University Of Illinois At Urbana-Champaign

Discover the notable alumni of University Of Illinois At Urbana-Champaign. The list includes people like Larry Ellison, Roger Ebert, Jesse Jackson, Jack Welch & Donna Mills. This list of notable alumni is loosely sorted by popularity and has people from different domains of life, such as media personalities, writers, activists, business people and film & theater personalities etc.
Vote for Your Favourite University Of Illinois At Urbana-Champaign

Right IconThis ranking is based on an algorithm that combines various factors, including the votes of our users and search trends on the internet.

 1 
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio
(Actress and Singer)
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio
12
Birthdate: November 17, 1958
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Lombard, Illinois, United States
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio is best known for her Academy Award-nominated role of Carmen in The Color of Money. She has also delivered stellar performances in movies such as Scarface and The Perfect Storm, and plays such as Man of La Mancha. She appeared as Naz Pouran in the series Limitless.
 2 
James Brady
(White House Press Secretary)
James Brady
6
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: August 29, 1940
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Centralia, Illinois, USA
Died: August 4, 2014
 3 
Jack Welch
(Former Chairman & CEO of General Electric)
Jack Welch
8
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: November 19, 1935
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Peabody, Massachusetts, U.S
Died: March 1, 2020
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
 4 
Steve Chen
(One of the Co-Founders of the Video-Sharing Website ‘YouTube’)
Steve Chen
36
Listed In: Business People
Birthdate: August 25, 1978
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Taipei City, Taipei, Taiwan
Internet entrepreneur Steve Chen is one of the co-founders of YouTube. He also co-founded AVOS Systems and developed the app MixBit. He later sold YouTube to Google and also joined the investment firm Google Ventures. He was named one of 2011’s "15 Asian Scientists To Watch" by Asian Scientist magazine.
 5 
Dorothy Day
(American Social Activist, Journalist, and Anarchist)
Dorothy Day
5
Birthdate: November 8, 1897
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, United States
Died: November 29, 1980

Dorothy Day was an American social activist, journalist, and anarchist. She is best remembered for co-founding the Catholic Worker Movement along with French activist Peter Maurin. She also co-founded a newspaper called Catholic Worker and served as its editor between 1933 and 1980. In 2001, Dorothy Day was made an inductee of the National Women's Hall of Fame.

 6 
Arden Cho
(Actress and Singer Known for Her Role as ‘Kira Yukimura’ in the TV Series ‘Teen Wolf’)
Arden Cho
6
Birthdate: August 16, 1985
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Amarillo, Texas, United States

Arden Cho of Teen Wolf and Chicago Med fame recently made headlines with her publicized relationship and then her break-up with YouTuber Ryan Higa. The former model who had once been part of the Miss Korea pageant, is also a talented singer and a skilled poker player.

 7 
Stephen Tobolowsky
(Actor)
Stephen Tobolowsky
6
Birthdate: May 30, 1951
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Dallas, Texas, USA
Height: 6'2" (188 cm)
 8 
Shanola Hampton
(Best Known for Her Role as ‘Veronica Fisher’ in the TV Series ‘Shameless’)
Shanola Hampton
9
Birthdate: May 27, 1977
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Charleston, South Carolina, United States

Shanola Hampton is an American actress known for her portrayal of Veronica Fisher in the popular comedy-drama television series Shameless, for which she received critical appreciation. In 2013, she won the Best Actor award at the American Black Film Festival for her performance in the drama film Things Never Said, in which she played Kalindra Stepney.

 9 
Dave Eggers
(American Writer Known for His Best Selling Memoir 'A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius')
Dave Eggers
5
Birthdate: March 12, 1970
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Dave Eggers is an American writer, publisher, and editor. He is credited with founding a non-profit publishing house named McSweeney's Publishing and a San Francisco-based nonprofit organization called ScholarMatch. Eggers is also credited with co-founding other non-profit organizations like 826 Valencia and Voice of Witness. His novels A Hologram for the King and The Circle have been adapted into movies.

 10 
Betsy Brandt
(Actress)
Betsy Brandt
3
Birthdate: March 14, 1973
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Bay City, Michigan, United States
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
 11 
Jeffrey Jordan
(Basketball player)
Jeffrey Jordan
3
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: November 18, 1988
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Height: 6'1" (185 cm)
 12 
Dan Savage
(One of the World's Most Influential Sex Columnists)
Dan Savage
4
Birthdate: October 7, 1964
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States

Dan Savage is an American author, journalist, media pundit, and LGBT community activist. He is credited with founding the It Gets Better Project which aims at preventing suicide amongst LGBT youth. In 2013, he was honored by the American Humanist Association with the prestigious Humanist of the Year award.  

 13 
Suze Orman
(Author, Television Personality, Motivational Speaker)
Suze Orman
13
Birthdate: June 5, 1951
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois
Height: 5'4" (163 cm)
 14 
Ryan McPartlin
(Best Known for His Role as ‘Devon Woodcomb’ in the TV Series ‘Chuck’)
Ryan McPartlin
4
Birthdate: July 3, 1975
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States

Ryan McPartlin is an American actor best known for playing Devon Christian Woodcomb in the popular action-comedy television series, Chuck. Apart from being an actor and model, Ryan McPartlin is also a certified personal trainer. A multi-talented personality, he also loves playing tennis, scuba diving, and snowboarding. 

 15 
Mike Cernovich
(Writer)
Mike Cernovich
0
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: November 17, 1977
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Kewanee, Illinois, United States
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
 16 
David A. Johnston
(American Volcanologist Who was Caught in the Midst of the Eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980)
David A. Johnston
1
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: December 18, 1949
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Died: May 18, 1980

David A. Johnston was an American volcanologist who was caught in the midst of the eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980. Johnston was killed during the eruption and his body was never found. David A. Johnston's life and career have inspired several documentaries, docudramas, and films.

 17 
Martin Eberhard
(Entrepreneur)
Martin Eberhard
0
Listed In: Business People
Birthdate: May 15, 1960
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Berkeley, California, United States

Martin Eberhard is an American entrepreneur, inventor, and engineer. He is credited with co-founding Tesla, Inc. in 2002. He then served as the company's chairman and CEO. Martin Eberhard was inducted into the University of Illinois Engineering Hall of Fame in 2015.

 18 
Marc Andreessen
(Best Known as Co-Author of 'Mosaic', the First Widely Used Web Browser)
Marc Andreessen
3
Listed In: Business People
Birthdate: July 9, 1971
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Cedar Falls, Iowa, United States

Marc Andreessen is an American entrepreneur, software engineer, and investor. He is credited with co-founding the independent computer services company Netscape as well as the private venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz. Marc Andreessen is also credited with co-authoring one of the first web browsers, NCSA Mosaic. In 1994, he was inducted into the World Wide Web Hall of Fame.

 19 
Godfrey
(Comedian)
Godfrey
5
Birthdate: July 21, 1969
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Lincoln, Nebraska, United States
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
 20 
Jon Corzine
(Politician)
Jon Corzine
0
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: January 1, 1947
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Taylorville, Illinois, USA
Height: 6'3" (190 cm)
 21 
Iris Chang
(Journalist)
Iris Chang
4
Birthdate: March 28, 1968
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Princeton, New Jersey, United States
Died: November 9, 2004
 22 
Rafael Correa
(45th President of Ecuador (2007 - 2017))
Rafael Correa
11
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: April 6, 1963
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Guayaquil, Ecuador

Rafael Correa is an Ecuadorian economist and politician. From 2007 to 2017, Correa served as the president of Ecuador. During his presidency, Ecuador managed to reduce its poverty and raised the minimum wage, which in turn enhanced the standard of living in the country.

 23 
Bobby Mitchell
(American football player)
Bobby Mitchell
2
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: June 6, 1935
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Hot Springs, Arkansas, United States
Died: April 5, 2020
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
 24 
Kelvin Hayden
(American football cornerback)
Kelvin Hayden
1
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: July 23, 1983
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
 25 
Jeff George
(American Former Football Quarterback)
Jeff George
5
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: December 8, 1967
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
Height: 6'4" (193 cm)
 26 
Jeremy Stoppelman
(CEO)
Jeremy Stoppelman
0
Listed In: Business People
Birthdate: November 10, 1977
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Arlington County, Virginia, United States
 27 
David Blackwell
(Statistician)
David Blackwell
1
Birthdate: April 24, 1919
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Centralia, Illinois
Died: July 8, 2010
 28 
Neel Kashkari
(Investment banker, Politician)
Neel Kashkari
1
Listed In: Engineers
Birthdate: July 30, 1973
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Akron, Ohio, United States
 29 
Sewall Wright
(Geneticist)
Sewall Wright
0
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: December 21, 1889
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Melrose, Massachusetts, United States
Died: March 3, 1988
 30 
Brian Cook
(Basketball player)
Brian Cook
2
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: December 4, 1980
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Lincoln, Illinois, United States
Height: 6'9" (206 cm)
 31 
Rajeev Ram
(American Professional Tennis Player Who Is Former World No. 1 in Doubles)
Rajeev Ram
2
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: March 18, 1984
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Denver, Colorado, United States
Height: 6'4" (193 cm)
 32 
Jesse Jackson Jr.
(American Politician Who Served as the U.S. Representative From Illinois’ 2nd Congressional District From 1995 to 2012)
Jesse Jackson Jr.
6
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: March 11, 1965
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Greenville, South Carolina, United States
 33 
John Robert Schrieffer
0
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: May 31, 1931
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Oak Park, Illinois, USA
Died: July 27, 2019
 34 
James Augustine
(Basketball Player)
James Augustine
1
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: February 27, 1984
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Midlothian, Illinois, United States
Height: 6'10" (208 cm)
 35 
Fidel V. Ramos
(President of the Philippines from 1992 to 1998)
Fidel V. Ramos
6
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: March 18, 1928
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Lingayen, Philippines
Died: July 31, 2022

Fidel V. Ramos was a Filipino politician and general. He is best remembered for his service as the President of the Philippines from 1992 to 1998. His presidency was marked by technological development, economic boom, and political stability in the Philippines. Fidel V. Ramos also served as the Secretary of National Defense from 22 January 1988 to 18 July 1991.

 36 
Bob Richards
(American Athlete and Politician)
Bob Richards
0
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: February 20, 1926
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Champaign, Illinois, United States
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
 37 
George Carruthers
(Inventor, physicist, engineer and space scientist)
George Carruthers
0
Birthdate: October 1, 1939
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
Died: December 26, 2020
 38 
John McNaughton
(Film director)
John McNaughton
1
Birthdate: January 13, 1950
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States
 39 
Marcus Liberty
(Basketball player)
Marcus Liberty
1
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: October 27, 1968
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Height: 6'8" (203 cm)
 40 
Katalin Zamiar
(American Martial Artist)
Katalin Zamiar
0
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: August 12, 1971
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Height: 5'2" (157 cm)
 41 
Joseph Stein
(Librettist)
Joseph Stein
1
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: May 30, 1912
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: New York City, New York
Died: October 24, 2010
 42 
Irna Phillips
(Scriptwriter)
Irna Phillips
0
Birthdate: July 1, 1901
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Died: December 23, 1973
 43 
Charles David Keeling
(Scientist)
Charles David Keeling
2
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: April 20, 1928
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Scranton, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: June 20, 2005
 44 
Susan Lindquist
(American Molecular Biologist Who Made Key Discoveries Concerning Protein Folding)
Susan Lindquist
0
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: June 5, 1949
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Died: October 27, 2016

Cell biologist and MIT professor Susan Lindquist is best remembered for her research on protein folding and its impact on diseases. The Harvard alumna had also taught at the University of Chicago for 23 years. She was also the first female director of the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research.

 45 
Lorado Taft
(Sculptor)
Lorado Taft
0
Birthdate: April 29, 1860
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Elmwood, Illinois, United States
Died: October 30, 1936
 46 
Edwin G. Krebs
(American Biochemist Who Received the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1992)
Edwin G. Krebs
1
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: June 6, 1918
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Lansing, Iowa, United States
Died: December 21, 2009

American biochemist Edwin Gerhard Krebs is best-known for collaborating with Edmond H. Fischer in elucidating the way reversible phosphorylation works as a switch in activating proteins and regulating different cellular processes. This key discovery of reversible protein phosphorylation led the two to receive the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1992.

 47 
Maryanne Amacher
(Composer)
Maryanne Amacher
0
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: February 25, 1938
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Kane, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: October 22, 2009
 48 
William Keepers Maxwell Jr.
(Editor)
William Keepers Maxwell Jr.
0
Birthdate: August 16, 1908
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Lincoln, Illinois, United States
Died: July 31, 2000
 49 
Max Abramovitz
(Architect)
Max Abramovitz
0
Listed In: Architects
Birthdate: May 23, 1908
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Died: September 12, 2004
 50 
Alex Legion
(Basketball player)
Alex Legion
1
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: November 16, 1988
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Detroit, Michigan, United States
Height: 6'5" (196 cm)