UMass Amherst Notable Alumni: A Legacy of Achievement

The University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass Amherst), the flagship campus of the UMass system, has a rich history dating back to its founding in 1863. Originally established as the Massachusetts Agricultural College, it has since evolved into a major research university offering a wide array of programs. With 237 graduate and undergraduate programs available both on campus and online, UMass attracts a diverse student body with interests spanning from Business & Marketing to Biological and Biomedical Sciences, and Social Sciences. While these are popular choices, UMass Amherst alumni have distinguished themselves across various fields, achieving remarkable success in their chosen professions.

Leaders in Public Service and Military

John F. Kelly, a retired Marine Corps general and political advisor, exemplifies the leadership cultivated at UMass. After serving in the Marine Corps, Kelly earned a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts Boston in 1984. He then returned to the military, rising to the rank of four-star general and leading the United States Southern Command from 2012 to 2016. His career culminated in his role as White House Chief of Staff for President Donald Trump from 2017 to 2019, following a stint as Secretary of Homeland Security in the same administration.

Champions of Civil Rights and Education

Betty Shabazz (1934/1936 - 1997) was an American educator, civil rights activist, and the wife of Malcolm X. Following her husband's assassination, Shabazz pursued higher education at UMass, earning a doctorate in higher education and curriculum development in 1975. Her dedication to education and activism left an indelible mark on the civil rights movement.

Pioneers in Science and Academia

Lynn Margulis (1938 - 2011) was an American evolutionary biologist who significantly advanced the understanding of evolution. After obtaining her PhD from the University of California in 1965, Margulis joined UMass in 1988 as a Distinguished Professor of Botany. She later became a Distinguished Professor of Geosciences, a position she held until her death, teaching at UMass for a total of 23 years. Her work on symbiosis revolutionized the field of evolutionary biology.

Richard D. Wolff is an American Marxian economist and professor emeritus of economics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He was hired by UMass in 1973 and has remained affiliated with the university since, focusing his research on economic methodology and class analysis.

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Business Innovators and Entrepreneurs

John ‘Jack’ Welch (1935 - 2020) was an American businessman and chemical engineer who graduated from UMass in 1957 with a Bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering. He also received an honorary doctorate from the University of Massachusetts in 1982. Welch joined General Electric (GE) in 1960 as a junior chemical engineer and ascended through the ranks to become CEO in 1981, a position he held for two decades, transforming GE into a global powerhouse.

Steve Sanghi (‘76 MS Electrical & Computer Engineering) is the Executive Chair, CEO, and President of Microchip Technology, a company specializing in embedded control solutions. With over 40 years of experience in the semiconductor industry, Sanghi is known for his strategic vision and operational excellence.

Inderpal Bhandari (‘85 MS Electrical & Computer Engineering) is the former Global Chief Data Officer at IBM, where he led data strategy. Prior to IBM, Bhandari spent more than 20 years in senior data strategy positions at Medco, Express Scripts, and Cambia Health Solutions.

Marvin Schlanger (‘72 MS, Chemical Engineering) is the former chairman of the board of UGI Corporation, a holding company involved in the distribution, storage, transport, and marketing of energy products in the US and Europe.

Barry Siadat ('77 MS, Polymer Science and Engineering, '79 PhD Chemical Engineering) has been an inventor, innovator, business leader and investor in the specialty chemicals and materials industries. Currently, he is the Chairman of the Board of Ascend Performance Materials, Archroma, and SI Group.

H. Brian Thompson ('60 Chemical Engineering) heads his own private equity investment and advisory firm, Universal Telecommunications.

Literary Masters and Cultural Icons

Ted Hughes (1930 - 1998) was an English poet and children’s writer who taught at the University of Massachusetts from 1957 to 1959. Hughes gained recognition for his poetry, including The Hawk in the Rain, which won the Galbraith Prize in 1959, and Crow. Appointed Poet Laureate in 1984, he held the position until his death, leaving behind a lasting legacy in English literature.

Paul Theroux is an American novelist and travel writer who has written numerous books, including the travelogue The Great Railway Bazaar (1975).

Buffy Sainte-Marie, a singer-songwriter, musician, and social activist, studied Eastern philosophy and pedagogy at UMass Amherst.

Natasha Trethewey is a poet who was appointed United States Poet Laureate in 2012 and again in 2013.

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David Berman graduated with Master of Fine Arts from the University of Massachusetts. He was an American musician, singer-songwriter and poet. In 1989, he founded the indie rock band Silver Jews.

Journalists and Media Personalities

James Foley (1973 - 2014) was an American journalist and video reporter who earned a Master’s in Creative Writing from the University of Massachusetts in 2002. Specializing in international conflict, Foley reported on the conflict in Iraq and was tragically murdered in 2014 while reporting on the conflict in Iraq.

Audie Cornish is an anchor and correspondent for CNN.

Dan Wetzel is a national columnist for Yahoo!

David Pakman is an American talk show host and a left-wing political commentator. He is the host of the talk radio program The David Pakman Show.

Sporting Legends

Julius Erving II, known as ‘Dr. J’, is a former American professional basketball player who played college basketball at the University of Massachusetts from 1968. During his two seasons, Erving averaged more than 20 points and 20 rebounds per game. He went on to achieve great success in professional basketball, winning three championships and four Most Valuable Player Awards.

Dr. Marcus Camby is a former American professional basketball player who played 17 seasons in the NBA. Enrolling at UMass in 1994, Camby set a freshman record of 105 total blocks during his first year and was later inducted into the UMass Athletic Hall of Fame in 2010.

Cale Makar is a professional Canadian ice hockey player who attended UMass from 2015. Makar entered the National Hockey League (NHL) where he achieved great success, winning the Calder Memorial Trophy, the Standley Cup and the Conn Smythe Trophy.

Rick Pitino is an American basketball coach who is the head men's basketball coach at St. John's University.

Briana Scurry is an American retired soccer goalkeeper, two-time Olympic gold medalist, and a World Cup champion.

Artists and Performers

Chuck Close (1940 - 2021) was an American painter and visual artist celebrated for his large-scale photorealistic portraits. After studying Fine Arts, Close taught art at the University of Massachusetts from 1965 to 1967. Despite suffering paralysis later in his career, Close continued to create art, solidifying his place as a significant figure in contemporary art.

Richard Gere is an American actor who studied philosophy at UMass. Gere began working in theatre and achieved success acting in London’s original stage version of Grease in 1973. Following this, he started to appear in Hollywood films and rose to fame for his roles in films such as An Officer and a Gentleman, Internal Affairs and Primal Fear.

Liev Schreiber is an American actor, screenwriter, director, and producer who began his acting training at UMass in 1989 before attending Yale School of Drama. Schreiber gained celebrity through films such as X-Men Origins: Wolverine and Isle of Dogs and also achieved success in many on-stage productions.

Natalie Cole (1950-2015) was a singer, songwriter, and actress. Daughter of singer and jazz pianist Nat King Cole, she rose to success in the mid-1970s as an R&B singer. In the 1990s, she sang traditional pop by her father, resulting in her biggest success, Unforgettable… with Love, which sold over seven million copies and won her seven Grammy Awards.

Jeffrey Donovan is an American actor. He has played Michael Westen in the television series Burn Notice, and appeared in films such as Hitch, Believe in Me, Changeling, and Come Early Morning.

Bill Pullman is an American actor. After graduating with a Master of Fine Arts degree in theater, he was an adjunct professor at Montana State University before deciding to pursue acting.

Rob Corddry is an American actor and comedian. He is known for his work as a correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (2002-2006) and for his starring role in the film Hot Tub Time Machine.

Black Francis is an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter. He is the frontman of the alternative rock band Pixies.

Taj Mahal is an American blues musician. He plays the guitar, piano, banjo, harmonica, and many other instruments, often incorporating elements of world music into his work.

Other Notable Alumni

Phil Laak is an Irish-American professional poker player who studied mechanical engineering at the University of Massachusetts.

Hina Rabbani Khar is a Pakistani politician, who served as the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs since 19 April 2022 till 10 August 2023. She was previously appointed in July 2011 as the Foreign Minister of Pakistan, she was the first woman to have held the position.

Bill Bulger is an American former Democratic politician, lawyer, and educator from South Boston, Massachusetts. His eighteen-year tenure as President of the Massachusetts Senate is the longest in history. After leaving office, he became president of the University of Massachusetts.

Karen St. Germain (’93 PhD Electrical and Computer Engineering) is the Division Director of the Earth Science Division, in the Science Mission Directorate at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Headquarters.

Eric A. Swanson ('82 BS, Electrical Engineering) is one of three research colleagues who were awarded the National Medal of Technology in October 2023.

Cristina Urdaneta Thomas ('92 PhD, Chemical Engineering) was inducted into the National Academy of Engineering. Thomas retired from 3M after 27+ years of service, most recently as global R&D services director.

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