Kennesaw State University: A Legacy of Notable Alumni

Kennesaw State University (KSU), chartered in 1963, has grown from a junior college to a comprehensive university, fostering a diverse range of talented individuals who have made significant contributions across various fields. This article highlights some of KSU's most notable alumni, showcasing their achievements and impact on the world.

Academic Excellence and University Growth

Kennesaw State University was chartered by the Board of Regents on October 9, 1963, during a period of college expansion in Georgia. Initially named Cobb County Junior College, it was officially established by the Georgia Board of Regents. Horace Sturgis was appointed as the college's first president in December 1964. In 1976, it transitioned into a four-year institution, becoming Kennesaw College, and by 1985, it offered its first graduate programs in business and education. Kennesaw State finally achieved University status in 1996.

In 2004, KSU gained recognition as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education by the Department of Homeland Security and the National Security Agency. In 2015, Kennesaw State University merged with Southern Polytechnic State University, with Kennesaw State as the surviving institution.

Located on two campuses spanning 581 acres, Kennesaw State University continues to evolve and expand its influence.

Athletics

Kennesaw State's athletic teams, known as the Owls, have achieved notable success. In 1996, both the baseball and softball teams secured NCAA Division II national championships. The Lady Owls clinched the NCAA Women's Division II Soccer Championship in 2003, and the men's basketball team won the 2004 NCAA Men's Division II Basketball Championship. The Owls participate in Division I of the NCAA and as a member of Conference USA.

Notable Alumni

Business and Entrepreneurship

Joyce Bone: As the COO and Co-founder of SolMicroGrid, Joyce Bone assists corporations in diminishing their environmental impact through microgrids. She is an entrepreneur who founded EarthCare, an environmental company that she took public on NASDAQ with revenues of $125 million. She is the author of "Millionaire Moms-The Art of Raising a Business & a Family at The Same Time." She has been featured on CNBC's "The Squawk Box," and in Kiplinger, Money, Women's Day, Forbes, Atlanta Business Chronicle, and CEO magazines.

Kerstin Valdés Benden: Kerstin Valdés Benden, a 2002 EMBA graduate of the Coles College of Business, is the CFO of Altium Packaging. She serves as guest lecturer, career panelist, and mentor to the program and also as a member of the College Advisory Board.

Brian Pendley: Brian Pendley, a partner in the assurance practice of Ernst & Young, graduated from Kennesaw State University’s Michael J. Coles College of Business in 1994 with a BBA in accounting. He serves as chairman of the Coles College of Business School of Accountancy advisory board and is a Kennesaw State University campus recruiting coordinator.

Andy Crowe: Andy Crowe is the founder and CEO of Velociteach, a local business with a global reach in the field of project management. Since its founding, Velociteach has taught live classes around the globe and sold more than 400,000 books, establishing and sharing best practices in project management.

Reco McCambry: Reco McCambry is an entrepreneur. On Feb., Washington, DC, declared January 19th as Mr. Magazine’s “Inc 5000,” as one of the fastest-growing companies in America two years in a row, 2021 and 2022. In 2022, McCambry was named Innovator of the Year at the Bank Customer Service Summit and received the Outstanding Leadership Award at the Money 2.0 Conference.

Read also: Advancing Cybersecurity Education

Brooke Halliday: Brooke Halliday launched AFA in 2017 while still earning her undergraduate degree in professional sales. Since then, she has led the company to achieving annual revenue of more than $1 million per year and employs more than 600 people, all without the need for outside investment.

Finance and Investment

Kehm: Kehm graduated from Kennesaw State University’s Coles College of Business with a double major in marketing and professional sales in 1995. He has received the Distinguished Alumni Award and spoken in the Tetley Distinguished Leader Lecture Series.

Phillip Allison: Phillip Allison is an entrepreneur. He made the decision to step away from a comfortable corporate job in order to take a chance at launching his own venture. During his time at Kennesaw State, Phillip served as CEO of the Student Managed Investment Fund and oversaw a period of exceptional growth. Since graduating, Phillip has remained a dedicated alumnus. He has been a constant source of support for current SMIF students and was honored in 2020 with the organization’s Outstanding Alumni Award. Phillip’s efforts as a student helped build the Student Managed Investment Fund into what it is today.

Vinny Kozlowski: Vinny Kozlowski credits much of his success to his involvement in KSU’s Student Managed Investment Fund and the mentorship of SMIF’s faculty advisors. Vinny filled the role of SMIF CEO in Spring 2020. He also provides presentation coaching to the younger students.

Technology and Information Systems

Arun Kandel: Arun Kandel is the Southern Poverty Law Center’s chief information officer, overseeing the information technology serving the SPLC across the Deep South and Washington, D.C.

Read also: Applying to Kennesaw State

Alexis Nixon: Alexis Nixon has a bachelor’s degree in information systems and a master’s degree in Cybersecurity, both from Kennesaw State University’s Coles College of Business. Since graduating from Kennesaw State, Alexis has dedicated much of her time to mentoring young people - especially young girls - and encouraging them to pursue careers in technology.

Janna Pruiett: Janna Pruiett is a Senior Technical Support Engineer at VMware. State University to receive both her undergraduate and graduate degrees.

Andy Green: Andy has almost two decades of experience in information security. on the needs of small and medium-sized businesses. topics that have been used in classrooms globally.

Healthcare

Faisal Saleem: Faisal Saleem is the Chief Operations Officer of Atlanta-based Children’s Medical Group. He holds a bachelor's degree in finance from UMass Boston and a Master of Science in Healthcare Management and Informatics degree from Kennesaw State University.

Brandie Freeman: As an alumnus of Kennesaw State’s Master of Science in Healthcare Management and Informatics program, Brandie has helped grow the program immeasurably since graduating.

Arts and Entertainment

Ty Pennington: Tygert Burton "Ty" Pennington is an American television host, artist, carpenter, author, and former model and actor.

Mac Powell: Mac Powell, originally from Clanton, Alabama, is an American singer, songwriter, producer, and musician who formed the Christian rock band Third Day with guitarist Mark Lee.

Jasmine Burke: Jasmine Burke is an American actress. She is known for her role as Dr. Christie Johnson in the Bounce TV prime time soap opera, Saints & Sinners.

Ryan Seacrest: Ryan Seacrest, born on December 24, 1974, in Atlanta, Georgia, is an American television host and radio personality.

Politics and Public Service

Nick Ayers: James Nicholas Ayers is an American political strategist and consultant who served as Chief of Staff to Vice President Mike Pence between July 2017 and January 2019.

Arturo Char Chaljub: Arturo Char Chaljub is a former Senator of Colombia. Prior to his appointment he served as First Secretary of the Colombian Embassy in London.

Dar'shun Kendrick: Dar'shun Nicole Kendrick is an American attorney and a member of the Georgia House of Representatives, representing the 95th district; she previously represented the 94th and 93rd districts.

Michael Ryan Caldwell: Michael Ryan Caldwell is an American entrepreneur and the Mayor of Woodstock, Georgia.

Richard Woods: Richard Woods is an American politician and educator who is currently the Georgia Superintendent of Schools, a position he was elected to in 2014.

Ashley Nealy: Ashley Nealy is the Assistant Director, Support Services, for the United States Department of Treasury’s office of Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.

Sports

Larry Nelson: Larry Gene Nelson is an American professional golfer. He has won numerous tournaments at both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour level.

James Wade Jr: James Wade, known as Coco, is an American-French basketball assistant coach for the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Alan Busenitz: Alan Paul Busenitz is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Cincinnati Reds organization. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins, and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles.

Willie Harris: William Charles Harris is an American professional baseball coach who recently served as the third base coach for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball (MLB).

Max Pentecost: Maxwell Glen Pentecost is an American former professional baseball catcher. Prior to playing professionally, Pentecost attended Kennesaw State University, where he played college baseball for the Kennesaw State Owls baseball team.

Richard Lovelady: Richard Tyler Lovelady is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Toronto Blue Jays organization. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City Royals, Oakland Athletics, Chicago Cubs, and Tampa Bay Rays.

Chad Jenkins: Stephen Chadwick Jenkins is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays.

Emma Hunt: Emma Hunt is an American competition climber who specializes in competition speed climbing, and holds the American women's speed record with 6.301 seconds, set at the USA Climbing North American Cup in Salt Lake City in April 2024.

Science and Academia

Ali Shilatifard: Ali Shilatifard is an American biochemist, molecular biologist, the Robert Francis Furchgott Professor and chairman of the department of biochemistry and molecular genetics, and the director of the Simpson Query Institute for Epigenetics at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

Military Service

Bradley S. James: Bradley Steven James is a retired United States Marine Corps Major General who most recently served as the Commander of United States Marine Corps Forces, Korea, Component Commander of the United Nations Command and the Deputy Commander of the Combined Marine Corps Command from May 30, 2019 to June 27, 2022.

Legal Profession

Nels S.D. Peterson: Nels Stefan David Peterson is an American lawyer serving as the presiding justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia.

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