100 Notable alumni of
Syracuse University
Updated:
Syracuse University is 57th in the world, 29th in North America, and 28th in the United States by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 100 notable alumni from Syracuse University sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff.
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Joe Biden
- Enrolled in Syracuse University
- 1965-1968 graduated with Juris Doctor in law
- Occupations
- juristlawyerwriteruniversity teacherpolitician
- Biography
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Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party, he represented Delaware in the United States Senate from 1973 to 2009 and also served as the 47th vice president under President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2017.
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Shaquille O'Neal
- Occupations
- sports commentatortelevision producerpodcasterrapperreal estate entrepreneur
- Biography
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Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal, commonly known as Shaq, is an American former professional basketball player and sports analyst on the television program Inside the NBA. He is a 7-foot-1-inch (2.16 m) and 325-pound (147 kg) center who played for six teams over his 19-year career in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and is a four-time NBA champion. O'Neal is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players and centers of all time.
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Vera Farmiga
- Occupations
- television actorstage actoractorfilm actor
- Biography
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Vera Ann Farmiga is an American actress and singer. She began her professional acting career on stage in the original Broadway production of Taking Sides (1996). After expanding to television and film, her breakthrough came with her starring role as a drug addict in the drama Down to the Bone (2004). She then had roles in the political thriller The Manchurian Candidate (2004), the crime drama The Departed (2006), and the historical drama The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (2008). She was also established as a scream queen for her performances in the horror films Joshua (2007) and Orphan (2009).
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Billy Joel
- Occupations
- composersinger-songwriterpianistsinger
- Biography
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William Martin Joel is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Nicknamed the "Piano Man" after his signature 1973 song of the same name, Joel has had a successful career as a solo artist since the 1970s. From 1971 to 1993, he released 12 studio albums spanning the genres of pop and rock, and in 2001 released a one-off studio album of classical compositions. With over 160 million records sold worldwide, Joel is one of the world's best-selling music artists and is the fourth-best-selling solo artist in the United States. His 1985 compilation album, Greatest Hits – Volume I & Volume II, is one of the best-selling albums in the U.S.
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Carmelo Anthony
- Enrolled in Syracuse University
- Graduated with bachelor's degree
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Carmelo Kyam Anthony is an American former professional basketball player. Anthony played 19 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and is a ten-time NBA All-Star and six-time All-NBA Team member. He played college basketball for the Syracuse Orange, winning a national championship as a freshman in 2003 while being named the NCAA Tournament's Most Outstanding Player. In 2021, he was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team, and is regarded as one of the greatest scorers in NBA history. He was inducted twice into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2025, as an individual player and also as a member of the 2008 U.S. Olympic team.
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Peter Falk
- Occupations
- autobiographerfilm produceractorfilm actorscreenwriter
- Biography
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Peter Michael Falk was an American actor. He is best known for his role as Lieutenant Columbo on the NBC/ABC series Columbo (1968–1978, 1989–2003), for which he won four Primetime Emmy Awards (1972, 1975, 1976, 1990) and a Golden Globe Award (1973). In 1996, TV Guide ranked Falk No. 21 on its 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time list. He received a posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2013.
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Megyn Kelly
- Enrolled in Syracuse University
- Graduated with undergraduate degree in political science
- Occupations
- talk show hostnews presenterpolitical punditjournalist
- Biography
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Megyn Marie Kelly is an American journalist, attorney, political commentator, and media personality. She hosts The Megyn Kelly Show, a talk show and podcast that airs daily on SiriusXM's Triumph channel and has over 4 million subscribers on YouTube. Kelly previously worked at Fox News from 2004 to 2017, where she hosted programs including America Live and The Kelly File, and at NBC News from 2017 to 2018, where she anchored Megyn Kelly Today. In 2025, she launched MK Media, a podcast and video network featuring commentary and news programs from independent creators. She was named one of Time's 100 most influential people of 2014 and 2025.
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Jerry Stiller
- Enrolled in Syracuse University
- In 1950 graduated with bachelor's degree in language and dramatic theatre
- Occupations
- television actoractorvoice actorfilm producercomedian
- Biography
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Gerald Isaac Stiller was an American comedian and actor. He spent many years as part of the comedy duo Stiller and Meara with his wife, Anne Meara, to whom he was married for over 60 years until her death in 2015. Stiller saw a late-career resurgence starting in 1993, playing Frank Costanza on the sitcom Seinfeld, a part which earned him an Emmy nomination. In 1998, Stiller began his role as Arthur Spooner on the CBS comedy series The King of Queens, another role that garnered widespread acclaim.
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Lou Reed
- Enrolled in Syracuse University
- Studied in 1960-2013
- Occupations
- guitaristsongwriterfilm directoractorsinger
- Biography
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Lewis Allan Reed was an American musician and songwriter. He was the guitarist, singer, and principal songwriter for the rock band the Velvet Underground and had a solo career that spanned five decades. Although not commercially successful during its existence, the Velvet Underground came to be regarded as one of the most influential bands in the history of underground and alternative rock music. Reed's distinctive deadpan voice, poetic and transgressive lyrics, and experimental guitar playing were trademarks throughout his long career.
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Vanessa Williams
- Occupations
- film actorlyricistsongwritervoice actorstage actor
- Biography
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Vanessa Lynn Williams is an American singer, actress, model, producer and dancer. She gained recognition as the first black woman to win the Miss America title when she was crowned Miss America 1984. She would later resign her title amid a media controversy surrounding nude photographs published in Penthouse magazine. 32 years later, Williams was offered a public apology during the Miss America 2016 pageant for the events.
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Neal McDonough
- Occupations
- actortelevision actorcharacter actorscreenwriterfilm actor
- Biography
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Neal McDonough is an American actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Lieutenant Lynn "Buck" Compton in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers (2001), Fletcher in Minority Report (2002), Tin Man in the Sci-Fi Channel miniseries Tin Man (2007), Timothy "Dum Dum" Dugan in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), and Damien Darhk in The CW series Arrow (2015–2016) and various series in the DC Arrowverse (2015–2022).
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Taye Diggs
- Occupations
- television actorstage actoractorfilm actor
- Biography
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Scott Leo "Taye" Diggs is an American actor and singer. He is known for his roles in the Broadway musicals Rent and Hedwig and the Angry Inch, the TV series Private Practice (2007–2013), Murder in the First (2014–2016), and All American (2018–2023), and the films How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998), Brown Sugar, Chicago (both 2002), Malibu's Most Wanted (2003), Dylan Dog: Dead of Night (2011), and The Best Man (1999) and its sequel, The Best Man Holiday (2013).
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Jim Brown
- Enrolled in Syracuse University
- Graduated with bachelor's degree
- Occupations
- television directorlacrosse playeractortelevision actorAmerican football player
- Biography
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James Nathaniel Brown was an American professional football player, civil rights activist, and actor. He played as a fullback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL) from 1957 to 1965. Widely considered one of the greatest running backs of all time, as well as one of the greatest players in NFL history, Brown was selected to a Pro Bowl and All-Pro team every season he was in the league, and was recognized as the AP NFL Most Valuable Player three times. Brown won an NFL championship with the Browns in 1964. He led the league in rushing yards in eight out of his nine seasons, and by the time he retired, he held most major rushing records. In 1999, he was named the greatest professional football player ever by The Sporting News and the Associated Press.
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Aaron Sorkin
- Enrolled in Syracuse University
- 1979-1983 graduated with Bachelor of Fine Arts in music theatre
- Occupations
- film directorwriterplaywrightfilm produceractor
- Biography
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Aaron Benjamin Sorkin is an American screenwriter, playwright, and filmmaker. As a writer for stage, television, and film, he is recognized for his trademark fast-paced dialogue and extended monologues, complemented by frequent use of the storytelling technique called the "walk and talk". Sorkin has earned numerous accolades including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, five Primetime Emmy Awards, three Golden Globes, and two WGA Awards, in addition to a Laurence Olivier Award nomination.
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Kate Siegel
- Occupations
- film screenwriterfilm actorfilm directortelevision actoractor
- Biography
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Kate Gordon Siegelbaum, known professionally as Kate Siegel, is an American actress and writer. Dubbed a scream queen for her extensive work in the horror genre, Siegel is known for her collaborations with her husband, Mike Flanagan. She has starred in the films Oculus (2013); Hush, which she co-wrote, and Ouija: Origin of Evil (both 2016); Gerald's Game (2017); The Life of Chuck (2024). On television, she has starred in the series The Haunting of Hill House (2018), The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020), Midnight Mass (2021), and The Fall of the House of Usher (2023).
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Frank Langella
- Occupations
- stage actortelevision actorvoice actoractorfilm actor
- Biography
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Frank Alexander Langella Jr. is an American actor. He has received numerous accolades, including four Tony Awards and a Screen Actors Guild Award, in addition to nominations for an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two Golden Globes.
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Neilia Hunter
- Occupations
- teacher
- Biography
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Neilia Hunter Biden was an American teacher and the first wife of Joe Biden, who later became the 46th president of the United States. She died in a car crash with their one-year-old daughter, Naomi; their two sons, Beau and Hunter, were injured but survived the incident. Her death occurred six weeks after her husband's election to the U.S. Senate.
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Peter Weller
- Occupations
- teacherfilm actorfilm directortelevision actoractor
- Biography
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Peter Francis Weller is an American actor and television director. He has appeared in more than 70 films and television series, including RoboCop (1987) and its sequel RoboCop 2 (1990), in which he played the titular character; The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984); and Star Trek Into Darkness (2013). He appeared in such films as Woody Allen's Mighty Aphrodite (1995), the Oliver Stone-produced The New Age (1994), and David Cronenberg's adaptation of William Burroughs's novel Naked Lunch (1991).
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Suzanne Pleshette
- Occupations
- actor
- Biography
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Suzanne Pleshette was an American actress known for her roles in theatre, film, and television. She was nominated for three Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards. For her role as Emily Hartley on the CBS sitcom The Bob Newhart Show (1972–1978), she received two nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.
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John C. McGinley
- Occupations
- stage actoractorvoice actorfilm producerfilm actor
- Biography
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John Christopher McGinley is an American actor. He played Perry Cox in Scrubs, Bob Slydell in Office Space, Captain Hendrix in The Rock, Sergeant Red O'Neill in Oliver Stone's Platoon, Marv in Stone's Wall Street, FBI agent Ben Harp in Point Break, and the serial killer Edgler Foreman Vess in the TV miniseries of Intensity.
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Riki Lindhome
- Occupations
- guitaristfilm actorpodcastercomedianfilm director
- Biography
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Erika "Riki" Lindhome is an American actress, comedian and musician. She is best known as a singer and songwriter for the comedy folk duo Garfunkel and Oates with Kate Micucci.
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Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
- Enrolled in Syracuse University
- 1984-1985 graduated with Master of Science in social science
- Occupations
- philanthropistentrepreneurinvestor
- Biography
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Prince Al Waleed bin Talal Al Saud is a Saudi Arabian billionaire businessman, investor, and a House of Saud royal. In 2008, he was listed on Time magazine's Time 100, an annual list of the hundred most influential people in the world. Al Waleed is a grandson of Abdulaziz, the first king of Saudi Arabia, and of Riad Al Solh, Lebanon's first prime minister.
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Kathy Hochul
- Enrolled in Syracuse University
- 1976-1980 graduated with Bachelor of Arts in political science
- Occupations
- lawyerpolitician
- Biography
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Kathleen Courtney Hochul is an American politician and lawyer who has served since 2021 as the 57th governor of New York. A member of the Democratic Party, she is New York's first female governor.
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Nick Cassavetes
- Occupations
- television actorfilm directordirectoractorwriter
- Biography
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Nicholas David Rowland Cassavetes is an American actor, director, and writer. He has directed such films as She's So Lovely (1997), John Q. (2002), The Notebook (2004), Alpha Dog (2006), and My Sister's Keeper (2009). His acting credits include an uncredited role in Husbands (1970)—which was directed by his father, John Cassavetes—as well as roles in the films The Wraith (1986), Face/Off (1997), and Blow (2001).
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Kevin Michael Richardson
- Occupations
- actor
- Biography
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Kevin Michael Richardson is an American actor. Known for his distinctively deep voice, he has mostly voiced villainous characters in animation and video games. In film, Richardson voiced Goro in Mortal Kombat (1995) and Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion's Revenge (2020), Captain Gantu in the Lilo & Stitch franchise, and Deus Ex Machina in The Matrix Revolutions (2003). He has also voiced characters on Seth MacFarlane's shows Family Guy, The Cleveland Show, and American Dad!, as well as several characters on Matt Groening's shows The Simpsons and Futurama.
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Sam Lloyd
- Occupations
- television actorsingeractorfilm actor
- Biography
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Sam Lloyd was an American actor and singer who played lawyer Ted Buckland on the comedy-drama series Scrubs and the sitcom Cougar Town.
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Tom Everett Scott
- Occupations
- stage actortelevision actorvoice actoractorfilm actor
- Biography
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Thomas Everett Scott is an American actor. His film work includes a starring role as drummer Guy Patterson in the film That Thing You Do!, the protagonist in An American Werewolf in Paris, and notable roles in Boiler Room, One True Thing, Dead Man on Campus, The Love Letter, Because I Said So, Danger One, La La Land, and Clouds.
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Jim Hutton
- Occupations
- film actoractortelevision actor
- Biography
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Dana Scott James Hutton was an American actor in film and television best remembered for his role as Ellery Queen in the 1970s TV series of the same name, and his screen partnership with Paula Prentiss in four films, starting with Where the Boys Are. He was the father of actor Timothy Hutton.
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Joanna Cassidy
- Occupations
- modeltelevision actorvoice actoractorfilm actor
- Biography
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Joanna Cassidy is an American actress and former model. She began working as a model in the 1960s and made her professional acting debut in 1973, appearing in the thriller films The Laughing Policeman and The Outfit. She later starred in the films Bank Shot (1974) and The Late Show (1977), the short-lived television series The Roller Girls (1978), and 240-Robert (1979). In 1982, she played replicant Zhora Salome in the science-fiction film Blade Runner.
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Ina Garten
- Occupations
- columnistchefwriter
- Biography
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Ina Rosenberg Garten is an American television cook and author. She is host of the Food Network program Barefoot Contessa and was a former staff member of the Office of Management and Budget. Among her dishes are Perfect Roast Chicken, Weeknight Bolognese, French Apple Tart, and a simplified version of beef bourguignon. Her culinary career began with her gourmet food store, Barefoot Contessa; Garten then expanded her activities to many best-selling cookbooks, magazine columns, and a popular Food Network television show.
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Chandler Jones
- Enrolled in Syracuse University
- 2008-2011 graduated with bachelor's degree
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
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Chandler James Jones is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Syracuse Orange and was selected by the New England Patriots in the first round of the 2012 NFL draft. He also played for the Arizona Cardinals and the Las Vegas Raiders.
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Dick Clark
- Occupations
- game show hostactortelevision personalitytelevision producerfilm producer
- Biography
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Richard Wagstaff Clark was an American television and radio personality and television producer who hosted American Bandstand from 1956 to 1989. He also hosted five incarnations of the Pyramid game show from 1973 to 1988 and Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve, which broadcast New Year's Eve celebrations in New York City's Times Square.
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Ernie Davis
- Occupations
- basketball playerAmerican football player
- Biography
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Ernest R. Davis was an American college football player who was a halfback for the Syracuse Orangemen and won the Heisman Trophy in 1961. He was the award's first black recipient. Davis was selected first overall by the Washington Redskins in the 1962 NFL draft but was almost immediately traded to the Cleveland Browns. He was diagnosed with leukemia that same year, and died shortly after at age 23 without ever playing in a professional game. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1979 and was the subject of the 2008 film The Express: The Ernie Davis Story.
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Clairo
- Occupations
- singer
- Biography
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Claire Elizabeth Cottrill, known professionally as Clairo, is an American singer-songwriter.
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Joyce Carol Oates
- Enrolled in Syracuse University
- In 1960 studied English studies
- Occupations
- diaristprofessorwriteressayistautobiographer
- Biography
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Joyce Carol Oates is an American writer. Oates published her first book in 1963, and has since published 58 novels, a number of plays and novellas, and many volumes of short stories, poetry, and nonfiction. Her novels Black Water (1992), What I Lived For (1994), and Blonde (2000), and her short story collection Lovely, Dark, Deep: Stories (2014) were each finalists for the Pulitzer Prize. She has won many awards for her writing, including the National Book Award for her novel Them (1969), two O. Henry Awards, the National Humanities Medal, and the Jerusalem Prize (2019).
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Mike Rotunda
- Occupations
- amateur wrestlerAmerican football playerprofessional wrestler
- Biography
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Lawrence Michael "Mike" Rotunda Jr. is an American retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling in the 1980s and 1990s under the ring names Mike Rotunda, Mike Rotundo, Michael Wallstreet, Irwin R. Schyster, and V.K. Wallstreet.
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Donovan McNabb
- Occupations
- basketball playerAmerican football player
- Biography
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Donovan Jamal McNabb is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, primarily with the Philadelphia Eagles. He played college football for the Syracuse Orange, receiving four first-team All-Big East honors. McNabb was selected second overall in the 1999 NFL draft by the Eagles, where he spent 11 seasons. He also spent a year each with the Washington Redskins and Minnesota Vikings.
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Jennifer Meyer
- Occupations
- designer
- Biography
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Jennifer Meyer is an American jewelry designer.
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Sultan bin Salman Al Saud
- Occupations
- astronautpolitician
- Biography
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Sultan bin Salman Al Saud is a Saudi prince and former Royal Saudi Air Force pilot who flew aboard the American STS-51-G Space Shuttle mission as a payload specialist. He is the first member of a royal family to fly in space, the first Arab and the first Muslim to fly in space, as well as (at 28 years old) the youngest person ever to fly on a space shuttle. On 27 December 2018, he was appointed as chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Space Commission with the rank of minister. He is the eldest surviving son of King Salman and one of the grandsons of Saudi's founder King Abdulaziz.
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Marvin Harrison
- Occupations
- bar managerAmerican football player
- Biography
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Marvin Darnell Harrison Sr. is an American former professional football wide receiver who played his entire 13-year career for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Syracuse Orange and was selected by the Colts in the first round of the 1996 NFL draft.
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William Smith
- Occupations
- film producerfilm actormodeltelevision actoractor
- Biography
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William Emmett Smith Jr. was an American actor and stunt performer. His career spanned nearly 80 years across film and television, often in imposing or villainous character roles.
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Reid Scott
- Occupations
- actortelevision actorvoice actor
- Biography
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Reid Scott Weiner is an American actor. He is best known for his starring roles as Brendan "Brando" Dorff in the TBS comedy series My Boys (2006–2010), Dan Egan in the HBO comedy series Veep (2012–2019), Gordon Ford in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2022–2023), and NYPD Detective Vincent Riley on Law & Order (2024–present). He also appeared in the romantic comedy film Home Again (2017), the superhero film Venom (2018), and the comedy-drama film Late Night (2019).
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Bob Costas
- Occupations
- sports commentatorsports journalistjournalistactorradio personality
- Biography
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Robert Quinlan Costas is an American sportscaster for MLB Network and NBC Sports. He is well known for his time with NBC Sports, which he worked for from 1980 through 2019, and since 2026. He has received 29 Emmy awards for his work and was the prime-time host of 12 Olympic Games from 1988 until 2016. He is also currently employed by Warner Bros. Discovery, where he does political commentary for CNN.
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Jay Harrington
- Occupations
- stage actortelevision directortelevision actoractorfilm actor
- Biography
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James H. Harrington III, professionally known as Jay Harrington, is an American actor and director. He is known for his role as the title character in the ABC sitcom Better Off Ted (2009–2010), and as Sgt. David "Deacon" Kay in S.W.A.T. from 2017 to 2025.
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Cheryl Strayed
- Occupations
- writeressayistwomen's rights activistnovelistblogger
- Biography
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Cheryl Strayed is an American writer and podcast host. She has written four books: the novel Torch (2006) and the nonfiction books Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail (2012), Tiny Beautiful Things (2012) and Brave Enough (2015). Wild, the story of Strayed's 1995 hike up the Pacific Crest Trail, is an international bestseller and was adapted into the 2014 Academy Award-nominated film Wild.
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Michael Carter Williams
- Enrolled in Syracuse University
- Graduated with bachelor's degree
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Michael Carter-Williams is an American former professional basketball player. He was drafted in the first round with the 11th overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers, after playing college basketball for the Syracuse Orange. He was named NBA Rookie of the Year in 2014, and he has also played for the Milwaukee Bucks, Chicago Bulls, Charlotte Hornets, Houston Rockets, and Orlando Magic.
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Heather Dubrow
- Occupations
- film actoractortelevision actor
- Biography
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Heather Paige Dubrow is an American actress and television personality. She is best known as a cast member of the Bravo reality television series The Real Housewives of Orange County, starring in nine seasons since her introduction in 2012. Her acting credits include her portrayal of Lydia DeLucca on the CBS television series That's Life from 2000 through 2002.
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Jim Boeheim
- Occupations
- basketball playerbasketball coach
- Biography
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James Arthur Boeheim Jr. is an American former college basketball coach and current Special Assistant to the Athletic Director at Syracuse University. From 1976 until 2023, he was the head coach of the Syracuse Orange men's team of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Boeheim guided the Orange to ten Big East Conference regular season championships, five Big East tournament championships, and 34 NCAA tournament appearances, including five Final Four appearances and three appearances in the national title game. In those games, the Orangemen lost to Indiana in 1987, and to Kentucky in 1996, before defeating Kansas in 2003 with All-American Carmelo Anthony.
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Marv Albert
- Occupations
- sports commentator
- Biography
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Marv Albert is an American former sportscaster. Honored for his work by the Basketball Hall of Fame, he was commonly referred to as "the voice of basketball". From 1967 to 2004, he was also known as "the voice of the New York Knicks". Albert was best known nationally for his work as the lead announcer for both the NBA on NBC and NBA games on TNT. In 2015, he was inducted into the Broadcasting Hall of Fame.
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Arthur Jones
- Enrolled in Syracuse University
- 2005-2009 graduated with bachelor's degree
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
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Arthur Willis Jones III was an American professional football player who was a defensive end for eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Syracuse Orange. He was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the fifth round of the 2010 NFL draft and won Super Bowl XLVII with them. Jones also played for the Indianapolis Colts and Washington Redskins. He was also the older brother of former UFC light heavyweight and heavyweight champion Jon Jones and defensive end Chandler Jones.
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Tommy DeVito
- Enrolled in Syracuse University
- Studied in 2017-2020
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
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Thomas DeVito is an American professional football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He played five seasons of college football for the Syracuse Orange and one with the Illinois Fighting Illini before signing with the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2023.
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Jerami Grant
- Enrolled in Syracuse University
- Graduated with bachelor's degree
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Houston Jerami Grant is an American professional basketball player for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Syracuse Orange and was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round of the 2014 NBA draft. Grant has also played for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets, and Detroit Pistons. He won a gold medal with the 2020 U.S. Olympic team.
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Dion Waiters
- Enrolled in Syracuse University
- Graduated with bachelor's degree
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Dion Waiters Jr. is an American former professional basketball player who played 8 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 2012 to 2020. He played college basketball for the Syracuse Orange and was selected with the fourth overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers. Waiters also played for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Miami Heat, and the Los Angeles Lakers, where his team won an NBA championship.
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Tom Coughlin
- Occupations
- head coachAmerican football playerAmerican football coach
- Biography
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Thomas Richard Coughlin is an American former football coach and executive of the National Football League (NFL). He was the head coach for the New York Giants from 2004 to 2015. He led the Giants to victory in Super Bowl XLII and Super Bowl XLVI, both times against the New England Patriots. Coughlin was also the inaugural head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars, serving from 1995 to 2002 and leading the team to two AFC Championship Game appearances. Prior to his head coaching career in the NFL, he was head coach of the Boston College Eagles football team from 1991 to 1993, and served in a variety of coaching positions in the NFL as well as coaching and administrative positions in college football.
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Larry Hankin
- Occupations
- actortelevision actorscreenwriterfilm actorfilm director
- Biography
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Lawrence Alan Hankin is an American character actor. He has had major film roles as Charley Butts in Escape from Alcatraz (1979), Ace in Running Scared (1986), and Carl Alphonse in Billy Madison (1995). He had smaller roles as Doobby in Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987), Sergeant Larry Balzak in Home Alone (1990), Mr. Heckles in Friends, and Joe in Breaking Bad and El Camino.
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Om Raut
- Occupations
- film directorscreenwriter
- Biography
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Om Raut is an Indian film director, writer, former child actor and producer. He has received the 68th National Film Awards for Best Popular Film for the film Tanhaji. He received Maharashtra State Awards for his 2015 film Lokmanya: Ek Yug Purush.
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Mike Tirico
- Occupations
- sports commentator
- Biography
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Michael Todd Tirico is an American sportscaster. He is currently the lead play-by-play announcer for NBC Sunday Night Football, having replaced Al Michaels in 2022, and became the lead play-by-play announcer for NBC's NBA coverage in 2025. Tirico is also the primary primetime host for the Olympics on NBC and the host of Triple Crown races on NBC.
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Kathrine Switzer
- Occupations
- athletics competitormarathon runnernon-fiction writerjournalistactor
- Biography
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Kathrine Virginia Switzer is an American marathon runner, author, and television commentator.
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Debra Wilson
- Occupations
- screenwriterstage actortelevision actorvoice actorfilm actor
- Biography
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Debra Wilson is an American actress, puppeteer, and comedian. She is the longest-serving original cast member on the sketch comedy series Mad TV, having appeared on the show's first eight seasons from 1995 to 2003. As a voice actress, she has voiced various characters on television shows and video games, including Mao Mao: Heroes of Pure Heart, Baby Shark's Big Show!, Spitting Image, Mirror's Edge Catalyst, Wolfenstein, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, Halo Infinite, Diablo IV, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Destiny 2, as well as Death Stranding 2: On the Beach.
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Edie McClurg
- Occupations
- singerstage actortelevision actorvoice actorfilm actor
- Biography
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Edie McClurg is an American retired actress and comedian. She has played supporting roles in the films Carrie (1976), Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986), and Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988), and bit parts in Cheech and Chong's Next Movie (1980), Mr. Mom (1983) Back to School (1986), Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987), A River Runs Through It (1992), Natural Born Killers (1994), Flubber (1997), and Air Bud: Spikes Back (2003).
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Priscilla Chan
- Occupations
- recording artistsinger
- Biography
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Priscilla Chan Wai Han is a Hong Kong singer. She is renowned for her contralto singing voice and her maturely clear, technically skilled, and emotion-rich vocals.
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Rakeem Christmas
- Enrolled in Syracuse University
- Graduated with bachelor's degree
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Rakeem Haleek Christmas is an American professional basketball player for the Amartha Hangtuah of the Indonesian Basketball League (IBL). He played college basketball for the Syracuse Orange for four seasons before being drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the 36th overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft.
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Michael Cole
- Enrolled in Syracuse University
- In 1988 graduated with Bachelor of Arts in broadcast journalism
- Occupations
- sports commentatorprofessional wrestlerjournalist
- Biography
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Sean Michael Coulthard, better known by his ring name Michael Cole, is an American professional wrestling commentator and journalist. Since 1997, he has been signed to WWE, where he serves as the play-by-play commentator for the Raw brand, and was the vice president of announcing between 2020 and 2024.
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Ignacio Serricchio
- Occupations
- film actoractortelevision actor
- Biography
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Ignacio Ariel Serricchio is an Argentine actor. He is known for his role as Diego Alcazar on General Hospital and as Alejandro "Alex" Chavez on The Young and the Restless. Other roles include Lifetime's Witches of East End, seasons 9-12 of Bones, and the Netflix reboot of Lost in Space.
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George Saunders
- Occupations
- university teacherjournalistgeophysicistfantasy authorwriter
- Biography
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George Saunders is an American writer. He is best known for his short stories and his novel Lincoln in the Bardo (2017), which won the Booker Prize. Saunders' short stories have been published as several collections, including CivilWarLand in Bad Decline (1996) and Tenth of December: Stories (2013).
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Larry Csonka
- Enrolled in Syracuse University
- Graduated with bachelor's degree
- Occupations
- television actormotivational speakerAmerican football player
- Biography
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Larry Richard Csonka is an American former professional football player who was a fullback in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Miami Dolphins. He also played in the NFL for three years with the New York Giants, and had a short stint with the Memphis Southmen in the World Football League (WFL). Nicknamed "Zonk", Csonka is widely regarded as one of the greatest running backs of all time. Csonka is mostly remembered for his success during his tenure with the Dolphins, which included being a member of their 17–0 perfect season in 1972, and winning Super Bowl championships in 1972 and 1973, the latter of which he was named Super Bowl Most Valuable Player (MVP) when he ran for a then-record 145 yards. He was also a commentator for the original run of American Gladiators.
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Ted Koppel
- Enrolled in Syracuse University
- 1957-1958 graduated with Bachelor of Science
- Occupations
- writernews presenterjournalistassociation football player
- Biography
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Edward James Martin Koppel is an American broadcast journalist, best known as the anchor for Nightline, from the program's inception in 1980 until 2005.
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Alice Sebold
- Enrolled in Syracuse University
- Graduated with bachelor's degree
- Occupations
- writernovelist
- Biography
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Alice Sebold is an American author. She is known for her novels The Lovely Bones and The Almost Moon, and a memoir, Lucky. The Lovely Bones was on The New York Times Best Seller list and was adapted into a film by the same name in 2009.
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Lisa Lampanelli
- Occupations
- television actorstand-up comedianactorfilm actor
- Biography
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Lisa Lampanelli is an American former stand-up comedian, actress, and insult comic.
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Brian Stepanek
- Occupations
- stage actortelevision actorvoice actoractorfilm actor
- Biography
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Brian Patrick Stepanek is an American actor known for his role as Arwin Hochhauser on the Disney Channel original series The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and Brian on Brian O'Brian. He was also a Sector Seven Agent in the 2007 Michael Bay film Transformers, played Sheldon’s high school science teacher, Mr. Givens, in the show Young Sheldon, and also had a supporting role in The Island. Stepanek is also known as the voice of Roger in Father of the Pride and played Tom Harper on the Nickelodeon series Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn from 2014 to 2018. Since 2016, he has voiced Lynn Loud Sr. on the Nickelodeon animated series The Loud House, and has reprised his role in the 2022 live-action spinoff series The Really Loud House.
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Tajon Buchanan
- Enrolled in Syracuse University
- 2017-2018 graduated with bachelor's degree
- Occupations
- association football player
- Biography
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Tajon Trevor Buchanan is a Canadian professional soccer player who plays for La Liga club Villarreal and the Canada national team. Known for his speed and technical ability, he usually plays as a wide midfielder, but can also be deployed as a full-back.
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Sheldon Leonard
- Occupations
- television actorfilm directordirectoractortelevision producer
- Biography
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Sheldon Leonard Bershad was an American film and television actor, producer, director, and screenwriter.
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Stephen Crane
- Occupations
- baseball playerpoetscreenwriterwriternovelist
- Biography
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Stephen Crane was an American poet, novelist, and short story writer. Prolific throughout his short life, he wrote notable works in the Realist tradition as well as early examples of American Naturalism and Impressionism. He is recognized by modern critics as one of the most innovative writers of his generation.
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Peter Guber
- Occupations
- film producer
- Biography
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Howard Peter Guber is an American film producer, business executive, entrepreneur, educator, and author. He is chairman and CEO of Mandalay Entertainment. Guber's films have grossed over $3 billion worldwide and received 50 Academy Award nominations.
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Ariel Helwani
- Enrolled in Syracuse University
- Graduated with Bachelor of Arts
- Occupations
- journalist
- Biography
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Ariel Jacob Helwani is a Canadian-American sports journalist, known for his coverage of mixed martial arts (MMA) and professional wrestling. He is best known for his work at MMA Fighting, but has also worked for Fox and ESPN. He has won MMA Journalist of the Year at the World MMA Awards every year since 2010.
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Moose
- Enrolled in Syracuse University
- 2003-2005 graduated with bachelor's degree
- Occupations
- professional wrestlerAmerican football player
- Biography
-
Quinn Ojinnaka //, better known by his ring name Moose, is an American professional wrestler and former professional football player. He is signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), where he is the former leader of The System stable. He also makes appearances for TNA's partner promotion WWE on its NXT brand.
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Princess Rajwa Al Hussein
- Occupations
- painterarchitectbusinessperson
- Biography
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Princess Rajwa Al Hussein is a Saudi member of the Jordanian royal family. She is married to Hussein, Crown Prince of Jordan, heir apparent to the Jordanian throne.
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Dwight Freeney
- Enrolled in Syracuse University
- 1998-2001 graduated with bachelor's degree
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
-
Dwight Jason Freeney is an American former professional football player who currently serves as the Director of player development for Syracuse University. Freeney played as a defensive end and linebacker for 16 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), most notably as a member of the Indianapolis Colts. He played college football for the Syracuse Orange, earning unanimous All-American honors. He was selected by the Colts in the first round of the 2002 NFL draft. With the Colts, Freeney won Super Bowl XLI over the Chicago Bears, and made seven Pro Bowls. He also played for the San Diego Chargers, Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Seattle Seahawks and Detroit Lions.
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Daryl Johnston
- Enrolled in Syracuse University
- 1985-1988 graduated with Bachelor of Arts in economics
- Occupations
- television presenterAmerican football playergeneral manager
- Biography
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Daryl Peter Johnston is an American sportscaster and former professional football fullback and executive. Nicknamed "Moose", he played 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), all for the Dallas Cowboys.
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Zach Tyler Eisen
- Occupations
- voice actorYouTuberactorfilm actor
- Biography
-
Zachary Tyler Eisen is an American actor. He voiced Aang in Nickelodeon's Avatar: The Last Airbender, Lucas Nickle in The Ant Bully, Andrew in Little Bill and Pablo in the 2004 animated TV series The Backyardigans. His film roles include Entropy (1999) and Marci X (2003). While living in Connecticut, he did most of his Avatar: The Last Airbender recordings via satellite from there and New York. As of January 2021, he works in the entertainment industry "behind the camera".
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J. Michael Mendel
- Occupations
- television producer
- Biography
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Joel Michael Mendel was an American television producer. He was a five-time Emmy Award winner for his work on The Simpsons and Rick and Morty.
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Fab Melo
- Enrolled in Syracuse University
- Graduated with bachelor's degree
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
-
Fabricio Paulino de Melo was a Brazilian professional basketball player. He played one season in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Boston Celtics before returning to his home country and playing for Liga Sorocabana and Brasília of the Brazilian Novo Basquete Brasil (NBB). Prior to entering the NBA in 2012, he played two years of college basketball for Syracuse, where he was named the Big East Defensive Player of the Year as a sophomore.
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Doug Marrone
- Occupations
- American football coachAmerican football player
- Biography
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Douglas Charles Marrone is an American football coach and former offensive tackle. He is currently the offensive line coach for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He played in the NFL for the Miami Dolphins and New Orleans Saints. He came to prominence as the head coach at Syracuse from 2009 to 2012, where he previously played college football. Marrone also served as the head coach of the NFL's Buffalo Bills from 2013 to 2014 and Jacksonville Jaguars from 2016 to 2020.
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Franz von Holzhausen
- Enrolled in Syracuse University
- Studied in 1986-1988
- Occupations
- car designerengineerdesignerbusinessperson
- Biography
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Franz von Holzhausen is an American automobile designer. He has been the chief designer at Tesla, Inc. since 2008, where he has led the design of multiple production and concept vehicles, including the Model S, Model X, Model 3, Model Y, Semi, Cybertruck, and second-generation Roadster. He previously held design roles at Volkswagen, General Motors, and Mazda.
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Donna Shalala
- Occupations
- university teacherpoliticiantrade unionist
- Biography
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Donna Edna Shalala is an American retired politician and academic who served in the Carter and Clinton administrations, as well as in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2019 to 2021. Shalala is a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which she was awarded in 2008.
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Darryl M. Bell
- Occupations
- actortelevision actor
- Biography
-
Darryl M. Bell is an American actor best known for his role as Big Brother X-Ray Vision in the 1988 Spike Lee film School Daze and as Ron Johnson Jr. on the NBC sitcom A Different World (1987–93). Darryl Bell also starred on the short-lived UPN sitcom Homeboys in Outer Space as Morris Clay.
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Jonny Flynn
- Enrolled in Syracuse University
- Graduated with bachelor's degree
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
-
Jonny William Flynn is an American former professional basketball player. A three-year National Basketball Association (NBA) veteran, he last played for the Orlandina Basket of the Lega Basket Serie A and played collegiate basketball for the Syracuse Orange.
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Jessie Mueller
- Occupations
- actortelevision actorstage actor
- Biography
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Jessica Ruth Mueller is an American actress and singer. She started her acting career in Chicago and won two Joseph Jefferson Awards in 2008 and 2011 for her roles as Julie Jordan in Carousel and Amalia Balash in She Loves Me. In 2011, she moved to New York City to star in a Broadway revival of musical On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, for which she was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical at the 66th Tony Awards. She won the 2014 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. She went on to receive two additional Best Actress in a Musical Tony Award nominations for her leading roles in Waitress (2016) and the Broadway revival of Carousel (2018).
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Betsey Johnson
- Occupations
- fashion designercostume designervisual artist
- Biography
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Betsey Johnson is an American fashion designer best known for her colorful, cute, and whimsical designs. Many of her designs are considered "over the top" and embellished. She is also known for doing a cartwheel ending in a split at the end of her fashion shows. She is a recipient of the 2015 CFDA Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award.
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Jessica DiCicco
- Occupations
- television actorannouncervoice actorfetish modelfilm actor
- Biography
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Jessica Sonya DiCicco is an American actress. She is known for voicing in animated television series and video games. Her first voice role was the announcer for Nickelodeon's educational channel Noggin. DiCicco has since voiced various other characters for Nickelodeon, including Gwen Wu in The Mighty B!, Selina and Miele in Winx Club, Lucy Loud and Lynn Loud Jr. in The Loud House, and Annie Bramley in It's Pony. Since 2012, she also serves as the announcer for the Nick Jr. Channel. She also had voice roles on Disney Junior, including Toby the Cactus in Sheriff Callie's Wild West, Hissy in Puppy Dog Pals, and Summer Penguin in Muppet Babies.
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Samantha Brown
- Occupations
- television presenterstage actorjournalistfilm producerscreenwriter
- Biography
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Samantha Elizabeth Brown is an American television host who presented several Travel Channel shows including Girl Meets Hawaii, Great Vacation Homes, Great Hotels, Passport to Europe, Passport to Latin America, Great Weekends, Green Getaways, Passport to China, and Samantha Brown's Asia. As of 2012, Brown has marketed her own brand of travel luggage called Samantha Brown: Travel America. In January 2018, she began hosting Samantha Brown's Places to Love on PBS. It is shown on PBS stations nationwide, as well as the PBS website and app.
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Derrick Coleman
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Derrick Demetrius Coleman is an American former professional basketball player. Coleman attended Syracuse University and was selected first overall in the 1990 NBA draft by the New Jersey Nets.
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Denzel Ward
- Enrolled in Syracuse University
- 2014-2015 graduated with bachelor's degree
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
-
Denzel Nehemiah Ward is an American professional football cornerback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes and was selected by the Browns fourth overall in the 2018 NFL draft.
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Gary Farmer
- Occupations
- television actorfilm directoractorfilm actor
- Biography
-
Gary Dale Farmer is a Canadian First Nations (Cayuga) actor and musician. He is best known for his Independent Spirit Award-nominated roles in Powwow Highway (1989), Dead Man (1995) and Smoke Signals (1998). He briefly reprised his role as Nobody from Dead Man in Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999).
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Vishal Sikka
- Occupations
- chief executive officer
- Biography
-
Vishal Sikka is an Indian-American entrepreneur who is the founder and CEO of Vianai and was CTO of SAP AG and CEO of Infosys. He also serves on Oracle's board of directors, the supervisory board of the BMW Group and as an advisor to the Stanford Institute of Human-Centered AI.
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Tyler Ennis
- Enrolled in Syracuse University
- Studied in 2013-2014
- Graduated with bachelor's degree
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
-
Tyler Cameron Ennis McIntyre is a Canadian professional basketball player for Hapoel Tel Aviv of the Israeli Ligat HaAl and the EuroLeague. He played college basketball for the Syracuse Orange, where he was considered one of the top freshmen in 2013–14. He was drafted 18th overall by the Phoenix Suns in the 2014 NBA draft.
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Floyd Little
- Occupations
- television presenterAmerican football player
- Biography
-
Floyd Douglas Little was an American professional football player who was a halfback for the Denver Broncos, initially in the American Football League (AFL) and later the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Syracuse Orangemen, twice earning All-American honors. Little was the sixth overall selection of the 1967 NFL/AFL draft, the first common draft. He was the first first-round draft pick to sign with the AFL's Broncos, where he was known as "the Franchise". Little was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1983 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010.
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Craig Carton
- Occupations
- radio personality
- Biography
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Craig Harris Carton is an American radio and television personality. He was the co-host of the Carton and Roberts sports radio program on WFAN in New York City, and was seen nationally on Fox Sports 1 as host of Breakfast Ball weekday mornings. He previously co-hosted Boomer and Carton on WFAN and later CBS Sports Network from 2007 to 2017.
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Al D'Amato
- Enrolled in Syracuse University
- Studied in 1959
- Occupations
- town supervisorlawyerwriterpublic administrationassessor
- Biography
-
Alfonse Marcello D'Amato is an American attorney, lobbyist, and Republican politician who represented the state of New York in the United States Senate from 1981 to 1999. From 1995 to 1999, he chaired the Senate Banking Committee. As of 2026, he is the most recent Republican to serve New York in the federal U.S. Senate.
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Dave Bing
- Occupations
- basketball playerbusinesspersonpolitician
- Biography
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David Bing is an American former professional basketball player, businessman and politician who served as the 74th mayor of Detroit, Michigan from 2009 to 2014. He is a member of the Democratic Party.
