# List of University of Rhode Island people

The following is a partial list of notable University of Rhode Island people. It includes alumni, professors, and others associated with the University of Rhode Island.

## Notable alumni
### Politics and government

* Lincoln Almond (B.Sc. 1959), Governor of Rhode Island from 1995 to 2003
* Sandra Cano (M.P.A. 2012), Member of the Rhode Island Senate from the 8th district
* Peter Courtney (B.A. 1965), 55th President of the Oregon State Senate (2003–present), Member of the Oregon Senate (1991–present)
* Frank Edelblut (B.Sc. 1983), Commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of EducationJorge Elorza
* Jorge Elorza (B.Sc. 1998), 38th Mayor of Providence, Rhode Island
* Charles J. Fogarty (M.P.A. 1980), Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island 1999–2006
* J. Joseph Garrahy (1953), Governor of Rhode Island from 1977 to 1985
* William B. Gould IV (B.A. 1958), Chairman of the National Labor Relations Board 1994–1998
* Edwin R. Pacheco (B.A. 2005), Chairman of Rhode Island Democratic Party 2010–2013
* Donna M. Walsh, Former Rhode Island State Representative
* Robert Weygand (B.Sc., B.F.A., M.A, M.P.A.) Lieutenant Governor of RI 1993–1997, U.S. Representative from RI 1997–2001.
* Alton W. Wiley (1951), First Black judge to on the Rhode Island District and Superior courts
* George Wiley (1953), civil rights leader and chemist

### Arts, broadcast and entertainment

* Masta Ace (1988), rapper
* Stevie Aiello, songwriter and musician
* Kim Alexis, model
* Christiane Amanpour (B.A. 1983), journalist and CNN correspondent
* Mark Atkinson, (B.A.) actor
* Andrew Burnap (B.F.A. 2013), actor
* Steve Cascione (B.A. 1977), television news anchor
* Angelo Cataldi (B.A. 1972), sports radio personality
* Amanda Clayton, actress
* Vladimir Duthiers (B.A. 1991), journalist
* Benjamin Fine (B.Sc. 1928), journalist
* Mat Franco (2010), magician
* Sage Francis (1999), rapper
* Peter Frechette (B.F.A.), actor
* Matt Gallant (B.A. 1987), television host
* John M. Geddes (B.A. 1974), journalist and managing editor of The New York Times from 2003 to 2013
* Leila Goldkuhl, model
* Jose B. Gonzalez (Ph.D. 1998), poet
* Donald M. Grant (1949), publisher
* Ann Hood (B.A. 1978), novelist
* Roberta Mudge Humble (B.A.1968; M.A. 1971), author, speaker, and professor, Rhode Island books and games; inducted into the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame in 2022
* John King (B.A. 1985), television journalist
* Kevin Kelly, magazine editor
* J. Michael Lennon (M.A. 1969, Ph.D. 1975), writer and editor
* Aria Mia Loberti, actress
* Tony Longo, actor
* Theo Martins (2009), singer and rapper
* Freddie Scott, singer
* Michael P. Shawver (born 1984/1985), film editor
* J. T. Walsh, actor

### Sports

* Lou Abbruzzi (1941) – Former NFL player for the Boston Yanks
* Pat Abbruzzi (1955) – Former CFL player for the Montreal Alouettes
* Jimmy Baron – Played in the NBA Summer League for the Utah Jazz and Washington Wizards. He is currently playing basketball for Lagun Aro GBC in Spain's ACB League. He is the all-time three-point shooter in the University of Rhode Island and Atlantic 10 history.
* Tavorris Bell (2001) – Streetball player featured in the AND1 Mixtape Tour Volume 2 video.
* David Bernsley (born 1969) - American-Israeli basketball player
* Parfait Bitee – Former point guard for URI, also played on the Cameroonian men's national basketball team that won the silver medal at the FIBA Africa Championship 2007
* Andy Boss (B.A. 1992) – Former professional racing driver in Indy Lights and IMSA
* Danleigh Borman (2008) – MLS player for Toronto FC
* Geoff Cameron – MLS player for Houston Dynamo, MLS All-Star in 2009 and 2011, member and starter on the 2014 World Cup US Men's National Soccer Team.
* Todd Bozeman – Head Coach, Morgan State University men's basketball
* Ernie Calverley – Former NBA player with the Providence Steamrollers, former URI head coach
* Derek Cassidy – Former Arena Football League player
* Jim Christian – Former head coach of Boston College men's basketball
* Steve Chubin – Former NBA player for the Indiana Pacers
* Sean Colson – Former NBA player for the Atlanta Hawks and the Houston Rockets
* Tony DeLuca – Former NFL player for the Green Bay Packers
* Shelagh Donohoe – Olympic athlete, current Women's rowing head coach.
* Mike Dwyer – Former NFL player for the Dallas Cowboys
* Johnny Ezersky – Former NBA player for the Providence Steamrollers, the Baltimore Bullets, and the Boston Celtics
* Frank Ferrara – Former NFL defensive end for New York Giants and Hollywood stunt man
* Jason Foster – Former NFL player
* Steve Furness – Former NFL player for Pittsburgh Steelers and the Detroit Lions
* Tom Garrick – Former NBA player for the San Antonio Spurs, and Los Angeles Clippers
* Sasha Gotsmanov – MLS player for the Colorado Rapids
* Virgil Gray – Arena Football League player
* Andy Gresh – Sports analyst, Fox Sports, WSKO, ESPN Radio, Patriots Rock Radio Network
* P. H. Horgan III – PGA Tour golfer
* Chester Jaworski – Basketball player, led the nation in scoring in his senior season, also won national player of the year award in his senior season.
* Frank Keaney – Former URI men's basketball coach, inventor of URI's team color Keaney Blue, and Basketball Hall of Fame member.
* Cuttino Mobley – Former NBA player for the Los Angeles Clippers, Houston Rockets, Sacramento Kings, and the New York Knicks
* Rick Moser – Former NFL player
* Xavier Munford (born 1992) - basketball player for Hapoel Tel Aviv of the Israeli Basketball Premier League
* Pat Narduzzi – Head football coach for the University of Pittsburgh Panthers
* Lamar OdomLamar Odom (1997–98) – 2 time NBA Champion for the Los Angeles Lakers and recipient of the 6th Man of the Year Award. Drafted by the Los Angeles Clippers
* Josh Oppenheimer – Israeli-American professional basketball coach, and former professional basketball player
* Tom Penders – Former college basketball coach
* Stephen Peterson – Rower on the 1996 U.S. Olympic team and Gold Medal winner at the 1990 World Rowing Championships
* Dana Quigley – PGA Tour golfer
* Dawan Robinson – NBA player (point guard) for the Los Angeles Clippers
* Ron Rothstein – Former coach in the NBA for the Miami Heat and the Detroit Pistons, first coach of the Miami Heat
* Kahiem Seawright – Former forward for URI, currently playing professional basketball for Valladolid in Spain's ACB League
* Bob Shea – Former NBA player for the Providence Steamrollers
* Dave Stenhouse, Former Major League Baseball pitcher with the Washington Senators from 1962 to 1964 and coach of the Brown University baseball team from 1981 to 1990.
* Stanley Stutz – Former NBA player for the New York Knicks
* Jared Terrell (born 1995) - basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
* Tyson Wheeler – Former NBA player for the Toronto Raptors
* Bob White – Former NFL player
* Andy Williams – MLS player for Real Salt Lake, formerly for Columbus Crew
* Jeff Williams – Former NFL player
* Sly Williams – Former NBA player for New York Knicks, Atlanta Hawks, and Boston Celtics

### Business

* Robert Crandall (1960), former president and chairman of the board, American Airlines
* Michael D. Fascitelli, former president and current Trustee of Vornado Realty Trust
* Giovanni Feroce (1991), former CEO of Alex and Ani
* John Gomes, luxury real estate broker
* Sean Ludwick, real estate developer convicted of vehicular homicide
* Tony Horton (1980), fitness guru and developer of P90X
* Nancy McKinstry (1980), chairman and CEO of Wolters Kluwer
* Olivier Pastré, French economist and banker
* Thomas Ryan (1975), former CEO of CVS Corporation

### Science and academia

* Daniel G. Aldrich (1939), founding chancellor of University of California, Irvine
* Kimberly Arcand (1997), data visualizer and science communicator
* Robert Ballard (PhD 1975, Hon. 1986), oceanographer, discoverer of the RMS Titanic, Professor and Director of URI's Center for Ocean Exploration, part of URI's Graduate School of Oceanography.
* Martha Banks (M.A. 1978, PhD 1980), clinical psychologist
* Roxanne Johnson (M.S. 1997), chemist working at the United States Environmental Protection Agency
* James W. Carey (B.Sc.), media theorist
* Elizabeth A. Craig, professor and chair of biochemistry at University of Wisconsin–Madison and member of the National Academy of Sciences
* Leon Stanislaw Jablecki, (B.Sc. 1938), rocket scientist
* Deneb Karentz, (B.Sc. 1973, PhD 1982), professor and chair of biological sciences at University of San Francisco
* Cornelius M. Kerwin, (M.A. 1973), President of American University (2007–2017)
* Frederick G. Keyes, (B.Sc. 1906), Professor and Lecturer in Physics and Chemistry at MIT
* Jay Maddock, (Ph.D. 1999), Regents Professor at Texas A&M University
* George H. M. Lawrence, (B.Sc. MSc, 1952) was a United States botanist, author and Professor of Botany. Established the Hunt Botanical Library and the Huntia (journal)
* E. Paul Larrat (B.Sc. 1982, MBA 1984, M.S. 1988), pharmacist, epidemiologist, researcher, and dean and professor, URI College of Pharmacy
* Herbert Lovett, (P.h.D) was an American psychologist
* Catalina Martinez, (B.Sc. 1996, MSc. 1999, M.M.A. 2001, M.B.A. 2014), Regional Program Manager for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Office of Ocean Exploration and Research.
* Janice Merrill-Oldham (M.L.S. 1984), Malloy-Rabinowitz Preservation Librarian at the Harvard Library (1995–2010)
* Robert B. Rheault, Jr., (Ph.D. 1996), marine biologist and aquaculture consultant
* Stuart Vyse, (PhD 1987), psychologist, teacher, speaker and author who specializes in belief in superstitions and critical thinking.
* Sandra Thornton Whitehouse, (Ph.D. 1994), marine biologist and wife of Senator Sheldon Whitehouse

### Military

* Admiral Jeremy M. "Mike" Boorda (B.A. 1971), 25th Chief of Naval Operations
* General Charles A. Flynn (B.Sc. 1985)
* Michael FlynnLieutenant General Michael T. Flynn (B.Sc. 1981), Director, Defense Intelligence Agency (former), National Security Advisor for President Donald Trump (former).
* General Leon J. LaPorte, United States Army four-star general
* Rear Admiral Francis D. "Bill" Moran, third director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps
* Rear Admiral Sigmund R. Petersen, fourth director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps

## Faculty

* Judith A. Boss, writer
* James Cooley, mathematician
* Fritz Eichenberg, illustrator
* Arthur L. Hardge, administrator
* Peniel E. Joseph, historian
* Robert Leuci, former detective with the New York City Police Department
* Margaret MeadMargaret Mead, Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Anthropology
* Igor Sikorsky, aviation pioneer
* Bruce Sundlun, 71st Governor of Rhode Island
* William Wallace Wotherspoon, Chief of Staff of the United States Army
* Gaurav Khanna (physicist), black hole physicist and supercomputing pioneer