List of Wayne State University people

Alumni

Academia

• William J. Kaiser, Professor and former Department Chair of Electrical Engineering at UCLA [1] [2]
• Jay J. Ague, Professor of Geology at Yale University and editor of The American Journal of Science [3]
• Arthur Danto, Emeritus Johnsonian Professor of Philosophy at Columbia University
• Michael M. E. Johns, MD, Chancellor of Emory University, Chairman of "Academic Medicine" scientific journal, serves as Board Director of Johnson & Johnson. Formerly the CEO of the Woodruff Health Sciences Center, Emory University & Dean of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
• Abdi Kusow, Professor of sociology and anthropology at Oakland University
• Emmett Leith, Schlumberger Professor of Engineering at the University of Michigan and recipient of the National Medal of Science.
• William S. Marras, Honda Professor of Industrial Engineering and Director of the Ergonomics Institute at Ohio State University, member National Academy of Engineering
• Douglas McGregor, Management professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management and president of Antioch College from 1948 to 1954.
• Nancy Milio, originated the notion of healthy public policy, Professor Emeritus of Nursing and Professor Emeritus of Health Policy and Administration, School of Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
• Saul K. Padover, historian and political scientist at The New School of Social Research in New York City
• B. Peter Pashigian, Professor of Economics, Graduate School of Business, the University of Chicago.
• Dr. Michael Schwartz (attended), President of Cleveland State University, and former President Emiritus of Kent State University.
• Sidney Ribeau, Former President of Bowling Green State University, President of Howard University.
• Kevin M. Singer, Professor of Women's Studies at Brandeis University and author of "If I Were The Last Man on Earth...: Eschatological Love Scenarios"
• Harley Shaiken, Professor and Chair of the Center for Latin American Studies at University of California, Berkeley.
• Stanley E. Zin, Richard M. Cyert and Morris H. DeGroot Professor of Economics and Statistics, Carnegie Mellon University, and Frisch Medal winner.
• Paul M. Fleiss, Pediatrician; father of Heidi Fleiss
• Dr. Wm. Berry Calder, Provost and Vice-President Academic at Northern Alberta Institute of Technology [4]
• David J. Jackson, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Political Science, Bowling Green State University, Ohio.

Broadcasting

• Jonathan Arking, Broadcast journalist, currently serves as News Director for radio station WHMI.
• Rachelle Consiglio, Executive Producer, The Jerry Springer Show, The Steve Wilkos Show and wife of Steve Wilkos
• Hugh Downs, news anchor, ABC's 20/20
• Ken Kal, Radio play-by-play for the Detroit Red Wings
• Casey Kasem, Radio host
• Elvis Mitchell, New York Times Film critic 1999-2004, entertainment critic for NPR's "Weekend Edition," host of "The Treatment" on KCRW
• Helen Thomas, first lady of the Washington press corps
• Erik Smith, news anchor, WXYZ-TV Detroit
• Wayne Dyer, author, self-help advocate

Business

• Jim Anderson (businessman), president and founder of Urban Science
• Tom Athans, co-founder and former CEO of the liberal-progressive Democracy Radio
• Howard Birndorf, Biotechnology entrepreneur, founding Director of Neurocrine Biosciences
• Larry Brilliant, Executive Director of Google.org
• Christine Cortez, Senior Vice President, DaimlerChrysler AG
• Bill Davidson, industrialist, billionaire, majority owner of the Detroit Pistons
• Yousif Ghafari, founder and chairman of GHAFARI, Inc, philanthropist, and U.S. Ambassador^[1][2]
• Dan Gilbert, President and Founder, Rock Financial and Quicken Loans, majority owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers
• Peter Karmanos, Jr., Founder and CEO of Compuware Corporation and owner of the Carolina Hurricanes, Plymouth Whalers, and Florida Everblades hockey franchises.
• Stephen M. Ross, Law School Graduate, Real Estate Developer. Provided $100 Million naming gift for Ross School of Business. Forbes 400 rank: #68 at $4.5 billion
• Dennis Mooradian, Executive Vice President (since November 2003), Comerica Incorporated and Comerica Bank; Executive Vice President (May 1996 to October 2003), Wells Fargo & Company (bank holding company).
• David M. Overton, Founder and CEO, The Cheesecake Factory, Inc.
• Michael Sileck Jr., COO of World Wrestling Entertainment
• Sue Unger, CIO and Senior Vice President, DaimlerChrysler AG
• Carolyn Alexander-Dunmore, DaimlerChrysler AG and CEO of the Dunmore Group inc.

Computers, Engineering, and Technology

• Donald Blickwede (chemical engineering), vice president of Bethlehem Steel, member of the National Academy of Engineers
• Phillip Eisenberg (civil engineering), founder, president and CEO of Hydronautics Inc., a company that focused on the application of hydrodynamics to ships and off-shore structures. Previously head of the mechanics branch of the Office of Naval Research. Member of the National Academy of Engineers.
• Sol Love (mechanical engineering), president (1973-1977) and CEO (1975-1977) of Vought Corporation. Structural engineer on WWII's gull-winged F4U Corsair fighter-bomber when he first joined the company in 1943.
• Harold Mertz (mechanical engineering), Created the standard crash test dummy (Hybrid III).
• Ali Nasle (electrical engineering), founder of EDSA Micro Corporation, wrote the world’s first digital short circuit program.
• Lawrence Patrick (mechanical and aeronautical engineering), award-winning researcher in the area of automotive passenger safety. Within his research, Patrick served as his own test subject to develop and improve safety systems that included air bags, collapsible steering columns, and automotive safety glass. A key researcher in the development of the Wayne State Tolerance Curve, still used for prediction of head injury, Patrick became vice president for research and development of Libbey Owens Ford Company, the original manufacturer of laminated safety glass.
• Priya Prasad (mechanical engineering), retired Ford Motor Company Fellow, internationally known expert in automotive safety, member National Academy of Engineering.
• Frederick Stewart (mechanical engineering), vice president of first the Jeep Corporation and then the American Motors Corporation (AMC).
• William Weltyk (mechanical engineering), vice president for engineering and development at BorgWarner
• Robert Wingerter (mechanical engineering), president (1967-1976), CEO and chairman of the board (1976-1979) of Libbey Owens Ford glass company.
• Luis Mercado (Computer Science), Principal Software Engineer of LinkedIn Corporation.

Art & Design

• Michael Borys, Alternate reality game designer
• Niels Diffrient, Industrial Designer
• Tyree Guyton Artist, created the Heidelberg Project
• Robert Stanzler, Artist/Designer, created "Made In Detroit" logo and "Detroit Manufacturing" clothing brand
• Ian Hornak, Painter
• Leonard D. Jungwirth, Sculptor
• Sam Karres, Painter
• Stanley Lechtzin, Jewelry and metal artist, founding member of the Society of North American Goldsmiths.
• Timothy Van Laar, Artist

Government & Politics

• John D. Altenburg, Army Major General, authority for military commissions covering detainees at Guantanamo.
• Christine Beatty, Former Detroit Chief of Staff. Involved in the Kilpatrick and Beatty text-messaging scandal.
• Cora Brown, first African American woman to be elected to a state senate
• Scott Boman, Michigan politician
• Ken Cockrel Jr., Detroit City Council President
• John Conyers, U.S. Representative, (D-Michigan)
• Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to the United States Congress (D-Minnesota)
• William D. Ford, Former Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, (D-Michigan).
• Yousif Ghafari, Former U.S. ambassador to Slovenia
• Mitch Greenlick, Member of the Oregon House of Representatives.
• Lawrence Kestenbaum, creator and webmaster of the The Political Graveyard.
• Bruce Patterson, Member of the Michigan Senate. Former Wayne County Commissioner.
• Lynn N. Rivers, Former member of the U.S. House of Representatives, (D-Michigan).
• Alma G. Stallworth, Former Michigan state legislator

Law

• Shereef Akeel, Lawyer, notable for pursuing human rights and civil liberties cases on the behalf of Arab Americans and Muslim Americans.
• Jerry S. Cohen, Labor and Class-Action Lawyer, Represented Cesar Chavez, lead counsel Exxon Valdez.
• Irma Clark-Coleman, Member of the Michigan Senate, former member of the Michigan House of Representatives.
• George Cushingberry, Jr., Member of the Michigan House of Representatives, youngest ever elected.
• Richard Alan Enslen, United States District Court Judge.
• Tod Ensign, Veterans rights lawyer, founder of the advocacy group "Citizen Soldier".
• Damon Keith, Senior Judge for the United States Court of Appeals.
• Joan Mahoney, Law scholar, former professor and Dean of the Wayne State University Law School.
• Henry Saad, American Jurist, Michigan Court of Appeals.
• Sam Bernstein, Attorney, notable for founding high-profile firm The Law Offices of Sam Bernstein.

Literature

• Albert Cleage, Author, founder of the Black Christian National Movement.
• Thomas Ligotti, Horror story writer.
• Raynetta Mañees, Romance novelist.
• James Sites, Writer, novelist

Performing Arts

• Al Aarons, jazz trumpeter.
• Dorothy Ashby, American jazz harpist and composer.
• Anita Barone (actress), The War at Home
• Cherie Bennett, Novelist, actress, director, playwright, newspaper columnist, singer, and television writer on the The Young and the Restless.
• Ben Blackwell (attended), musician.
• Bob Birch, Bassist for the Elton John Band.
• Kenny Burrell, Jazz guitarist.
• Donald Byrd, Trumpeter.
• Larry Joe Campbell According to Jim
• Toi Derricotte, poet
• Chad Everett, Actor, Medical Center, Mulholland Drive
• Garth Fagan choreographer, Tony Award for The Lion King
• Curtis Fuller, Trombonist
• David Geister., Actor (attended for one semester)
• Joe Henderson (attended), Jazz Musician
• Sean Hickey, composer
• Ernie Hudson, Actor, Oz, Ghostbusters
• Thorsten Kaye Port Charles, One Life to Live, All My Children
• Yusef Lateef (attended), Jazz Musician.
• James Lentini, composer and guitarist.
• Philip Levine, Pulitzer Prize-winning American poet, Distinguished Poet in Residence for the Creative Writing Program at New York University.
• Joseph LoDuca, Emmy Award-nominated composer.
• Dave Marsh (attended), music writer, co-founder of Creem magazine.
• Tim Meadows, Actor, Saturday Night Live, Mean Girls
• Barbara Meek, Actress, Archie Bunker's Place
• S. Epatha Merkerson, Actress, Law & Order, Lackawanna Blues
• Kenya Moore, Miss USA 1993.
• Bill Prady (attended), television writer and producer
• Della Reese, actress, singer, minister.
• Ruben Santiago-Hudson Michael Hayes, Tony Award for Seven Guitars
• Allan von Schenkel, double bassist, performance artist, music promoter, and composer.
• George Shirley, Opera singer.
• Tom Sizemore, actor, Saving Private Ryan, Blackhawk Down
• Darryl Sivad, actor & comedian.
• Tom Skerritt, Emmy Award-winning actor; Skerritt has appeared in over 40 motion pictures and more than 200 television episodes
• Avo Sõmer, musicologist, music theorist, and composer
• Jeffrey Tambor, actor, The Larry Sanders Show, Arrested Development
• Barbara Tarbuck, Actress, General Hospital, and Fulbright Scholar.
• Ron Teachworth, educator, artist, writer and filmmaker (Going Back)
• Lily Tomlin (attended), actress, The West Wing, Murphy Brown, Flirting with Disaster, I Heart Huckabees.

Journalism

• Tony Brown, Journalist, comedian and businessman.
• Mark Fritz, Pulitzer Prize winning reporter
• Helen Thomas, White House correspondent

Medicine

• Scott Dulchavsky, Trauma Surgeon and NASA Researcher
• Robert Provenzano, Nephrologist
• Robert L. Williams, Psychologist

Science

• Werner Emmanuel Bachmann, U.S. chemist. A pioneer in steroid synthesis, and carried out the first total synthesis of a steroidal hormone, equilenin. His name is associated with the Gomberg-Bachmann reaction

• Emmett Leith, Co-inventor of three-dimensional holography. Awarded the National Medal of Science in 1979 by President Jimmy Carter.
• Jerry Linenger, astronaut who spent five months living on the Russian space station Mir

Sports

• Mike Abdenour, Athletic trainer for the Detroit Pistons
• Tom Abdenour, Athletic trainer for the Golden State Warriors
• Tom E. Beer, Former linebacker for the Detroit Lions
• Gregory Benko, Olympic foil fencer
• Ron Berger, Formerly played football for the New England Patriots
• Rick Byas, Cornerback for the Atlanta Falcons
• John Doherty, Olympic bronze medalist, decathlon, 1928
• Katie Jones, Women's hockey
• Byron Krieger, a foil, sabre, and épée fencer, NCAA champion, 2-time Pan Am gold medalist, 2-time Olympian, 2-time Maccabiah Games gold medalist
• Allan Kwartler, a sabre and foil fencer, Pan-American sabre champion and 3-time gold medal winner, 3-time Olympian, and 2-time gold medal winner at the Maccabiah Games (attended)

• Fred Snowden, Former assistant coach at the University of Michigan, former head coach of the University of Arizona men's basketball teams. First black head coach of a major university's basketball program in America's history.
• Allen Tolmich, Track and Field athlete, established or tied 11 U.S. track & field records in 1938.
• Lorenzo Wright, Track and Field athlete, Gold Medal Winner in the 1948 Olympics (400-meter relay)
• Dan Larson, Major league baseball pitcher from 1976-1982.

Honorary graduates

• Ernie Harwell, sportscaster^[3][4]
• Carl Levin, U.S. Senator
• Jessye Norman, soprano
• James Lipton, actor, television host
• Stephen Yokich, former UAW president

Faculty & Staff, Past & Present

University president

1. 1868 - ?
2. ...
3. ...
4. 1952 - 1965 Clarence B. Hillberry^[5]
5. 1965 - 1971 William R. Keast^[5]
6. 1971 - 1978 George E. Gullen, Jr.^[5]
7. 1978 - 1982 Thomas Bonner^[5]
8. 1982 - 1997: David Adamany^[5]
9. 1997 - 2009: Irvin Reid^[5]
10. 2009 - present: Jay Noren^[5]

Board of governors

Chosen by Michigan voters, usually Democrats. Currently: attorney Richard Bernstein (chairman), Tina Abbott (vice chairman), Debbie Dingell, Eugene Driker, Diane L. Dunaskis, Paul E. Massaron, Annetta Miller, Gary S. Pollard.^[6]

Professors

• Norman Allinger, Computational chemist, winner of the Benjamin Franklin Medal in Chemistry.
• Jerry Bails, Popular culturist, known as The Father of Comic Book Fandom. Former Assistant Professor of Natural Science.
• John Corvino, Philosopher and author. Professor of Philosophy.
• Susan Bies, member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Assistant Professor of Economics.
• Oliver Cox, Sociologist, member of the Chicago school (sociology).
• Joanne V. Creighton, Expert on Women's Education, current President of Mount Holyoke College.
• Julia Donovan Darlow, Attorney, first woman president of the State Bar of Michigan. Adjunct Professor of Law.
• Forest Dodrill, MD, Inventor of the Dodrill-GMR and the first person to perform a successful open heart surgery.
• Scott Dulchavsky, Trauma Surgeon, Chief of Surgery at HFHS, and NASA Principal Investigator
• Joseph W. Eaton, Sociologist & anthropologist, listed in Who is Who in the World for his published research and academic career in public and international affairs, social work and public health.
• Muneer Fareed, Islamic scholar, Secretary General of the Islamic Society of North America.
• Piero P. Foà, PhD, Professor of Physiology at the WSU School of Medicine. Provided the first evidence that glucose stimulates insulin secretion, and of the existence of the hormone glucagon.
• Douglas Fraser, Adjunct Professor of Labor Relations, Former President of the United Auto Workers.
• Edmund Gettier, Philosopher, Famously Published Is Justified True Belief Knowledge?
• Wallace Givens, Mathematician and a pioneer in Computer Science. The Givens rotation is named after him.
• Martin Glaberman, Influental Marxist, Professor Emeritus.
• Morris Goodman, Scientist, editor-in-chief of the Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. Distinguished Professor at the Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics at Wayne State University School of Medicine.
• Richard Grusin, American Studies, Digital Culture. Professor and Chair of English Department.
• Carla Harryman, Poet, essayist, and playwright. Professor of Women's Studies and Creative Writing.
• Matthew Holden, Political Scientist.
• Jerome Horwitz, PhD, Wayne State University School of Medicine Professor of Internal Medicine and Karmanos Cancer Institute researcher. He synthesized the first drug approved for the treatment of AIDS and HIV infection, Zidovudine. He also synthesized Zalcitabine(ddC) and Stavudine (d4T), the third and fourth drugs approved to treat AIDS.
• Adrian Kantrowitz, MD, Performed world's first pediatric heart transplant, and the first heart transplant in the United States. Chairman of the Department of Surgery.
• Albert I. King, Ph.D., Founding Chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering, international expert in injury biomechanics (from head to foot), member of the National Academy of Engineering
• Ernest Kirkendall, Chemist and metallurgist. Discovered the Kirkendall effect, which is named after him.
• Henry E. Kyburg, Jr., Noted expert in probability and logic, known for the Lottery Paradox and for the Kyburgian or epistemological interpretation of probability.
• Keith Lehrer, American philosopher. Former Professor of Philosophy.
• M.L. Liebler, Taught English, creative writing, world literature, American studies and labor studies. Author of several books of poetry.
• Jessica Litman, Expert on copyright law, Professor of Law.
• David Mackenzie, Educator and founding dean.
• Maryann Mahaffey, Former member of the Detroit City Council, Professor Emerita at the School of Social Work.
• Forrest McDonald, Historian, leading conservative scholar.
• Jesse Merz, Assistant Professor of Acting, Department of Theatre. Professional actor, director, producer.
• Ron Milner, Author of a Broadway play, professor of Creative Writing.
• Boris Mordukhovich, Mathematician in the areas of nonlinear analysis, optimization, and control theory. Founder of modern variational analysis and generalized differentiation. Currently a Distinguished University Professor and Lifetime Scholar of the Academy of Scholars at Wayne State.
• Frederick Newmeyer, Linguist, known for his work on the history of generative syntax and the evolutionary origin of language.
• Andrjez W. Olbrot, Professor of computer engineering. Killed December 10, 1998 by one of his students as he collected final exams in his graduate course at Old Main^[7].
• Robert Peters, Poet, critic, scholar, playwright, editor, and actor. Received Guggenheim and National Endowment for the Arts fellowships, and won the Alice Fay di Castagnola Award of the Poetry Society of America
• Alexey A Petrov, Physicist in the area of theoretical particle physics. Known for his work in heavy quark phenomenology. Received National Science Foundation CAREER Award.
• Alvin Plantinga, Contemporary philosopher, known for his work in epistemology, metaphysics, and the philosophy of religion.
• Ananda Prasad, Biochemist, Distinguished Professor of Medicine.
• Earl H. Pritchard, Rhodes Scholar, Scholar of China, founder and president of the Association for Asian Studies, first recipient of the Distinguished Civilian Service Medal.
• Robert Provenzano, MD, Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at the School of Medicine. Expert on chronic kidney disease and kidney transplantation. Former president of the Renal Physicians Association.
• Shlomo Sawilowsky, Professor of Educational Statistics and Distinguished Faculty Fellow. Founder and editor of the Journal of Modern Applied Statistical Methods.
• Marvin Schindler, Professor emeritus of German and Slavic Studies.
• Herbert Soule, Ph.D., Developed the MCF-7 human breast cancer cell line, the first breast cancer cells to grow outside the human body, and the standard for cancer research worldwide.
• Steven Shaviro, prominent American cultural critic.
• Melvin Small, Historian of US Diplomacy, Former President of the Peace History Society, & author of several award winning books.
• Mary Chase Perry Stratton, Ceramic artist, founder of Pewabic Pottery.
• Athan Theoharis, Expert on U.S. intelligence agencies, primarily the FBI.
• Brian VanGorder, Defensive Coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons. Former football head coach.
• Barrett Watten, Poet and educator. Professor of modernism and cultural studies.
• Joseph Weizenbaum, Professor emeritus of computer science at MIT. Created early computer in 1952 at Wayne State University.
• Frank H. Wu, Lawyer and author. Former Dean of the law school.
• George Ziegelmueller, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Communication. Renowned debate coach, namesake of the "George Ziegelmueller Award" for Outstanding Director of Debate by the National Debate Tournament.
• Robert Zieger, Renowned labor historian. Recipient of the Taft Labor History Award. Professor of history.

References

This is an incomplete list, which may never be able to satisfy certain standards for completion. You can help by expanding it with reliably sourced additions.