * Nik Ingersöll, American entrepreneur and designer. * W. Craig Jelinek, President and chief executive officer of Costco. * Peggy Johnson, former Executive Vice President of Qualcomm, former Executive Vice President of Business Development at Microsoft, current CEO of Magic Leap; B.S. Electrical Engineering * Doug Manchester, real estate developer, namesake of Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel in San Diego, publisher of the '' San Diego Union Tribune''; B.S. Finance 1965 * Robert O. Peterson, founder of Jack in the Box * Sol Price, founder of Price Club (later merged with Costco); B.A. Philosophy 1936 * S. Donley Ritchey, former CEO and President of Lucky Stores and current director of The McClatchy Company; B.S. Accounting 1955, M.S. Management 1963 *

Jim Sinegal James D. "Jim" Sinegal (born January 1, 1936) is an American billionaire businessman who is the co-founder and former CEO of the Costco Wholesale Corporation,Allison, Melissa"Costco's colorful CEO, co-founder Jim Sinegal to retire" ''The Seattle ...

, Costco Chief Executive Officer, named to ''Time Magazine''s 2006 list of The 100 most influential people; B.A. 1959 *

James M. Sweeney James M. Sweeney is a serial Entrepreneurship, entrepreneur who started 14 healthcare companies with original ideas, none of which have failed. He has raised $2 billion in capital and generated more than $30 billion in exit value. His companies h ...

, founder and former CEO, CareMark, Inc. (now CVS CareMark), B.S. 1969 *

Russell Weiner Russell Goldencloud Weiner (born 1970) is an American businessman and works in political fundraising. Early life and education Weiner is the son of Michael Weiner, better known as conservative radio talk show host Michael Savage, and Janet Weine ...

, founder RockStar Energy Drink; B.A. Political Science 1992 * Mike Wells, Prudential plc Chief Executive Officer * Bill Davis, former president of the Universal Orlando Resort; B.S. Marketing, 1980

Science

Belle Benchley Belle Jennings Benchley (August 28, 1882 – December 17, 1973), known as “The Zoo Lady,” was the director of the San Diego Zoo from 1927 to 1953, guiding its expansion from a small collection of animals to an innovative, world-class zoo. P ...

, Director of San Diego Zoo from 1927 to 1953 * Samuel Kounaves, professor of chemistry at Tufts University * Joan Bybee, PhD (at UCLA), linguist; M.A. Linguistics * Laurance Doyle, PhD (at Heidelberg University), SETI astronomer; M.S. Astronomy *

Jacques Gauthier Jacques Armand Gauthier (born June 7, 1948 in New York City) is an American vertebrate paleontologist, comparative morphologist, and systematist, and one of the founders of the use of cladistics in biology. Life and career Gauthier is the so ...

, PhD (at UCB), Paleotonlogist and Professor at Yale University and Peabody Museum of Natural History; B.S. Zoology 1973, M.S. Biological Science 1980 * Arthur Jensen, PhD (at Columbia University), Professor Emeritus of educational psychology at University of California, Berkeley; M.A. Psychology 1952 *

M. Brian Maple Merrill Brian Maple (born November 20, 1939) is an American physicist. He is a Distinguished Professor of Physics and holds the Bernd T. Matthias Chair in the Physics Department at the University of California, San Diego, and conducts research a ...

, PhD (at UCSD), professor of physics at University of California, San Diego; B.S. Physics 1963 *

Gordon Eugene Martin Gordon Eugene Martin (born August 22, 1925) is an American physicist and author in the field of piezoelectricity, piezoelectric materials for underwater sound transducers. He wrote early computer software automating iterative evaluation of direc ...

, MA, pioneering piezoelectric materials researcher for underwater sound transducers * Bridgette Meinhold, M.S. (from

Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...

), artist and author with a focus on sustainability; B.S. Mechanical Engineering 2003 * Ellen Ochoa, PhD (from

), first Latina

astronaut An astronaut (from the Ancient Greek (), meaning 'star', and (), meaning 'sailor') is a person trained, equipped, and deployed by a human spaceflight program to serve as a commander or crew member aboard a spacecraft. Although generally r ...

; B.S. Physics 1980 *

Mark M. Phillips Mark M. Phillips (born March 31, 1951) is an American astronomer who works on the observational studies of all classes of supernovae. He has worked on SN 1986G, SN 1987A, the Calán/Tololo Supernova Survey, the High-Z Supernova Search Team, and ...

, PhD (from UC Santa Cruz), US astronomer and cosmologist, Gruber Prize Laureate of 2007 for the discovery of Dark Energy and the Accelerating Universe, member of the High-Z Supernova Search Team; B.S. Astronomy 1973 *

Bernard Rimland Bernard Rimland (November 15, 1928 – November 21, 2006) was an American research psychologist, writer, lecturer, and influential person in the field of developmental disorders. Rimland's first book, ''Infantile Autism'', sparked by the birth o ...

, PhD,

autism The autism spectrum, often referred to as just autism or in the context of a professional diagnosis autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism spectrum condition (ASC), is a neurodevelopmental condition (or conditions) characterized by difficulti ...

researcher and founder of the

Autism Society of America The Autism Society of America (ASA) was founded in 1965 by Bernard Rimland and Ivar Lovaas together with Ruth C. Sullivan and a small group of other parents of children with autism. Its original name was the National Society for Autistic Children ...

; M.S. Psychology *

J. Michael Scott J. Michael Scott (born September 21, 1941 in San Diego, California) is an American scientist, professor, environmentalist and author. Early life and education Scott is the eldest son of Eileen Rose Busby, an author and antiques expert, and Jim ...

, PhD (from Oregon State University), biologist and ornithologist; M.S. Marine Biology * Gina Simmons Schneider, PhD, psychoanalyst, writer; B.A. Psychology 1983 *

Robert Titzer Robert C. Titzer (born June 1960) is an American professor and infant researcher who claimed to create an approach to teach babies written language, which resulted in the Your Baby Can products. He has been a professor, teacher, and public speak ...

, professor and infant researcher; teaching certificate *

Paul J. Zak Paul J. Zak (born 9 February 1962) is an American neuroeconomist. Background Zak graduated with degrees in mathematics and economics from San Diego State University before acquiring a PhD in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania. He is p ...

, Professor and founder of the Neuroscience as a Service (NaaS) platfor
Immersion

Politics and government

Muhammed Al-Jasser Muhammad Sulaiman Al Jasser (Arabic language, Arabic: محمد سليمان الجاسر‎; born 1955) is a Saudi economist who is currently advisor at the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers of Saudi Arabia and Chairman of the Gener ...

, PhD. (at UCR), Saudi Arabian economist who served as the Minister of Economy and Planning and Chairman of

Saudi Telecom Saudi Telecommunication Company (stylized as stc) ( Arabic: شركة إتصالات السعودية ) is the Saudi digital enabler of telecommunications services in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and among the operators in the Middle East. The c ...

; B.A. Economics 1979 * David Alvarez, San Diego City Council member * Karen Bass, mayor of Los Angeles * Roger Benitez, U.S. Federal Judge; B.A., 1974 * Ken Calvert, member of Congress, California; B.A., 1975 * Ammar Campa-Najjar (born 1989), Democratic candidate * Kevin Faulconer, Mayor of San Diego; B.A. Political Science, 1990 * Dusty Foggo, former CIA official *

Georgette Gomez Georgette is a feminine given name, the French form of (''Geōrgia''), the feminine form of George. Georgette may refer to: People * Georgette Barry (1919–2003), stage name Andrea King, American actress * Georgette Bauerdorf (1924–1944), Am ...

, San Diego City Council member *

Mike Gotch Mike Gotch (October 4, 1947 – May 18, 2008) was an American politician who was a City of San Diego council member, a California state assemblyman, and a state advocate for environmental issues. He is remembered for his representation of the ...

, California State Assemblyman and San Diego City Council member * Shirley Horton, Assemblywoman 2002–2008 * Duncan D. Hunter, former member of Congress, California; convicted felon * Brian Jones (born 1968), politician serving in the

California State Senate The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature, the lower house being the California State Assembly. The State Senate convenes, along with the State Assembly, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento, Cal ...

Steven T. Kuykendall Steven T. Kuykendall (January 27, 1947 – January 22, 2021) was an American politician and Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from from 1999 to 2001 in the 106th Congress. He defeated Democrat Janice Hahn in the 1998 electi ...

, former member of Congress, California; M.B.A., 1974 * Bill Lowery, lobbyist and former member of Congress *

Mark Meckler Mark Jay Meckler (born March 10, 1962) is an American political activist, attorney, and business executive. He currently serves as President of Citizens for Self-Governance and Convention of States Action, and is an active proponent of a conventi ...

, political activist *

Rodney Melville Rodney Scott Melville is a presiding judge in Santa Barbara County's Superior Courts of California, superior court. He was the judge in Michael Jackson's Trial of Michael Jackson, 2005 child molestion trial, in which Jackson was acquitted. Biograp ...

, US judge * Mary Salas, CA State Assemblywoman *

Lori Saldana Lori may refer to: *Lori (given name) *Lori Province, Armenia *Lori Fortress, a fortress in Armenia *Lori Berd, a village in Armenia *Kingdom of Tashir-Dzoraget, a historical Armenian kingdom from c. 980 to 1240, sometimes known as the Kingdom of L ...

, CA State Assemblywoman * Jerry Sanders, former mayor of San Diego, former Chief of Police * Glenn E. Trowbridge (born 1943), Republican member of the Nevada Assembly. *

Howard Wayne Howard Wayne (November 2, 1948 – November 2, 2023) was an American politician who was the Vice Chair, Central Area of thSan Diego County Democratic Party Previously, he served as Democratic politician in the California State Assembly from 1996 ...

, Assemblyman 1996–2002 *

Bob Wilson Bob Wilson may refer to: Association footballers *Bob Wilson (footballer, born 1867) (1867–?), Irish international footballer of the 1880s * Bob Wilson (footballer, born September 1898) 1920s, Scottish footballer with Third Lanark and Fall R ...

, former member of Congress, namesake of Bob Wilson Naval Hospital

Athletics and sports

Dakarai Allen Dakarai Dupree Lorenzo Allen (born February 4, 1995) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the NBA G League Ignite of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the San Diego State Aztecs. High school career Al ...

, professional basketball player * Greg Allen, Cleveland Indians Outfielder *

Rob Awalt Robert Mitchell Awalt (born April 9, 1964) is a former American football tight end in the National Football League (NFL) for the St. Louis/Phoenix Cardinals, Dallas Cowboys, and Buffalo Bills. He played college football at San Diego State Uni ...

, former

tight end * Marcelo Balboa, World Cup and MLS soccer star * Steven Beitashour, MLS All-Star Soccer, player for

San Jose Earthquakes The San Jose Earthquakes are an American professional soccer team based in San Jose, California. The Earthquakes compete as a member club of the Western Conference of Major League Soccer (MLS). Originally as the San Jose Clash, the franchise ...

* Bud Black, former Major League Baseball pitcher and former manager of the San Diego Padres; B.S. Management 1979 * Greg Boyd, former NFL defensive end * Vincent Brown, wide receiver for the

San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team that played in San Diego from 1961 until the end of the 2016 season, before relocating to Los Angeles, where the franchise had played its inaugural 1960 season. The team is now ...

* Willie Buchanon, former NFL cornerback * Michael Cage, former NBA player * Joe Corona, soccer player, Club Tijuana Xoloitzcuintles de Caliente and United States men's national soccer team * Don Coryell, former NCAA and NFL head coach, member of the College Football Hall of Fame *

Zylan Cheatham Zylan Anthony Cheatham (born November 17, 1995) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the New Zealand Breakers of the National Basketball League (NBL). He played college basketball for the San Diego State Aztecs and t ...

New Orleans Pelicans The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division and play their hom ...

forward. *

Isaac Curtis Isaac Fisher Curtis (born October 20, 1950) is a former professional American football wide receiver who played his entire National Football League career with the Cincinnati Bengals (1973–1984). Early life Isaac Curtis was a star running bac ...

, former NFL wide receiver *

Tom Dahms Thomas Gordon Dahms (April 19, 1927 – November 30, 1988) was an American football player and coach. He played in the National Football League (NFL) as an offensive tackle for seven seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, Green Bay Packers, Chicago C ...

, former NFL offensive tackle * Brad Daluiso, former NFL placekicker * Gordon Dallas, North American Soccer League player * Kerwin Danley, Major League Baseball umpire * Jeff DaVanon, MLB baseball player * Vernon Dean, former NFL cornerback * Will Demps, former NFL safety * Mike Douglass, former NFL linebacker * Fred Dryer, former NFL defensive end, actor * Herm Edwards, former Kansas City Chiefs head coach *

Gavin Escobar Gavin Louis Escobar (February 3, 1991 – September 28, 2022) was an American football tight end who played for five seasons in the National Football League (NFL) and a season in the Alliance of American Football (AAF). He played for the Dalla ...

, Dallas Cowboys tight end *

Brett Faryniarz Brett Allen Faryniarz (born July 23, 1965) is a former professional American football player who played linebacker for seven seasons in the NFL. In college, he was a defensive standout for the San Diego State Aztecs, starring on the team's much- ...

, former NFL linebacker Justin Masterson on August 30, 2009

Marshall Faulk Marshall William Faulk (born February 26, 1973) is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and St. Louis Rams. He is widely regarded as one of the grea ...

, former NFL running back, star of the St. Louis Rams, inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame *

Roman Fortin Roman Brian Fortin (born February 26, 1967) is a former NFL player from 1991–2000. He played center, guard, offensive tackle, tackle, and tight end through the course of his career. He was the quarterback for his high school team at Ventura H ...

, former NFL center * Malachi Flynn, Toronto Raptors guard * John Fox, football player * Ty France, Seattle Mariners infielder * Donte Gamble, American football player * Gary Garrison, former NFL wide receiver * Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, former NFL defensive end * Joe Gibbs, former NFL head coach of the Washington Redskins, Hall of Famer, and owner of NASCAR racing team Joe Gibbs Racing *

La'Roi Glover La'Roi Damon Glover (; born July 4, 1974) is an American former football defensive tackle who is the defensive line coach for the St. Louis BattleHawks of the XFL. He played college football at San Diego State University. Glover enjoyed a 13-yea ...

, former NFL defensive tackle * Mark Grace, retired Major League Baseball player and World Series Champion * Robert Griffith, former NFL safety * Chris Gwynn, retired Major League Baseball player * Tony Gwynn,

Baseball Hall of Fame The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests. It serves as the central point of the history of baseball in the United States and displays baseball-r ...

r *

Tony Gwynn Jr. Anthony Keith Gwynn Jr. (born October 4, 1982) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. Gwynn played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Philadelphia Phillies. T ...

, Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder * Az-Zahir Hakim, former NFL wide receiver * Tally Hall, goalkeeper for Major League Soccer (MLS)'s

Houston Dynamo Houston Dynamo FC (formerly officially, but still commonly, called the Houston Dynamo) is an American professional soccer club based in Houston. The Dynamo compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference. Establi ...

Aaron Harang Aaron Michael Harang (born May 9, 1978) is an American former professional baseball starting pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Oakland Athletics, Cincinnati Reds, San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers, Seattle Marin ...

, San Diego Padres pitcher * Doug Harvey, former MLB Umpire and Baseball Hall of Fame Inductee 2010 * Ronnie Hillman, running back for the Denver Broncos Malcolm Thomas dunking cropped

Alex Hinshaw Alexander "Alex" Omar Hinshaw (born October 31, 1982) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He graduated from Claremont High School and attended Chaffey College and San Diego State University. He played in Major League Baseball fo ...

, San Francisco Giants pitcher * Marty Hogan (born 1958), racquetball player *

Mike Houghton Michael Christopher Houghton (born December 1, 1979) is a former guard in the National Football League (NFL). Biography Houghton was born on December 1, 1979, in Northridge, California. He is now a teacher in Menifee, California as a PE and hist ...

, former

Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...

guard * Bob Howard, former NFL cornerback * Joe Jackson, gridiron football player * Monte Jackson, former NFL cornerback * Terry Jackson, former NFL cornerback *

Freddie Keiaho Freddy Keiaho, born Naivote Taulawakeiaho, (born) December 18, 1982) is a Fijian former professional American football linebacker. He played college football for the San Diego State University Aztecs, and was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in ...

, current NFL linebacker for the Indianapolis Colts and

Super Bowl XLI Super Bowl XLI was an American football game played between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Indianapolis Colts and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Chicago Bears to decide the National Football League (NFL) champio ...

Champion * Armen Keteyian, sports journalist,

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...

Sports, '' Real Sports'' with Bryant Gumbel *

Mike Kozlowski Michael John Kozlowski (born February 24, 1956) is a former American professional football player. He was a safety for the Miami Dolphins (1979–86). Kozlowski was a tailback at Colorado (1977–78) before switching to defense with the Dolphins ...

, former NFL safety * Joel Kramer (b. 1955), basketball player * Joe Lavender, former NFL cornerback * Travis Lee, former Major League Baseball player *

Jeanne Lenhart Jeanne Lenhart (born 1945 or 1946) is a California Senior Olympian, American volleyball player, Ms. Senior San Diego pageant winner and former performing arts high school teacher from San Diego, California. Early life and education Lenhart grew ...

, senior Olympian, volleyball player, Ms. Senior San Diego 2012 * Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers forward, 2014 & 2019 NBA Finals MVP * Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (Anthropology 2013), professional Mixed Martial Artist, inaugural and current

Bellator MMA Bellator MMA (formerly Bellator Fighting Championships) is an American mixed martial arts promotion (entertainment), promotion founded in 2008 and based in Santa Monica, California, owned and operated as a subsidiary of television and media cong ...

Flyweight Champion * John Madden, former

Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...

head coach, '' Monday Night Football'' color commentator *

Steve Malovic Stephen Lawrence Malovic (July 21, 1956 – April 13, 2007) was an American-Israeli basketball player. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for one season and enjoyed a long career in Israel, where he ultimately obtained Israeli ...

(1956–2007), American-Israeli basketball player * Chris Marlowe, sportscaster, former Olympic volleyball player * Justin Masterson, Cleveland Indians pitcher * Matt McCoy, current NFL linebacker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers *

Jalen McDaniels Jalen Marquis McDaniels (born January 31, 1998) is an American professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the San Diego State Aztecs. High schoo ...

Charlotte Hornets The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division, and pla ...

Center * Bobby Meacham, former Major League Baseball player *

Bob Mendoza Robert (Bob) James Mendoza (born in San Diego, California) is a former American baseball player and a San Diego Hall of Champions inductee. After retiring from baseball, he continued his education and went on to teach, coach high school sports, a ...

, Rugby Player of the Year 1967, former Red Sox outfielder * Claudie Minor, former NFL offensive tackle * Rich Moran, former NFL punter * Kirk Morrison, Former Oakland Raiders', Buffalo Bills', and Jacksonville Jaguars' starting linebacker * Haven Moses, NFL wide receiver * Kassim Osgood, former NFL wide receiver * Dorian "Doc" Paskowitz (1921–2014), surfer and physician * Scott Piercy, professional golfer *

Damon Pieri Mark Damon Pieri (born September 25, 1970) is a former American football defensive back who played three seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers. He played college football College foot ...

, NFL player * Chester Pitts, NFL,

Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...

Noel Prefontaine Noel Michael Prefontaine (born December 23, 1973) is a former professional Canadian football punter and placekicker in the Canadian Football League (CFL). Early years Prefontaine was born to a French Canadian father and a Vietnamese mother at ...

, Toronto Argonauts kicker * Jimmy Raye, VP of Football Operations for the

Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...

* Addison Reed, relief pitcher for the Boston Red Sox *

Benny Ricardo Benito Concepcion "Benny" Ricardo (born January 4, 1954 in Asunción, Paraguay) is a former American football placekicker in the NFLMiller, Bryce.Life of former Aztec, Charger Benny Ricardo is a kick, The San Diego Union-Tribune, November 18, 2 ...

, former NFL placekicker * Charlene Rink, former professional

fitness competitor Fitness and figure competition is a class of physique-exhibition events for women and men. While bearing a close resemblance to bodybuilding, its emphasis is on muscle ''definition'', not size. The class was originally introduced when bodybuilding ...

* Hubert Roberts (born 1961), American-Israeli basketball player * Arnie Robinson, Olympic long jump gold medalist * Patrick Rowe, NFL player * Brian Russell, former NFL safety * Ephraim Salaam, former NFL offensive tackle Jeff Webb

* Mike Saxon, former NFL punter * Xander Schauffele, Professional Golfer *

Chaz Schilens Chazeray Dijon "Chaz" Schilens (born Chazeray Dijon Simmons; November 7, 1985) is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played high school football at Hi ...

, NFL wide receiver, formerly with Oakland Raiders, currently with

New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...

* Darnay Scott, former

Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...

wide receiver * Brian Sipe, former Cleveland Browns quarterback * Marcus Slaughter, professional basketball player. * Webster Slaughter, former wide receiver * Dave Smith, former Major League Baseball pitcher * Jeff Staggs, former NFL linebacker * Willie Steele, 1948 Olympic long jump gold medalist *

Daniel Steres Daniel Steres (born November 11, 1990) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defender for Major League Soccer club Houston Dynamo. He was USL-Pro All-League Second Team in 2013 and 2014, USL All-League First Team in 2015, a ...

(born 1990), professional soccer player with the

LA Galaxy LA Galaxy, also known as the Los Angeles Galaxy, are an American professional soccer club based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Galaxy competes in Major League Soccer (MLS), as a member of the Western Conference. The club began pl ...

* Stephen Strasburg (born 1988), Washington Nationals pitcher *

Malcolm Thomas Malcolm Thomas may refer to: *Malcolm Thomas (basketball, born 1988), American professional basketball player *Malcolm Thomas (basketball, born 1963), American college basketball player *Malcolm Thomas (rugby union) (1929–2012), Welsh rugby player ...

(born 1988), professional basketball player; currently plays for the Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv * Kyle Turley, former NFL offensive tackle *

Don Warren Donald James Warren (born May 5, 1956) is a retired American football scout and former tight end who played his entire 14-year career with the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by them in the fourth round ...

, former NFL tight end * Jeff Webb, former Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver * Ralph Wenzel, former NFL offensive guard *

Jim Wilks Jimmy Ray Wilks (born March 12, 1958 in Los Angeles, California) is a former American football defensive end who played 13 seasons for the New Orleans Saints in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at San Diego State. ...

, former NFL defensive end *

Nate Wright Nathaniel Wright (born December 21, 1947) is a former American football cornerback who played in the NFL from 1969–1980. High school career He attended Monterey High School in Monterey, California where he was a standout football and basket ...

, former NFL cornerback *

Eric Wynalda Eric Boswell Wynalda (born June 9, 1969) is an American soccer coach, television commentator, and retired player. He was formerly an analyst and color commentator for soccer coverage on Fox Sports 1 and ESPN. Previously, he served as head coach ...

, World Cup and MLS soccer player; Fox Sports broadcaster

Military

* Robert Cardenas, retired Brigadier General; B.A. 1972 *

Thomas J. Haynes Thomas J. Haynes is a Major general (United States), major general in the Rhode Island Air National Guard. Career Haynes was commissioned an officer in the United States Air Force in 1971. In 1972, he was assigned to the 55th Weather Reconnaiss ...

Air National Guard The Air National Guard (ANG), also known as the Air Guard, is a federal military reserve force of the United States Air Force, as well as the air militia of each U.S. state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the ter ...

general * Merrill McPeak, retired

Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force The chief of staff of the Air Force (acronym: CSAF, or AF/CC) is a statutory office () held by a general in the United States Air Force, and as such is the principal military advisor to the secretary of the Air Force on matter pertaining to th ...

; B.A. Economics, 1957 * William J. Marks, USN Commander, spokesman for the Defense Intelligence Agency; M.A. Mass Communication and Media Studies, 2007 *

James E. McPherson James Edwin McPherson (born January 20, 1953) is an American government official and retired United States Navy rear admiral. He served as the General Counsel of the Army from January 2, 2018, to March 24, 2020. He served as the United States Un ...

, retired Navy officer, former 39th Judge Advocate General of the Navy; Bachelor of Public Administration, 1977 *

Eugene P. Wilkinson Eugene Parks "Dennis" Wilkinson (August 10, 1918 – July 11, 2013) was a United States Navy officer. He was selected for three historic command assignments. The first, in 1954, was as the first commanding officer of , the world's first nuclear-pow ...

, first Commanding Officer of the , the world's first nuclear submarine; B.S. Chemistry, 1938 *

Donald Erwin Wilson Donald Erwin Wilson (August 12, 1932 – February 3, 2002) was a rear admiral in the United States Navy. Biography Wilson was born in Holway, Wisconsin, on August 12, 1932. He graduated with a M.S. in Management from San Diego State Universi ...

, U.S. Navy admiral; B.S. Accounting, 1954; M.S. Management, 1955

Crime

* Kristin Rossum, toxicologist convicted of the murder of her husband * Duncan D. Hunter, US Representative plead guilty to conspiracy to misuse campaign funds.

Faculty

Joanna Brooks Joanna Brooks (born September 29, 1971) is an American author and professor of English and comparative literature at San Diego State University. Brooks is currently the associate vice president of faculty advancement and professor of English and ...

, English professor * Jerry Farber, author, professor * Larry McCaffery, writer, editor, post-modern literary critic, professor * Khaleel Mohammed, PhD, professor of religious studies * Shirley Weber, PhD, founding faculty and department chair, SDSU Department of Africana Studies

Retired and former faculty

* Nathalia Crane, poet, deceased professor of English *

Thomas B. Day Thomas Brennock Day (March 7, 1932June 15, 2021) was an American scientist and university administrator. He served as the president of San Diego State University (SDSU) from 1978 to 1996. Early life Day was born in New York City on March 7, 1932 ...

, physicist, deceased president of SDSU from 1978 to 1996 *

Suzette Haden Elgin Suzette Haden Elgin (born Patricia Anne Suzette Wilkins; November 18, 1936 – January 27, 2015) was an American researcher in experimental linguistics, construction and evolution of languages and poetry and science fiction writer. She founded t ...

, author, retired linguistics professor *

Clinton Jencks Clinton Jencks (March 1, 1918 – December 15, 2005) was an American lifelong activist in labor and social justice causes, most famous for union organizing among New Mexico's miners, acting in the 1954 film '' Salt of the Earth'' (where he portra ...

, PhD, retired professor of Economics * Lev Kirshner, soccer player and soccer coach * Noel Loomis, science fiction and mystery writer, deceased English instructor *

John V. Pavlik John Vernon Pavlik is an American academic and author who publishes on the impact of technology on journalism, media, and society. Biography He is a professor in the Department of Journalism and Media Studies in the School of Communication and Inf ...

, founding director of the SDSU School of Communication *

Anna Prieto Sandoval Anna Prieto Sandoval (May 14, 1934 – October 28, 2010) was an American leader of the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation of southern California and a Native American gaming enterprises pioneer. She is credited with lifting the Sycuan Band reserva ...

Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation The Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation is a federally recognized tribe of Mission Indians from Southern California, located in an unincorporated area of San Diego County just east of El Cajon. The Sycuan band are a Kumeyaay tribe, one of the fou ...

Chairwoman, and teacher of the Kumeyaay language * Vernor Vinge, PhD, science fiction writer and visionary, retired professor of mathematics *

Joy Zedler Joy Buswell Zedler (born 1943) is an American ecologist and professor of botany at the University of Wisconsin–Madison (UW), holding the title of Aldo Leopold Chair of Restoration Ecology. In addition to restoration ecology, she specializes in ...

, ecologist and botanist, founder of SDSU Pacific Estuarine Research Laboratory

References

{{San Diego State University San Diego State University San Diego State University people San Diego State University