# List of Towson University people

These are some of the more notable alumni, attendees and faculty of Towson University, a public university located in Towson in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States, and its predecessor institutions.

## Arts and entertainment

* John Auville, co-host of The Sports Junkies on WJFK, 106.7
* Behnaz Babazadeh, photographer
* Jeff Bakalar, CBS Interactive podcast host and on-air personality
* Brandon Broady, host of BET's The Xperiment
* Jack Dunlop, a streamer and esports caster
* Charles S. Dutton, actor
* Charla Baklayan Faddoul and Mirna Hindoyan, contestants on the fifth and eleventh (all-star version) editions on the multiple-Emmy Award-winning game show The Amazing Race
* Mike Flanagan, filmmaker (The Haunting of Hill House, Doctor Sleep, Gerald's Game, Hush, Before I Wake, Oculus, Absentia, The Fall of the House of Usher)
* Mike Gazzo, producer/songwriter
* John Glover, Smallville star; graduated and received an honorary master's degree; frequently visits the theater department to work with students; recognized as a Distinguished Alumnus in May 2008
* Andy Karl, Broadway actor, best known for his Tony-nominated performance in Rocky the Musical
* John Kassir, film, stage and TV actor and producer, comedian, voice actor. Star Search winner 1985, The Three Stooges bio pic, Reefer Madness the Musical, Johnnytime on USA TV.
* Stacy Keibler, actress, dancer, model, former Baltimore Ravens cheerleader and former WWE wrestler, was part of Towson's Mass Communications department; her graduation is uncertain
* Chris LaMartina, director, producer, and writer
* Brad Mays, filmmaker (The Watermelon, SING*ularity, The Bacchae); former Baltimore, New York and Los Angeles stage director
* Pattie McCarthy, poet and educator
* Ross Rawlings, pianist, composer, conductor, and music director
* Mike Riley, cartoonist, graduated with a BA in Fine Arts
* Howard Rollins, Academy Award-nominated actor known for his portrayal of Coalhouse Walker, Jr. in the film Ragtime, and as Virgil Tibbs on the NBC/CBS television series In the Heat of the Night
* Mike Rowe, Discovery Channel's Dirty Jobs host
* Gerry Sandusky, sportscaster for WBAL-TV Channel 11 in Baltimore; son of Baltimore Colts' John Sandusky
* Dwight Schultz, TV actor, played Capt. "Howling Mad" Murdock on The A-Team and Lieutenant Reginald Barclay in Star Trek: The Next Generation; graduated with a BA in Arts
* Amy Schumer, comedian, actress, and contestant on Last Comic Standing
* Drew Van Acker, actor, plays Jason DiLaurentis on Pretty Little Liars

## Sports

* Jermon Bushrod, former NFL player drafted by the New Orleans Saints (#125th pick) in 2007 draft
* Kacy Catanzaro, professional wrestler and first woman to complete the qualifying course of American Ninja Warrior
* Dan Crowley, former CFL player for multiple teams; currently a staff member of the Towson Athletic Department
* Ryan Delaire, NFL player, San Francisco 49ers
* Jordan Dangerfield (born 1990), NFL player, Pittsburgh Steelers
* Kyle Fiat, professional lacrosse player, Philadelphia Wings
* Tamir Goodman, professional basketball player once known as the "Jewish Jordan"
* Justin Gorham (born 1998), basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
* Sean Landeta, former NFL player for the New York Giants
* Ryan Lexer (born 1976), American-Israeli basketball player
* Mike Locksley, Maryland Terrapins football Head Coach, 2012
* Dave Meggett, former NFL player for the New York Giants and New England Patriots
* Machel Millwood, forward, Baltimore Blast
* Chris Nabholz, Former MLB Pitcher, Montreal Expos (1990–1993), Cleveland Indians (1994), Boston Red Sox (1994) and Chicago Cubs (1995).
* Gary Neal, NBA player, Washington Wizards
* Richie Palacios, MLB player, St. Louis Cardinals
* John Schuerholz, Atlanta Braves President; frequent donor to the university; namesake of Towson's baseball park (John B. Schuerholz Baseball Complex)
* Chad Scott, former NFL player, New England Patriots
* Gerrard Sheppard, CFL player, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
* Tye Smith, NFL player, Tennessee Titans
* Joe Vitt, Assistant Head Coach for the Miami Dolphins
* Terrance West, running back for the Baltimore Ravens
* Casper Wells, MLB player, Chicago Cubs
* Madieu Williams, NFL player, Washington Redskins; transferred from Towson to finish college career at University of Maryland, College Park
* Bruce Zimmermann, pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles

## Music

* Cecylia Barczyk, cellist
* John Christ, guitar player for Danzig, dropped out in 1987
* Ellery Eskelin, jazz saxophonist, internationally recognized touring and recording artist
* Kyle Hollingsworth, keyboardist for The String Cheese Incident
* Joe Nice, dubstep DJ
* Dave East, hip-hop artist
* YBN Cordae, hip-hop artist, dropped out in 2018

## Writers

* Jack L. Chalker, author of over 50 science fiction novels; graduated in 1966; awarded as a Distinguished Alumni, College of Liberal Arts, April 2003
* William Glauber, journalist
* Ronald Malfi, novelist, graduated in 1999
* Brian Stelter, CNN
* W. Wesley McDonald, author of Russell Kirk and the Age of Ideology and former professor at Elizabethtown College

## Politics and government
### U.S. representatives

* Sarah Elfreth, U.S. representative from Maryland's 3rd congressional district, 2025–present, member of the Maryland State Senate, 2019–2025

### Judiciary of Maryland

* Mary Ellen Barbera (1975), Chief Judge, Court of Appeals of Maryland, 2013–2021
* Katie O'Malley (1985), Associate Judge, District Court for Baltimore City, Maryland, wife of former Maryland Governor and former Baltimore Mayor, Martin O'Malley

### State delegates

* Charles E. Barkley (1972), member of the Maryland House of Delegates, 1999–2019
* John L. Bohanan, Jr. (1981), member of the Maryland House of Delegates, 1999–2015
* Michael W. Burns (1980), former member of the Maryland House of Delegates, 1995–99
* Ann Marie Doory (1976), former member of the Maryland House of Delegates, 1987–2010
* Tawanna P. Gaines (1981), member of the Maryland House of Delegates, 2001–2019
* Melissa J. Kelly (1987), former member of the Maryland House of Delegates, 2001–02
* Susan W. Krebs (1981), member of the Maryland House of Delegates, 2003–2023
* Stephen W. Lafferty (1977), member of Maryland House of Delegates, 2007–2019
* Christian Miele (2004, 2008), former member of the Maryland House of Delegates, 2015–2019
* Warren E. Miller (1987), member of the Maryland House of Delegates, 2003–2020
* Nathaniel T. Oaks, former member of the Maryland House of Delegates, 1983–1989, and 1995–2018
* B. Daniel Riley (1978), former member of the Maryland House of Delegates, 1999–2003, and 2007–2011
* Tanya Thornton Shewell (1970), former member of the Maryland House of Delegates, 2004–2011
* Kathy Szeliga (1994), member of the Maryland House of Delegates, 2011–present

### State Senate

* Michael J. Hough (2007), member of the Maryland Senate, 2015–2023, former member of the Maryland House of Delegates, 2011–2014
* Karen S. Montgomery, former member of the Maryland Senate, 2010–2016
* Pamela Beidle (1994), former member of the Maryland House of Delegates, 2007–present, member of the Maryland Senate, 2019–present

### County executives

* Calvin B. Ball, III (1997), member of the Howard County Council, 2006–2018, Howard County executive 2018–present
* David R. Craig (1971), former member of the Maryland Senate, 1995–99, former Harford County Executive, 2005–2014, former Maryland Secretary of Planning 2015-2016
* Kathy Klausmeier, Baltimore County Executive, 2025–present, member of the Maryland Senate, 2003–2025

### Local government

* Sheila A. Dixon (1976), former president of the Baltimore City Council, 1999–2007, former Mayor of Baltimore, 2007–2010
* Jolene Ivey (1982), member of the Prince George's County Council, 2018–present, former member of the Maryland House of Delegates, 2007–2015
* A. Wade Kach, former member of the Maryland House of Delegates, 1975–2014, member of the Baltimore County Council, 2014–present
* Pat Young (2010), member of the Baltimore County Council, 2022–present, former member of the Maryland House of Delegates, 2015–2023

## Faculty

* Tony Campbell, political science professor and US Senate candidate, 2018
* Phyllis Chinn, mathematics professor
* Beth Haller, journalism professor, Fulbright scholar
* Donald Minnegan, former coach of the school's championship soccer teams; namesake of the school's mascot, Doc
* Lynn Tomlinson, animator and artist
* Johnny Unitas, former quarterback for the Baltimore Colts; Towson Athletics' community liaison; raised funds for the school's athletic programs
* Richard Vatz, communication studies professor, author