# List of Sacramento State people

This is a list of encyclopedic persons (students, alumni, faculty, staff, or academic affiliates) associated with California State University, Sacramento (Sacramento State).

## Alumni
### Arts
#### Television and movies

* Carlos Alazraqui – actor, comedian – Reno 911!
* Jeffrey Boam (B.A. in Art) – screenwriter, producer
* Creed Bratton – actor, The Office
* Antoinette "Butterscotch" Clinton, finalist, America's Got Talent, season 2
* Kurt Caceres – actor
* Joe Carnahan (B.A. in Filmography) – film director, Smokin' Aces, The A-Team
* Ryan Coogler (BS in Business Administration (Finance))– director of 2015 film Creed and Black Panther
* Giselle Fernández (B.A. in Journalism and Government) – former KTLA Morning News anchor
* Joseph Gutheinz (B.A. and M.A. in Criminal Justice) – retired attorney, appears in documentaries Moon for Sale and The Case of the Missing Moon Rocks
* Tom Hanks – Academy Award-winning film actor, director and producer
* Kristine Hanson (B.A. Communications, 1974) – television broadcaster, Playboy Playmate of the Month
* Joanna Hernandez – season one of the Bad Girls Club and winner of season one of For the Love of Ray J
* Lester Holt (B.A. Government) – anchor for flagship broadcast NBC Nightly News, host of Dateline and co-anchor of weekend edition of Today
* Karen Kilgariff – co-host of podcast My Favorite Murder, former head writer of The Ellen DeGeneres Show and The Rosie Show
* Kayden Kross – adult film actress
* Joan Lunden (formerly known as Joanie Blunden) (B.A. Liberal Arts) – television personality, former co-host of Good Morning America
* Bridget Marquardt (B.A. Public Relations, 1998) – girlfriend of Hugh Hefner, featured on E! TV show The Girls Next Door
* Brian Posehn – stand-up comedian
* Rick Rossovich – actor, The Terminator, Top Gun, Roxanne
* Billy Marshall Stoneking (B.A. English, minor Philosophy, 1970) – Australian/American poet, filmmaker, writer, script editor and teacher
* Graham Streeter (BA Japanese and Business Administration) – screenwriter, film director
* Rene Syler (BA Psychology, 1987) – television personality, former host of The Early Show on CBS
* Shauvon Torres – cast member of The Real World, Sydney
* Matt Dearborn - Creator of Even Stevens

#### Musicians

* Chi Cheng – bassist
* Baldwin Chiu – actor, rapper as (Only Won)
* David Hodo (B.A. in Speech, 1969) – member of Village People
* Richard Maloof – musician
* Bobby McFerrin – composer and Grammy Award-winning musician ("Don't Worry, Be Happy")
* Charlie Peacock – singer
* Steve Turre – musician on Saturday Night Live

#### Fine artists

* Fred Uhl Ball (BA and MA Art) – enamelist
* Jack Cassinetto (BA Art and English, 1966) – plein air painter
* Michael Patrick Cronan (BA Fine Arts 1974) – graphic designer and artist
* Xiomara De Oliver (BA 1988) – Canadian Black painter.
* Mel Ramos (BA and MA, 1957) – artist
* Fritz Scholder (BA 1960) – Native American artist
* Wayne Thiebaud – artist and painter

### Politicians and government

* Janice Rogers Brown – Federal Appeals Court judge
* Christopher Cabaldon (Master's Public Policy and Administration 1994)– West Sacramento Mayor
* Edward Chavez – Mayor of Stockton 2005–09
* Lloyd Connelly – Sacramento County Judge
* Ward Connerly (BA Government, 1962) – former University of California regent and political activist
* Mervyn Dymally (MA Government) – Lieutenant Governor of California 1975–79, U.S. Representative 1981–93, Assemblyman 2002–08
* Bill Emmerson – California State Senator
* Noreen Evans – California State Assemblywoman
* Victor H. Fazio – U.S. Congressman 1979–99
* Bradford Fenocchio (BA Criminal Justice) – Placer County District Attorney
* Cathleen Galgiani – California State Assemblywoman
* Wally Herger – U.S. Congressman 1987–2013
* Karen Humphrey (MA Public Policy and Women's Studies) – Mayor of Fresno 1989–93
* Phil Isenberg – Assemblyman 1982–96, Mayor of Sacramento 1975–82
* Grantland Johnson – former California Cabinet official
* Patrick Johnston – former California State Legislator
* Bill Leonard – former State Board of Equalization Member and legislator
* Lloyd Levine – former California State Assemblyman
* Daniel Logue – California State Assemblyman
* Steve March - Oregon State Representative (BA Social Science 1968)
* Kevin McCarthy – alumnus of school's Capital Fellows Program, U.S. Congressman for California's 23rd congressional district
* Kevin McCarty (Master's Public Policy and Administration 2011)- California State Assemblyman
* Cathy Mitchell – former Acting California Secretary of State
* Don Nottoli – Sacramento County Supervisor, 5th district
* George A. Plescia – former California State Assemblyman
* Richard Rainey – former California State Senator
* Robert Rivas - incoming speaker of the California State Assembly
* Jan Scully – Sacramento County District Attorney
* Joe Serna – Mayor of Sacramento 1992–99
* Frank Skartados – New York State Assemblyman, 2009–11 and 2013–18
* Lori Wilson - CA State Assemblymember 2022-present

### International politicians

* Fernando Chui – Chief Executive of Macau
* Rudolf Hommes – Colombian politician and academic
* Mahmoud Vaezi – Chief of Staff of the President of Iran

### Business

* Dale Carlsen – Sleep Train Mattress Centers founder
* Doug Lipp (MA in International Business Communications) – consultant, speaker, author, CEO and president of G. Douglas Lipp & Associates
* Tracey Panek (MA in History) – historian and archivist
* Angelo Tsakopoulos (BA Government, BS Business Administration, Honorary Doctorate in Human Letters) – real estate mogul

### Authors and academics

* Ann Bannon – lesbian pulp fiction author, professor
* JaNay Brown-Wood, children's book author
* Russ Buettner — Pulitzer Prize winning journalist for The New York Times
* Raymond Carver – fiction author, poet, screenwriter
* Richard Ebeling (BA in Economics) – libertarian author, President of Foundation for Economic Education
* John Fund - American political journalist, currently national-affairs reporter for National Review Online
* Chester Gorman – anthropologist
* Marisa Kelly (BA in 1986) - political scientist and President of Suffolk University in Boston, Massachusetts
* Janet Nichols Lynch – writer and professor
* Mary Mackey – fiction author, poet, screenwriter, and professor Emeritus (English)
* Richard J. Maybury – economist and author on topics of international business, law, history, juris naturalism
* Laura Moriarty – poet and novelist
* Alan Reynolds – economist and author
* Tukufu Zuberi – professor and Chairman of Sociology Department, University of Pennsylvania

### Other notables

* Anthony Sadler, assisted in thwarting 2015 French train terror attack.
* Maluseu Doris Tulifau, Samoan American human rights activist

### Athletes
#### Baseball

* Scott Burcham – American-Israeli baseball shortstop in the Colorado Rockies organization
* Rhys Hoskins (born 1993) - first baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies and Milwaukee Brewers
* Ethan Katz (born 1983) - pitching coach for the Chicago White Sox
* Sam Long (born 1995) - baseball pitcher for the San Francisco Giants and Oakland Athletics
* Nathan Lukes (born 1994) - outfielder for the Toronto Blue Jays
* Buck Martinez – 17-year MLB catcher and later an MLB manager
* Alyssa Nakken - the first female coach in Major League Baseball
* James Outman - outfielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers

#### Basketball

* Cody Demps (born 1993) - basketball player for New Taipei CTBC DEA of the T1 League
* Nick Hornsby (born 1995) - basketball player for Eisbären Bremerhaven of the ProA
* Joel Jones (born 1981) – member of the Puerto Rican national basketball team
* Joshua Patton (born 1997) - basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League

#### Football

* Otis Amey – wide receiver for San Francisco 49ers, Atlanta Falcons, Cleveland Gladiators, Austin Wranglers, Sacramento Mountain Lions
* McLeod Bethel-Thompson – quarterback for Minnesota Vikings
* DaRon Bland – NFL cornerback for the Dallas Cowboys; named First-team All-Pro and Pro Bowler in 2023, also led NFL in interceptions in 2023
* DeAndre Carter – NFL wide receiver for the Las Vegas Raiders, previously played for the Philadelphia Eagles, Houston Texans, Chicago Bears, Washington Football Team, and Los Angeles Chargers
* Mike Carter – former NFL wide receiver
* Marko Cavka – offensive lineman for Hamilton Tiger-Cats of Canadian Football League
* Dan Chamberlain – played for Buffalo Bills
* Elijah Dotson – NFL running back for the Los Angeles Chargers
* Jeff Fleming – former Sacramento State player
* Aaron Garcia – former Arena Football League quarterback
* John Gesek – former National Football League offensive lineman
* Tyronne Gross – running back for San Diego Chargers
* Cole Hikutini – tight end for the Michigan Panthers of the United Football League, previously played in the NFL for the San Francisco 49ers
* Jon Kirksey – defensive tackle, New Orleans Saints, St. Louis Rams
* Lorenzo Lynch – former NFL defensive back
* Marte Mapu – NFL linebacker for the New England Patriots, 2022 Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year
* Zack Nash – linebacker for Arizona Cardinals 2012
* Lonie Paxton – lineman for Denver Broncos
* Ricky Ray – quarterback for Toronto Argonauts of Canadian Football League
* Charles Roberts – running back for B.C. Lions of Canadian Football League
* Darnell Sankey – linebacker for the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League, previously played in the NFL for the Indianapolis Colts
* Kato Serwanga – NFL cornerback from 1998–2003
* Wasswa Serwanga – NFL cornerback from 1999–2003
* Daimon Shelton – nine-year NFL fullback
* Taylor Tappin – offensive lineman who played for the Ottawa Redblacks of the Canadian Football League
* Kevin Thomson - quarterback for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League
Softball
* Alyssa Nakken – first female coach in MLB for the San Francisco Giants

#### Soccer

* Joe Enochs (born 1971) – former professional soccer player
* Jamel Mitchell (born 1975) – Major League Soccer player
* Benji Kikanović (born 2000) – Major League Soccer player

#### Sports figures (non-athletes)

* Darren Arbet – coach for San Jose SaberCats of AFL
* Clancy Barone – tight ends coach for Minnesota Vikings, offensive line coach for Denver Broncos
* Pat Doyle – baseball coach
* Brian Katz – Sacramento State men's basketball coach
* Greg Knapp – quarterbacks coach
* Mike Lange – sports broadcaster and member of Hockey Hall of Fame

## Faculty, staff, and other academics
### Current

* J. Luke Wood – University president
* Joseph Palermo – associate professor of history, author
* Mona L. Siegel – professor of history
* Stephanie Brown Trafton – athletics coach, Olympic gold medalist
* Michael G. Vann – professor of history

### Emeritus

* Ann Bannon – Professor of English, Associate Dean in College of Arts and Sciences
* Paul Goldstene – Professor of Government
* Stephen L. Harris – Professor and Chair of Humanities and Religious Studies
* Wes Jackson – Professor of Environmental Sciences
* Frank Kofsky – Professor of History
* Mary Mackey – professor of English and Writer-in-Residence
* Joe Serna, Jr. – Professor of Government
* Miklos Udvardy – Professor of Biological Sciences
* Angus Wright – Professor of Environmental Sciences

### Former

* Maya Angelou – poet, professor
* Bob Barney – Professor of physical education (1969–70)
* Peter Grandbois – Professor of English 2006–2010
* Paul Carter Harrison – Professor of Theatre (1970–1972)
* Enrique Herrscher – Fulbright Professor in Residence of Economics
* R. Joseph Hoffmann – Professor of Humanities and Religious Studies
* Oliver Lee Jackson – Professor in Pan African Studies, 1971 to 2002
* Joanne Marrow – Professor of Psychology of Women and Human Sexuality, 1974 to the 2000s
* Virginia Matzek – Professor in Environmental Studies and Sciences
* Charles Postel – 2008 Bancroft Prize recipient and Frederick Jackson Turner Award recipient, Professor of History

### Adjunct

* Phil Isenberg – Graduate School of Public Policy
* Barry Keene – former State Senator, Professor of Government

### Former administrators

* Alexander Gonzalez - former University president
* W. Lloyd Johns – former University president; president of Gallaudet University
* Jolene Koester – former Professor of Communication Studies followed by Provost; President of California State University, Northridge
* Robert S. Nelsen - former University president