# List of Queens College people

This is a list of notable alumni and faculty of Queens College, City University of New York.

## Business

* Leslie Abramson - Attorney, defended Lyle and Erik Menendez
* Russell Artzt - Co-founder Computer Associates
* Gary Barnett (real estate developer) - Founder of Extell Development Company
* Jill E. Barad - Former CEO of Mattel
* David Cancel - Serial Technology Entrepreneur and Entrepreneur in Residence at Harvard Business School
* Jerry Colonna - Well-known venture capitalist and entrepreneur coach
* Eugene R. Fidell - Attorney, Guantanamo Bay detention camp critic
* Mark M. Ford - Entrepreneur
* Lee Garfinkel - Former CEO of the New York office of Foote, Cone & Belding
* Leonard Grunstein - Finance executive
* Charlie Harary - Investor and motivational speaker
* Patricia Hynes - Former president of the New York City Bar Association
* Frederick S. Jaffe - Former vice president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America
* Alan Lazar - Partner of southern California Law Firm
* Stewart Liff - Management consultant and author
* Ruth Madoff - Wife of Bernard L. Madoff
* Donna Orender - WNBA president
* Cindy Rakowitz - Division President for Playboy Enterprises (1986-2001)
* Jeffrey Steinberger - Trial attorney, TV commentator & analyst
* Charles Wang - founder of Computer Associates, owner of the New York Islanders

## Education

* Stevanne Auerbach - Psychologist, "Dr. Toy"
* Werner Baer - Jorge Lemann Professor of Economics at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
* Elaine Barkin - Music theorist educator
* Warren Bebbington - retired Vice-Chancellor, University of Adelaide
* Jean-Claude Brizard - CEO of Chicago Public Schools
* Vévé Amasasa Clark - Professor of African-American studies at the University of California, Berkeley
* Ester Fuchs Professor of Public Affairs and Political Science, Columbia University
* Jeffrey Halperin - Professor of Psychology
* Cheryl Lehman - Accounting academic
* Stephanie Pace Marshall - Founder of Illinois Math and Science Academy
* Joseph S. Murphy (1933-1998) - President of Queens College, President of Bennington College, and Chancellor of the City University of New York
* Edward John Ray - President of Oregon State University
* Linda Siegel - cognitive psychologist, holder of the Dorothy C. Lam Chair in Special Education at the University of British Columbia 1996–2015
* Arthur M. Langer - Professor of Professional Practice, Columbia University, Founder of Workforce Opportunity Services

## Entertainment and media

* Ted Alexandro - comedian
* Martin Aronstein - theatrical lighting designer
* Annet Artani - singer, songwriter, co-wrote "Everytime" with Britney Spears
* Jay Bak - rapper and singer based in South Korea
* Lidia Bastianich - celebrity chef and host of Lidia's Italy
* Joy Behar - comedian and co-host of The View
* Adrien Brody - actor, Academy Award winner, attended as student in 1990
* Glen Brunman - film and television soundtrack executive and producer
* Danny Burstein - Broadway actor
* Fran Capo - comedian
* Lucille Carra - documentary film producer
* Angelo Corrao - Italian American Film Editor
* Jason Cuadrado - director and producer
* Yanna Darili - model, Greek television personality
* Peter Dizozza - composer
* Fran Drescher - actress, producer The Nanny
* Dennis Elsas - radio personality: WNEW–FM, WFUV–FM
* Nargis Fakhri - model and Bollywood actress
* Jon Favreau - actor and director, director of Iron Man and Iron Man 2
* David Zelag Goodman - screenwriter, playwright
* Marvin Hamlisch - Hollywood and Broadway composer
* Neophytos Ioannou - AEA Actor, Singer, Voice Teacher & Audition Coach
* Annette Insdorf - film historian and author
* Alan Jacobson - thriller writer
* Ron Jeremy - prolific pornographic film actor
* Herb Kaplow - television news correspondent
* Jason Katims - television writer and producer
* Carole King - songwriter and recording artist
* Richard Kline - "Larry Dallas" in Three's Company
* Carol Leifer - Stand-up comedian, writer, actress and producer
* Bob Linden - host and producer of Go Vegan Radio
* Hal Linden - actor, producer, and musician
* Clair Marlo - composer, singer, record producer, songwriter - went from 1976 to 1977 and then went to Berklee College of Music
* Perri Pierre - actor and film producer
* DJ Rekha Malhotra - DJ, producer, educator of South Asian music
* Ray Romano - actor, comedian (attended 1975–1978 – dropped out after accumulating only 15 credits in three years but returned in later years during which he made Dean's list)
* Howie Rose - sportscaster for the New York Mets and New York Islanders.
* Neil Rosen - Emmy award-winning movie critic, NY1
* Michael Savage (formerly known as Michael Weiner) – radio talk show personality and author
* Nancy Savoca - screenwriter, film director and producer
* Jerry Seinfeld - comedian
* Nestor Serrano - actor
* Paul Simon - singer, songwriter, musician, and member of Simon and Garfunkel
* Michael Stewart - playwright
* Bobby Susser - songwriter, record producer, and performer
* Lorenzo Thomas - poet
* Mal Waldron - jazz pianist
* Dorothy Wiggins (born 1925), socialite and social media personality.
* Dennis Wolfberg - comedian
* Marv Wolfman - comic book and animation writer
* Jay Wolpert - television producer, screenwriter
* Ben Younger - screenwriter and director
* Karen Yu (born 1992), professional wrestler, also known as "Karen Q" and "Wendy Choo".

## Fictional characters

* George Costanza - Fictional television character from Seinfeld
* Carrie Heffernan - Took courses for law during season 3 of 'King of Queens
* Eric Murphy - Fictional television character from Entourage. Attended for two years before dropping out to become the manager of Vincent Chase.
* Jerry Seinfeld - Fictional television character from "Seinfeld"
* Elliot Stabler - Fictional television character from Law & Order: SVU first mentioned in S1E6
* Betty Suarez - Fictional television character from Ugly Betty. Graduated in 2005 with a BFA in Media

## Government and politics

* Gary Ackerman - United States Representative from New York (1983-2013)
* Joel Benenson - Democratic pollster, chief political consultant for Hillary Clinton presidential campaign, 2016
* Shifra Bronznick - Prominent Jewish Women's rights activist
* Kema Chikwe - National Women Leader of the Nigerian political party PDP, former aviation minister
* Nikos Christodoulides - President of Cyprus (2023-present)
* Anthony Como - former NYC Council Member
* Costa Constantinides - nonprofit leader, former NYC Council Member, Queens College professor
* Joseph Crowley - former United States Representative from New York's 7th congressional district (1999-2019), former Queens County Democratic Chairman
* Mark Danish - former Florida House of Representatives
* Adriano Espaillat - United States Representative from New York's 13th congressional district, former member of the New York State Senate and New York State Assembly
* Rafael Espinal - Executive Director of Freelancers Union former NYC Council Member
* Arthur J. Finkelstein - GOP political consultant
* Steven W. Fisher - former New York State Justice, attorney in Wendy's massacre
* Marvin E. Frankel - litigator, judge, legal scholar, and human rights activist
* Helen W. Gillmor - U.S. Federal Judge
* Deborah J. Glick - NY State Assemblywoman
* Mark M. Goldblatt - Political commentator
* Andrew Goodman - civil rights worker, murdered in Mississippi at the age of 20 during Freedom Summer of 1964, while still a student
* Dan Halloran - former NYC council member, Theodist
* Julia Harrison - NYC Council Member
* Alan Hevesi - former New York State Comptroller, former New York State Assemblyman, former Queens College professor
* Andrew Hevesi - New York State Assembly
* Dov Hikind - former New York State Assemblyman
* Blaise Ingoglia - Florida state assembly
* Dennis G. Jacobs - Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
* Jeffrey D. Klein - former New York State senator
* Alan P. Krasnoff - former Chesapeake, Virginia Mayor
* Rory I. Lancman - former NYC Council Member and former New York state Assemblyman
* Nathan Leventhal - former NYC Deputy Mayor, former President, Lincoln Center
* Joseph McGoldrick (1901–1978) - former NYC Comptroller and NY State Residential Rent Control Commissioner, lawyer, and professor at Queens College
* Helen Marshall - former Queens Borough President
* Nettie Mayersohn - former member of New York State Assembly
* Hiram Monserrate - former New York State Senator
* Diane Patrick (B.A. 1972) - labor lawyer and former First Lady of Massachusetts (2007–2015)
* Jose Peralta - Former New York State Assemblyman and New York State Senator
* Sylvia Pressler - former Judge
* Ronald Spadafora - former FDNY chief and supervisor of September 11 rescue and recovery efforts
* Toby Ann Stavisky - New York state Senator
* James Vacca - former NYC Council Member and Queens College professor
* Jeffrey White - former North California District Judge

## Humanities

* Yitzchok Adlerstein - Rabbi, Writer
* David A. Adler - Author
* Mel Alexenberg - Science Artist and Art Educator
* Amin Tarzi - Middle East Studies
* Toni Cade Bambara - Author, activist
* Nino Lo Bello - Journalist
* Michael Berenbaum - Scholar, writer, Rabbi
* Ann Birstein - Memoirist, Fulbright Scholar
* Erika Bourguignon - Anthropologist
* Robert Boyers - Literary essayist, cultural critic and memoirist.
* Alex Caldiero - Poet, scholar of humanities
* Vévé Amasasa Clark - Scholar of African American Studies
* Marylyn Dintenfass - Painter
* Alan Dugan - Poet
* Yael Eckstein - Religious Activist
* Marc Estrin - Political writer
* Jeff Faux - Founder of Economic Policy Institute
* Bella Feldman - Sculpting innovator
* Marie Ferrarella - Romance writer
* Juan Flores - Scholar of Latino Studies
* Ellen G. Friedman - Author, Woman's studies
* Ruth Gay - Writer about Jewish Life
* Jeff Gomez - Writer and transmedia producer
* Martin Gottlieb - Editor at New York Times
* Robert Hessen - Economist, historian
* Cynthia Holz - Correspondent and Author
* Johanna Hurwitz - Children's Author
* Jane Irish - Ceramicist
* Susan Isaacs - Author, essayist, screenwriter
* Bernard Kalb - Journalist, media critic, author
* Marvin Kalb - Journalist
* Nasser Khalili - Scholar, philanthropist
* Bernard Krisher - Journalist
* Corky Lee - Journalistic Photographer
* Judith Lorber - Sociologist
* Felipe Luciano - Journalist
* Irving Malin - Literary critic
* Nellie Y. McKay - scholar and co-editor of Norton Anthology of African-American Literature
* Samuel Menashe - Poet, Biochemist, Veteran
* Bruce Bueno de Mesquita - Political Scientist
* Joan Nestle - Author
* Richard Ofshe - Sociologist
* Jim Osman - Sculptor
* Claude V. Palisca - professor of music history
* Herbert S Parmet - Distinguished historian and political author
* Irene Peslikis - Feminist artist
* Mark Podwal - Artist and physician
* Shana Poplack - Linguistics
* Lina Puerta - Artist
* Dorothy Rabinowitz - awarded 2001 Pulitzer Prize for Commentary
* Colleen Randall – American abstract painter
* Marcia Resnick - Photographer
* Robert Rosenblum - Art historian, curator, writer
* John Rowan - Vietnam Veteran
* Arlene Rush – artist and sculptor
* Lloyd Schwartz - Pulitzer Prize winner in Journalism
* Joel Shatzky (1943-2020) - writer and literary professor
* Lowery Stokes Sims - Former curator at Museum of Arts and Design
* Marilyn Singer - Children's author
* Arnold Skemer - novelist and publisher
* Elliot Sperling - Expert on Tibet
* Linda Stein - Sculptor, feminist (interviewed in Borat)
* Rosalyn Terborg-Penn - historian
* Eric Wolf - anthropologist

## Music

* Edward W. Hardy - composer, violinist
* Salman Ahmad - musician, Junoon
* Sol Berkowitz - composer and music educator
* Peter Calandra - pianist and composer
* Noel DaCosta - jazz musician, composer
* Tina Chancey - multi-instrumentalist
* Gil Dor - Israeli guitar player
* Leslie Dunner - composer and conductor
* JoAnn Falletta - classical musician and orchestral conductor
* John Feeley - classical guitarist
* Ellie Greenwich - singer, songwriter and producer
* Reri Grist - coloratura soprano
* Herbert Grossman - conductor
* Lisa Gutkin - Grammy winning violinist
* Antonio Hart - jazz musician
* Conrad Herwig - jazz trombonist
* Douglas Knehans - composer
* Leo Kraft - composer
* Meyer Kupferman - composer and clarinetist
* Paul Lansky – pioneer computer musician and composer at Princeton
* Carolyn Leigh - lyricist, composer
* Mimi Lerner - opera singer
* Lewis Lockwood - musicologist
* Frank Lopardo - American operatic tenor
* Marcus Miller - jazz composer
* Tito Munoz - conductor
* Arturo O'Farrill - jazz musician
* Marco Oppedisano - guitarist and composer
* Lou Pearlman - music producer
* Luis Perdomo - pianist
* Raoul Pleskow - composer
* Nancy B. Reich - musicologist
* James Nyoraku Schlefer - composer of Shakuhachi
* Paul Simon - composer, singer, musician, and member of Simon and Garfunkel
* Erika Sunnegårdh - operatic soprano
* George Tsontakis - composer and conductor
* William Westney - classical pianist
* Davide Zannoni - classical music composer

## Science and technology

* Kenneth Appel - Mathematician proved four color theorem
* Boris Aronov - Computer scientist (computational geometry)
* Inge Auerbacher - Chemist, author, playwright, Holocaust survivor
* Steven J. Burakoff - cancer specialist and the author of Therapeutic Immunology (2001) and Graft-Vs.-Host Disease: Immunology, Pathophysiology, and Treatment (1990)
* Anne Carter - Technology economist
* Arturo Casadevall - Molecular microbiologist
* Marie Maynard Daly - Biochemist, first African American woman to earn a Phd in chemistry
* Celso-Ramón García - Obstetrician and gynecologist
* Edgar Gilbert - Coding Theorist
* David Gries - Computer Scientist
* Mohammad Salman Hamdani - Biochemist, cited in the Patriot Act for heroism on 9/11
* Michael Hecht - Researcher
* Richard Laub - Paleontologist
* Ira B. Lamster - Periodontist and professor of health management
* Jerry Lawson - Electronic engineer
* Stanley Milgram - Psychologist
* Bernard Salick - Entrepreneur, researcher, nephrologist
* Robert Moog - inventor of the Moog synthesizer
* Howard Moskowitz - market researcher and psychophysicist
* Elizabeth F. Neufeld - Geneticist
* Nicholas Rescher - Philosopher
* Elissa Shevinsky - Entrepreneur, information security researcher, feminist
* Russell Targ - Physicist
* Alexander L. Wolf - Computer Scientist, president of Association for Computing Machinery
* Aaron D. Wyner - information theorist noted for his contributions in coding theory
* Bruce M. Zagelbaum - Physician and researcher in sports ophthalmology

## Sports

* Marilyn Aschner (born 1948) - professional tennis player
* Jane Bartkowicz - tennis player
* Glenn Braica - Men's basketball coach
* Charlie Hoefer - Basketball player
* Gail Marquis - basketball player
* Tre McLean (born 1993) - basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
* Donna Orender (née Geils; born 1957) - Women's Pro Basketball League All-Star & former WNBA president
* Diana Redman (born 1984) - Israeli soccer player
* Norm Roberts - Assistant men's basketball coach at Kansas

## Notable faculty

Famous faculty at Queens College have included:
* Salman Ahmed, musician, band Junoon
* Benny Andrews, artist
* Paul Avrich, historian
* Rosemarie Beck, artist
* Ben-Zion Bokser, prominent Conservative Rabbi
* Donald Byrd, jazz musician
* Elliott Carter, composer
* Nancy Cohen, sculptor and papermaker
* Barry Commoner, biologist
* Costa Constantinides, political scientist and urban expert
* Luigi Dallapiccola, composer
* Bogdan Denitch, sociologist
* Joshua Freeman, historian
* Azriel Genack, physicist
* Susanna Grannis, outspoken academic on helping minority students and students with disabilities gain access to education
* Andrew Hacker, political scientist
* Michael Harrington, political philosopher
* Samuel Heilman, Sociologist
* Banesh Hoffmann, mathematician, worked with Albert Einstein
* Chin Kim, violinist
* John Frederick Lange, Jr., author
* Mieczysław Maneli, philosopher and diplomat
* Joseph McElroy, author
* Elliott Mendelson, mathematician
* Edwin E. Moise, mathematician
* Luc Montagnier, virologist, winner of the 2008 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his discovery of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (endowed professorship, 1997/8–2001)
* Thea Musgrave, composer
* Marco Oppedisano, composer
* Arbie Orenstein, American musicologist, author, and pianist
* George Perle, composer
* Koppel Pinson, historian
* Hortense Powdermaker, anthropologist
* Gregory Rabassa, literary translator
* Stefan Ralescu, mathematician
* Karol Rathaus, composer
* Charles Repole, actor, theater director
* Reynold Ruffins, Visual artist and professor emeritus
* Douglas Rushkoff, Media Expert and futurologist
* Roger Sanjek, anthropologist
* Arthur Sard, mathematician
* Bruce Saylor, composer
* Carl Schachter, musician
* Dennis Sullivan, mathematician
* David Syrett, naval historian
* Harold Syrett (1913-1984), President of Brooklyn College
* John Tytell, author
* James Vacca, urban expert
* Robert Ward, composer
* Yevgeny Yevtushenko, Russian poet
* Roby Young, Soccer