# List of Florida Institute of Technology people

This list contains people associated with the Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Florida, including current and former college presidents, as well as notable alumni and faculty.

## Academia and research
### Professors and scholars

| Name | Class year | Notability |
| Apryl A. Alexander | 2009 | Forensic psychologist and Clinical psychologist; professor at the University of Denver |
| José E. Andrade | 2001 | Civil engineer; recipient of Thomas J.R. Hughes Young Investigator Award (2017) and Walter L. Huber Civil Engineering Research Prize (2018); professor at California Institute of Technology |
| Randy Borum | 1991 | Forensic psychologist; intelligence, national security, & cyber defense; served on Defense Science Board; professor at University of South Florida |
| Mya Breitbart | | Oceanographer and marine biologist; professor at University of South Florida |
| Kent E. Carpenter | 1975 | Marine biologist; professor at Old Dominion University |
| Kevin C. Dittman | | Computer scientist; professor at Purdue University |
| Wassim Michael Haddad | 1987 | IEEE Fellow specialist in thermodynamics, stability theory, robust control, and dynamical system theory; professor at Georgia Institute of Technology |
| Edward E. Thomas Jr. | 1989 | Plasma physicist; professor at Auburn University |

### Research, science, technology, and math

| Name | Class year | Notability | Reference |
| Mary Lou Zoback | | Researcher, geophysicist and seismologist | |

## Astronauts

| Name | Class year | Notability |
| Joan Higginbotham | 1992 | Engineer, NASA astronaut, M.S. Management Science, 1992, M.S. Space Systems, 1996 |
| Kathryn P. Hire | 1991 | NASA astronaut (STS-90), M.S. Space Technology |
| Christopher Loria | | NASA astronaut, M.S. degree in aeronautical engineering |
| Frederick W. Sturckow | 2000 | NASA astronaut, M.S. Mechanical Engineering, veteran of four Space Shuttle missions |
| Sunita Williams | 1995 | NASA astronaut, M.S. Engineering Management |
| George D. Zamka | 1997 | NASA astronaut (STS-120), M.S. Engineering Management |

## Business and entrepreneurship
### Computers and Internet

| Name | Class year | Notability |
| Richard Adams | | Inventor and founder of Happy Computers |
| Fahri Diner | 1989 | Founder of Plume and Qtera, which was bought out by Nortel for $3.2 billion |
| Herbert Hugh Thompson | 2002 | Chairman of RSA Conference and former chief technology officer of NortonLifeLock |

### Executives and finance

| Name | Class year | Notability |
| Gordon Derrick | | Former director of Antigua Commercial Bank |
| Ryan Gellert | 1996 | CEO of Patagonia, Inc. and former president of Black Diamond Equipment |
| Svafa Grönfeldt | 1995 | Former deputy CEO at Actavis, Executive Vice President at Alvogen, and former president of Reykjavík University |
| David P. Norton | | Co-founder of Palladium International; known for working with Robert S. Kaplan to co-create the balanced scorecard approach |
| Salli Setta | 1992 | Former president of Red Lobster and executive vice president of Olive Garden under Darden Restaurants |
| Dia Simms | 1992 | CEO of Lobos 1707 Tequila & Mezcal and former president of Sean Combs's Combs Enterprises |
| Jim Thomas | | Former president of Sierra and Executive Vice President/CFO positions at MicroProse, Rivian Automotive, and MapQuest; managed the initial public offering of MapQuest |
| Ronnie Wong | 2007 | Founder of Chung Wah Shipbuilding & Engineering Company and former chairman of Po Leung Kuk |

### Miscellaneous

| Name | Class year | Notability | Reference |
| Chaz Stevens | 1982 | Founder of ESADoggy | |

## Government, law, and public policy
### Diplomats

| Name | Class year | Notability | Reference |
| Jeanine E. Jackson | 1971 | 16th U.S. Ambassador to Burkina Faso (2006–2009); 17th U.S. Ambassador to Malawi (2011–2014) | |

### International

| Name | Class year | Notability |
| Gerald Berkel | | Island governor of Sint Eustatius 2010–2016 |
| Saud bin Hilal Al Busaidi | 2000 | Governor of Muscat, Oman |
| Kao Kuang-chi | | 31st Minister of National Defense of the Republic of China, and retired admiral of the Republic of China Navy |
| Prince Louis of Luxembourg | | Third son of Grand Duke Henri (monarch of Luxembourg, 2000–present); studied aeronautics and aeronautical management for two years (c.2009–2011) at FIT |
| Waleed A. Samkari | 1988 | Brigadier general; former director of the Jordanian Maintenance Corps |

### Judges

| Name | Class year | Notability | Reference |
| John Antoon | 1993 | United States federal judge | |
| Catharina Haynes | 1983 | United States federal judge | |

### Law, politics, and public policy

| Name | Class year | Notability |
| Peter Durant | | Member of the Massachusetts Senate since 2023 and former member of Massachusetts House of Representatives 6th district (2011–2013) |
| Craig Fugate | | Former administrator of Federal Emergency Management Agency |
| Dana Gartzke | | Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development under 45th President of the United States Donald Trump |
| Jeffrey D. Grant | 1975 | Former director, Office of Plans and Analysis in National Reconnaissance Office; served as a programs director at CIA Directorate of Intelligence, Office of Scientific Intelligence and the Directorate of Science and Technology |
| Jacey Jetton | | Member of the Texas House of Representatives since 2021 |
| Kathy McGuiness | | Auditor of Delaware, 2019–2022 |
| Steven McLaughlin | | County executive of Rensselaer County, NY and Member of New York State Assembly 107th district (2011–2017) |
| Tom Reeder | | Member of Wyoming House of Representatives representing 58th district, 2011–2017 |
| David Smith | | Member of the Florida House of Representatives representing the state's 38th House district since 2018 |
| Stephen R. Speed | 1993 | Mayor of Dover, Delaware, 2004–2007 |
| Tom Stuart | | Mayor of Meridian, Mississippi, 1973–1977 |

### Military

| Name | Class year | Notability |
| James W. Ball | | Major general USA, Ret.; served as the 24th Chief of Ordnance |
| Charles C. Cannon | 1976 | Major general USA, Ret.; served as the Aide-de-camp to General Dwight D. Eisenhower |
| David T. Cloft | 2007 | Lieutenant colonel USA, Ret.; formerly served as executive officer (XO) for U.S. Army Accessions Command; competitive shooter for US National Rifle Team; seven-time national champion and has set 11 US national Rrcords |
| Jesse Cross | 1991 | Brigadier general USA, Ret.; 50th Quartermaster General of the United States Army |
| Jeffrey W. Drushal | ? | Brigadier general; chief of Transportation Corps |
| Ann E. Dunwoody | 1987 | General USA, M.S., first female four-star general in the military |
| James L. Herdt | 1992 | 9th Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy |
| Larry L. Hereth | 1992 | Commander of the Fifth Coast Guard District of the United States Coast Guard |
| Galen B. Jackman | 1983 | Major general US, Ret.; Chief of Legislative Liaison, U.S. Army |
| Dennis K. Jackson | | Major general USA, Ret.; served as the 30th Chief of Ordnance and as the Director of logistics (J4) United States Central Command |
| Herbert J. McChrystal | | Major general, former commander of United States Army Test and Evaluation Command |
| Al M. Niles, Jr | 2010 | Colonel USA, decorated special operations aviator and former wing commander during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2005 for Task Force Warfighter |
| Gustave F. Perna | | General, 19th commander of United States Army Materiel Command |
| Aundre F. Piggee | | Lieutenant general, United States Army Logistics Branch Deputy Chief |
| David A. Score | 1989 | Rear admiral, 17th Director of the NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps |
| Steven A. Shapiro | 1994 | Major general USA, Ret.; served as 9th commanding general of United States Army Sustainment Command |
| Billy K. Solomon | | Lieutenant general, served as 6th commander of United States Army Combined Arms Support Command |
| Mitchell H. Stevenson | | Lieutenant general, served as the 31st chief of ordnance |
| Peter Talleri | 1997 | Major general, former commander of Marine Corps Installations Pacific |
| Thomas H. Todd III | 1997 | Lieutenant general; deputy commanding general of United States Army Combat Capabilities Development Command |
| Jonathan White | 1981 | Rear admiral; commander of Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command |
| Johnnie E. Wilson | 1977 | General USA, Ret.; served as the 25th Chief of Ordnance |
| Cedric T. Wins | | Major general USA, Ret.; first commander of reorganized United States Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) |
| Larry D. Wyche | | Lieutenant general, served as the commanding general of the U.S. Army Combined Arms Support Command |
| David T. Zabecki | 1976 | Major general USA, Ret.; former deputy chief of the United States Army Reserve |

## Humanities, arts, entertainment, and social sciences
### Actors

| Name | Class year | Notability |
| Richard Hatch | | Original winner of the CBS Survivor television series |
| Jim Quinn | 1988 | Engineer on American Chopper and Orange County Choppers show, B.S. in Mechanical Engineering |
| Don "The Dragon" Wilson | | Actor & martial artist inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame |

### Writers

| Name | Class year | Notability |
| Lela E. Buis | 1991 | Author, poet and playwright |
| Joni E. Johnston | 1985 | Author and forensic psychologist |
| Jazmin Truesdale | | Writer and creator of AZA Comics |

## Science, technology, medicine and engineering
### Science and engineering

| Name | Class year | Notability |
| Addison Bain | | NASA scientist credited with postulating the Incendiary Paint Theory |
| Alyssa Carson | 2023 | Social media influencer and space enthusiast |
| David A. King | 1991 | Director, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center |
| Ramon Lugo III | 1982 | Director of Florida Space Institute and former NASA director of the Glenn Research Center |
| Julius Montgomery | 1964 | First Black professional in the U.S. Space Program |
| Mike Moses | 1989 | President of Virgin Galactic; former NASA Space Shuttle program launch integration manager from 2008 until the conclusion of the program in 2011 |
| Amy Simon | 1993 | NASA senior scientist at Goddard Space Flight Center, involved in several missions of the Solar System Exploration Program |
| Felix Soto Toro | 1990 | NASA engineer, developed the advanced payload transfer measurement system for NASA |
| Sara Imari Walker | 2005 | Theoretical physicist and astrobiologist scientist at NASA Astrobiology Institute |
| Josh Habka | 2026 | Founder of the International Biohacking Community, Biohacker, Chief executive officer of Astrochain, and Science communicator. |

### Technology

| Name | Class year | Notability | Reference |
| Frank J. Canova | 1978 | Inventor of the smartphone and IBM Simon | |
| John Cosker | 1991 | Designer, builder of high end fast powerboats | |

## Sports

| Name | Class year | Notability |
| Austin Allen | | Professional baseball player for New York Mets |
| Fred Armstrong | | Former professional soccer player |
| Thomas Bohrer | | Olympic rower medalist |
| Keiran Breslin | 1994 | Professional soccer player |
| Mark Cartwright | | Former professional soccer player and manager of Stoke City F.C. |
| Robin Chan | 1990 | Former professional soccer player |
| Dean Faithfull | 2011 | Professional gridiron football player for Edmonton Elks |
| Steve Freeman | 1989 | Professional soccer player |
| Aubin-Thierry Goporo | 1996 | Former Olympic basketball player with Central African Republic and current director of Student-Athlete Development, Tennessee Volunteers basketball |
| J.T. Hassell | 2019 | Former professional football player for National Football League (NFL) |
| Rocío Hernández | 2006 | Professional soccer player and former captain of the Puerto Rico women's national team Olympic team |
| Jan Hlavica | 2017 | Former professional soccer player |
| Daniela Iacobelli | | Professional golfer |
| Ubaldo Jimenez | 2021 | Professional baseball player |
| Khalid Outaleb | 1986 | Former professional tennis player |
| Ricahard Sharpe | 1993 | Former professional soccer player |
| Paul Sturgess | | Professional basketball player |
| Francisco Ubiera | 2013 | Professional soccer player representing Dominican Republic national team |
| Valur Orri Valsson | 2020 | Professional basketball player |
| Tim Wakefield | | Professional baseball player |
| Dwight Walton | | Professional basketball player |
| Narupon Wild | 2011 | Professional soccer player |
| Tom Windle | | Professional soccer player |
| Jiya Wright | | Professional football player Sioux Falls Storm |

## Staff and faculty
### Florida Institute of Technology presidents

| Name | Notability | Reference |
| Anthony Catanese | President of FIT 2002–2016 | |
| Winston E. Scott | Vice president of FIT, former NASA astronaut | |

### Staff and faculty

| Name | Notability |
| Buzz Aldrin | Astronaut second man on the moon; senior advisor and professor of studies on space exploration at FIT, namesake of Florida Tech's Space Institute |
| Samuel Durrance | Former NASA Space Shuttle payload specialist; university professor of physics and space sciences |
| Mary Helen Johnston (McCay) | Engineer; former NASA astronaut |
| Cem Kaner | University professor and Director of Center for Software Testing Education & Research |
| Joan C. Sherman | Chemist |