This page lists notable alumni and former students, faculty, and administrators of California State University, Northridge .
Academia
Eric V. Anslyn – Distinguished Professor of Chemistry at the University of Texas at Austin
Judy Baca – Professor of Chicana/o Studies and Professor of World Arts and Cultures at UCLA
Jeffrey Beall – Librarian at the University of Colorado Denver
Betty Beaumont – conceptual artist who has served on the faculty of the University of California at Berkeley , The School of the Art Institute of Chicago , SUNY, Purchase , Hunter College , New York University , and Columbia University
Michael Ferejohn – Professor of Philosophy at Duke University
Lori Cox Han – Professor of Political Science at Chapman University
Jack C. Hayya (1929-2018) – Professor of Management Science at the Pennsylvania State University
Judith H. Hibbard – Senior Researcher and professor at the University of Oregon
Michael Klonsky - activist, Professor of Education at Loyola University Chicago
David C. Lane – author, Professor of Philosophy and Sociology
Ralph Larkin – sociologist, Assistant Professor of Sociology at Rutgers University, Newark and adjunct professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice
Minnette Gersh Lenier – teacher who used magic to improve students’ learning skills
Kathleen Lowe Melde – Professor of Electrical Engineering and Associate Dean at the University of Arizona
Annette Nellen - Professor as well as the director of the graduate tax program at the San José State University
Peter W. Schramm – Professor of Political Science at Ashland University
Alex Sevanian – Professor of Molecular Pharmacology and Toxicology at University of Southern California
Chauntelle Tibbals – sociologist specialized in gender and sexualities
Barbara Tilley – Professor of Biostatistics at Case Western Reserve University , the Medical University of South Carolina , and the UTHealth School of Public Health
Robert H. Todd – Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Brigham Young University
C. Richard Tracy – ecologist and Professor of Biology at University of Nevada, Reno
Ann E. Watkins – Professor of Mathematics at California State University, Northridge
Mark Watson – Professor of Economics and Public Affairs at Princeton University , previously at Harvard University and Northwestern University
Business
Andrew Anagnost – President and CEO of Autodesk
Vincent Barabba – market researcher and former head of the United States Census Bureau
Gene Baur – President and co-founder of Farm Sanctuary
Jim Berk – CEO of Participant Media (An Inconvenient Truth , Bridge of Spies , Green Book , Spotlight )
Stephen Bollenbach (1960) – Co-Chairman and CEO of Hilton Hotels
Wendi Deng Murdoch – media executive, wife of News Corp Chairman Rupert Murdoch
Doug Emhoff – entertainment lawyer, Second Gentleman of the United States , husband of Vice President Kamala Harris
Christine Essel – Senior Vice President, Paramount Pictures
Jon V. Ferrara - entrepreneur and founder of Nimble
Dirk Gates – founder and CEO of Xircom and Xirrus
Gene Haas – NASCAR team owner; Haas F1 Solo owner; Haas Automation president
Jerry Jordan – former member of President Ronald Reagan 's Council of Economic Advisers and former president and chief executive officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland
Rao Machiraju – Executive in Residence and Co-Director of Center for Human Applied Reasoning and the Internet of Things (Chariot) at the University of Southern California , former CEO of ReQall .
David Nazarian – businessman and philanthropist, founder and CEO of Nîmes Capital
Charles Noski – CFO of AT&T , Northrop Grumman Corporation , and Bank of America
Nick Patsaouras – businessman, engineer, and public official
Steve Pavlina – self-development professional
Dan Pena – businessman
Vicki Roberts – attorney, on-air legal commentator, television and film personality
Stan Polovets – led the $15bn merge and $55bn sale of TNK-BP , Lead Director on the Board of L1 Energy and Chairman at Edelman
Ravi Sawhney – industrial designer , founder and CEO of RKS Design
Amanda Simpson – vice president for Research and Technology at Airbus Americas
Lee Soo-Man – founder and Chairman of SM Entertainment
Kathleen Utgoff – economist and Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics
Michelle Vicary – executive vice president of programming and network publicity for Crown Media
Frank K. Wheaton – attorney, sports agent and personal manager
Alex Yemenidjian – Chairman and CEO of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer , Inc.
Film and television
Paula Abdul (attended) – entertainer; singer, dancer, judge for television series American Idol and The X Factor .[1] Winner of multiple MTV Video Music Awards , Grammy Awards , and Emmy Awards
Ariane Andrew (2005) – wrestler
David Michael Barrett (1992) – screenwriter and film producer
Deanne Bray (1989) – actress
Kimberly J. Brown - actress
Anna Behlmer - Academy Award nominated sound engineer
Dave Caplan – television writer and producer
Charmian Carr - actress
Joan Chen , BA 1979 – actress, filmmaker[2]
Morris Chestnut (1987) – film and television actor
Karin Anna Cheung (1992) – actress
Kristen Cloke - actress
Kevin Corcoran (1967) – actor, entertainment producer-director
Mike Darnell - television executive
Matt Deitsch – film director and freelance photographer (dropped out)
Bobby Diamond - actor and attorney
Richard Dreyfuss (1965) – actor, winner of an Academy Award , a Golden Globe , and a BAFTA
Jenna Elfman – film and television actress known for Dharma and Greg , Golden Globe winner
Robert Englund – actor best known for his role as Freddy Krueger
Shannon Fill – actor, Star Trek: The Next Generation film
Diane Franklin — film and television actress
Teri Garr (attended) – film actress, comedian, Academy Award nominee
Alexandra Grey (2013) – film and television actress, singer
Don Hahn , BA 1975 – film producer, film director; film producer of Beauty and the Beast , The Lion King , The Hunchback of Notre Dame . Golden Globe winner[2]
Alyson Hannigan (1992) – actress
Phil Hartman (1966) – film and television actor, comedian, producer
Linda Kaye Henning — film and television actress
Helen Hunt (1981) – film and television actress
Paul Hunter - film director, screenwriter, and music video director
David Knoller – television producer, director and writer
Dale Launer - screenwriter
Lillian Lehman – film and television actor
Nicole Linkletter – Cycle 5 America's Next Top Model winner
Eva Longoria – actress
Cheech Marin – actor, comedian , co-star of Cheech and Chong film and television team
Austin Matelson (aka Luchasaurus) , BA 2008, MA 2010 – professional wrestler
Eva Mendes - actress
Charles Martin Smith – actor and director
Al Mayer Jr. -- 2x Academy Award and Emmy Award winning camera designer
Jillian Michaels – personal trainer and Biggest Loser coach
Brian A. Miller - Senior Vice President and General Manager of Cartoon Network Studios . Emmy Award -winning television producer
Michelle Mizner – Academy Award -winning film producer and editor
David Mullich – game designer and producer
Arsi Nami – Swedish-Persian actor, singer, songwriter, music therapist and philanthropist
Robert Newman – actor, Guiding Light
Harry Northup – actor, Taxi Driver and The Silence of the Lambs ; poet, "Red Snow Fence"
Cubby O'Brien (1955–59) – musician; drummer, original member ("Mouseketeer") of The Mickey Mouse Club
Utt Panichkul - actor and model
Donald Petrie - actor and film director
Chuck Pfarrer – screenwriter, author, former SEAL Team commander
Eve Plumb (1976) – actress, "Jan" on The Brady Bunch
Lauren Ridloff — actress, Tony Award nominee
Robbie Rist – actor and musician, "Cousin Oliver" on The Brady Bunch
Mark Saul – actor, All That , Grey's Anatomy , The Social Network
Deborah Lynn Scott – costume designer and set designer
Jean Bruce Scott – actress
Scott Shaw (1976) – author, actor, filmmaker
Lloyd Sherr – voice actor
Jenny Shimizu - actress and model
Phil Snyder – voice actor ; voice of Disney character Jiminy Cricket ; professor, University of Houston
James Stanfield – professor and film producer, won the Academy Award for Technical Achievement
Jeri Taylor – co-creator of Star Trek: Voyager
Brian J. Terwilliger (1994) – producer/director of One Six Right
Jennifer Tisdale - actress
Tim Toyama – playwright, producer
DJ Trevi – actor, DJ, reality personality, director
Minoti Vaishnav – singer, screenwriter and producer
Larry Wilcox – actor
Debra Winger – film and stage actress
Government and politics
Richard Alarcon (1971) – former California State Senator and Los Angeles City Council member
Nicole Avant – 13th United States Ambassador to the Bahamas
Judy Baca (1964) – artist, civil rights activist, Guggenheim Fellow
Peter Berlin (lawyer) – criminal defense lawyer
Christopher Bogdan – retired United States Air Force General
Katie Eyre Brewer – member of the Oregon House of Representatives from the 29th district
Kansen Chu – member of the San Jose City Council from the 4th District, member of the California State Assembly from 25th Assembly District
Lance Clow – member of the Idaho House of Representatives from the 24th District
Mike Curb (1962) – musician, record company executive, 42nd Lieutenant Governor of California
Mike Davis (politician)- President Pro Tem, Los Angeles Board of Public Works and former member of the California State Assembly
Jamshid "Jimmy" Delshad (1958) – Mayor of Beverly Hills
Tara Flanagan – judge of the Superior Court of the State of California in the County of Alameda
Katie Hill – former Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives , Representative of California's 25th congressional district
George J. Hochbrueckner – member of the New York State Assembly , member of the United States House of Representatives for New York's 1st congressional district
Brent A. Jones (born 1963) – Republican member of the Nevada Assembly .[3]
Jeanne Kohl-Welles – member of the Washington State Senate and Washington House of Representatives from the 36th legislative district
Charlotte Laws – author, politician and animal rights advocate
Ralph Lazo – only known non-spouse, non-Japanese American who voluntarily relocated to a World War II Japanese American internment camp
John Lee – member of the Los Angeles City Council representing the 12th district
Marc Levine – member of the California State Assembly from the 10th District
Linda Lingle – former Governor of Hawaii
Bob Marshall – member of the Virginia House of Delegates from the 13th District
Nury Martinez – former president of the Los Angeles City Council representing the 6th district
Esha Momeni – Iranian-American women's rights activist
Kevin Murray – former California State Assemblyman and Senator
S. James Otero – U.S. District Court judge
Imelda Padilla — member of the Los Angeles City Council
William Paparian – lawyer and former mayor of Pasadena, California
Fran Pavley – first Mayor of Agoura Hills , member of the California State Assembly for the 41st District , and member of the California State Senate from the 27th District and 23rd District
Rick Rollens – former Secretary, California State Senate; autism health and research activist
Peter W. Schramm – Director of the Center for International Education in the United States Department of Education during the Reagan Administration
Amanda Simpson – test pilot, former Executive Director of the U.S. Army Office of Energy Initiatives (OEI) and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Operational Energy (became the first openly transgender female presidential appointee)
Scott Svonkin – politician
Bob Thorpe – member of the Arizona House of Representatives from the 6th District
Kathleen Utgoff – economist and Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics
Suzette Martinez Valladares - politician elected to the California Assembly
Racquel Vasquez - mayor of Lemon Grove, California
Alex Villanueva – the 33rd Sheriff of Los Angeles County, California
Lorie Zapf – member of the San Diego City Council for the Sixth District and Second District
Journalism
Marc Cooper – Journalist and academic
Jonathan Elias – Primary News Anchor / Reporter WJLA Washington D.C. / Instructor U.S. Army War College (Winner of 3 Peabody's, A DuPont, National Emmy, 30 Regional Emmy Awards)
Barbara Fairchild - Food journalist and editor-in-chief of Bon Appétit
Tod Goldberg – author and journalist
Bill Griffeth (BA 1980) – anchor (Closing Bell ) and financial journalist on CNBC
Bill Handel – KFI morning talk show host, attorney
Sue Herera (BA 1980) – anchor (Power Lunch ) and financial journalist on CNBC
Robert Hilburn (BA 1961) – music critic for the Los Angeles Times
Ron Insana – analyst on CNBC
Ana Kasparian (2004) – Internet personality, co-host of The Young Turks , professor of journalism
Ken Lubas – photographer, photojournalist, winner of two Pulitzer Prizes
Rory Markas – play-by-play announcer for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
A Martinez – journalist and radio host
Frank del Olmo – editor, columnist and reporter for the Los Angeles Times , winner of an Emmy Award and Pulitzer Prize for Public Service
Paul Pringle – winner of a George Polk Award , Worth Bingham Prize , Pulitzer Prize for Public Service , and Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Journalism
Rip Rense – writer and journalist at the Los Angeles Times
D. Scott Rogo – writer and journalist
Anita Sarkeesian (2002) – blogger, media critic
Barbara Starr - television news journalist
James Taranto – columnist for the Wall Street Journal
Music
Carol Vaness
Serj Tankian
Cristian Amigo – composer, guitarist, and ethnomusicologist
Tigran Arakelyan - conductor
Mark Balderas (1982) – musician, keyboardist and songwriter with the rock band Human Drama
Richard Campbell – bass guitarist and vocalist
Tony Clements - musician and tubist
Mike Curb (1962) – musician, record company executive
John Densmore (1962) – musician, former drummer of The Doors
Daryl Dragon (1960) – "The Captain" of the Grammy Award -winning Captain & Tennille
Michelle DeYoung – classical vocalist and opera singer
John Doan — musician
Mike Elizondo – Grammy Award -winning record producer (Eminem, Alanis Morissette, Pink, Natasha Bedingfield, Twenty One Pilots)
James Fortune (1996) – musician, gospel singer
Grant Geissman (1974) – guitarist, session guitarist, composer, recording artist
Gordon Goodwin – big band composer , arranger , and saxophonist
Scheila Gonzalez - saxophonist
Andy Grammer (2007) – singer[4]
Kalani – musician, percussionist
Fred Katz – jazz cellist[5]
Kariné Poghosyan – pianist
Jeannie G. Pool – music producer and composer
Jim Pons (1961) – musician, bass guitarist and singer for The Leaves, The Turtles, and The Mothers of Invention
Louis Posen - punk rock music producer and record label founder
Kentaro Sato – musician, composer
Maia Sharp – singer, songwriter
Toshiyuki Shimada (1977) – music director, conductor and professor, Yale Symphony Orchestra, Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra, Yale School of Music
Sebu Simonian – singer, songwriter, keyboardist, producer, half of the Los Angeles-based indie pop duo Capital Cities
Leland Sklar – musician, session bassist
Andy Summers – musician, guitarist with The Police
Andrew Surmani – music executive and professor
Serj Tankian – musician, System of a Down
Pinar Toprak - composer for film and television
Carol Vaness – opera singer
Diane Warren – musician, music publisher, winner of a Grammy Award , an Emmy Award , and a Golden Globe Award
Tim Weisberg (1960s) – jazz/rock fusion flautist, composer, producer, vocalist[6]
Bill Worrell - musician
Kim Victoria Abeles – Guggenheim Fellow and Professor in Drawing, Public Art , and Sculpturing
Rodolfo Acuna – Chicano studies scholar
Anthony Arthur - author and educator
Lucille Ball – American actress and comedian known for I Love Lucy , assistant professor in 1979[8] [9]
Vern Bullough – historian and sexologist
Hans Burkhardt – Swiss-American artist
Edmund Snow Carpenter – Associate Professor of Anthropology
Yreina Cervantez – Professor of Chicano Studies
Annette Charles - actress and speech professor
Barbara J. Collins – ecologist
Lorence G. Collins – geologist
Todd Compton – historian
John Daversa – Grammy Award -winning jazz musician and Professor
James Dickey – visiting lecturer, poet and novelist appointed as the 18th United States Poet Laureate and awarded with a Guggenheim Fellowship and National Book Award for Poetry
Fritz Faiss – German-American artist
Lorraine Foster – mathematician, first woman to receive a Ph.D. in mathematics from California Institute of Technology
Adele Eskeles Gottfried – Professor of Educational Psychology and Director of Research Enhancement of the Michael D. Eisner College of Education
John Curtis Gowan – Professor of Psychology
Beverly Grigsby – musicologist and composer
Sheldon H. Harris – historian
Bess Lomax Hawes – Associate Professor of Anthropology and head of the Anthropology Department
Harold Hellenbrand – administrator and scholar
George Heussenstamm – composer
Amir Hussain – Associate Professor of Religious Studies
William Karush – mathematician
Fred Katz – jazz cellist and composer, and Anthropology Professor
William M. Kramer – rabbi and Professor of Religious Studies
Alexis Krasilovsky – Filmmaker and professor of cinema
Art Kunkin – journalist and founder of the Los Angeles Free Press
Dorothy D. Lee - Professor of Anthropology
Joe Lewis – Chair at the Department of Art
Magnhild Lien - mathematician
Robert Oscar Lopez – Professor of Humanities
Prakash Chandra Lohani – Professor of Finance and Minister of Finance , Minister of Foreign Affairs , Minister of Agricultural and Livestock Development , and Minister of Labour & Transportation in Nepal
Gloria Ricci Lothrop – historian
Sabina Magliocco – Guggenheim and Fulbright Fellow , Professor of Anthropology and Religion
Elena Marchisotto – mathematician
Khaled Mattawa – poet
Leemon McHenry – bioethicist
Beatrice Medicine – anthropologist
Mohammed Morsi – engineer and 5th President of Egypt
Raoul Naroll – Professor of Anthropology
Julian Nava – diplomat and educator
Roy Peel - Director of the U.S. Census Bureau
Peter Plagens – artist and art critic
Ron Purcell - professor of music
Mohammad Qayoumi – Professor of Engineering Management and Minister of Finance and Chief Adviser on Infrastructure and Technology to the President of Afghanistan
Daniel Raymer – aerospace design engineer
Carol Rosenberger - classical pianist
Velva E. Rudd – Research Fellow in the Department of Biology
Raul Ruiz – journalist, activist, and professor of Chicano Studies
Benjamin Saltman – poet and Professor of Literature
Barry Sautman – Adjunct Assistant Professor
Saba Soomekh – Professor of Religious Studies
Ann Stanford – poet and professor of creative writing
Nayereh Tohidi – Professor and former Chair at the Department of Gender & Women Studies
Aurelio de la Vega – Composer-in-residence, educator, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, poet
Gerald Wilson – jazz composer and educator
Lewis Yablonsky – sociologist, criminologist, and psychotherapist
Stern, Michael (2016). "20". I Had a Ball: My Friendship with Lucille Ball Revised Edition . iUniverse. ISBN 978-1532011412 .