100 Notable alumni of
University of Houston
Updated:
The University of Houston is 211th in the world, 89th in North America, and 86th in the United States by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 100 notable alumni from the University of Houston sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff.
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Jim Parsons
- Enrolled in the University of Houston
- Graduated with Bachelor of Arts in theatre art
- Occupations
- actortelevision actorfilm actorvoice actorstage actor
- Biography
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James Joseph Parsons is an American actor. Known for his work on both stage and screen, his accolades include four Primetime Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and a nomination for a Tony Award. From 2015 to 2018, Forbes named him the world's highest-paid television actor.
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Lil Wayne
- Occupations
- entrepreneurrapperfilm actorsongwriterchief executive officer
- Biography
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Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. He is often regarded as one of the most influential hip-hop artists of his generation, as well as one of the greatest rappers of all time. Born and raised in New Orleans, he was discovered by hometown rapper Birdman in 1993 and signed with his record label, Cash Money Records, at age eleven. He emerged as the label's flagship artist until his departure in 2018.
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Dennis Quaid
- Occupations
- film directorfilm produceraircraft pilotexecutive producercomposer
- Biography
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Dennis William Quaid is an American actor. He is known for his starring roles in many successful films, including Great Balls of Fire! (1989), Dragonheart (1996), The Parent Trap (1998), Frequency (2000), The Rookie (2002), The Day After Tomorrow (2004), In Good Company (2004), Flight of the Phoenix (2004), Yours, Mine & Ours (2005), and Vantage Point (2008). In 2003, Quaid received a Golden Globe Award nomination for Far from Heaven (2002).
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Elizabeth Warren
- Enrolled in the University of Houston
- In 1970 graduated with Bachelor of Science in pathology and audiology
- Occupations
- economistjuristlawyerwriteruniversity teacher
- Biography
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Elizabeth Ann Warren is an American politician and former law professor who is the senior United States senator from the state of Massachusetts, serving since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party and regarded as a progressive, Warren has focused on consumer protection, equitable economic opportunity, and the social safety net while in the Senate. Warren was a candidate in the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries, ultimately finishing third after Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders.
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Kenny Rogers
- Occupations
- singerrecord producerguitaristsinger-songwriterpianist
- Biography
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Kenneth Ray Rogers was an American singer-songwriter. Rogers was particularly popular with country audiences, but also charted more than 120 hit singles across various genres, topping the country and pop album charts for more than 200 individual weeks in the United States alone. He sold more than 100 million records worldwide during his lifetime, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. His fame and career spanned multiple genres—jazz, folk, pop, rock, and country. He remade his career and was one of the most successful cross-over artists of all time. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013.
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Lizzo
- Occupations
- songwriterrapperactorsinger
- Biography
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Melissa Viviane Jefferson, known professionally as Lizzo, is an American singer, rapper, songwriter, and actress. Born in Detroit, Michigan, she moved to Houston, Texas, with her family at the age of 10. After college, she moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, where she began her recording career in hip-hop. Lizzo released two studio albums, Lizzobangers (2013) and Big Grrrl Small World (2015), before signing with Nice Life Recording Company and Atlantic Records. Her first major-label extended play (EP), Coconut Oil, was released in 2016.
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Randy Quaid
- Occupations
- voice actortelevision actoractorfilm actor
- Biography
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Randy Randall Rudy Quaid is an American actor.
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Hakeem Olajuwon
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Hakeem Abdul Olajuwon listen, nicknamed "the Dream", is a Nigerian and American former professional basketball player. From 1984 to 2002, he played center in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Houston Rockets, and in his last season, the Toronto Raptors. He led the Rockets to back-to-back NBA championships in 1994 and 1995. Olajuwon was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008 and the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2016. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players and centers of all time.
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Carl Lewis
- Occupations
- athletics competitorlong jumperbasketball playersprinterpoet
- Biography
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Frederick Carlton Lewis is an American former track and field athlete who won nine Olympic gold medals, one Olympic silver medal, and 10 World Championships medals, including eight gold. Lewis was a dominant sprinter and long jumper whose career spanned from 1979 to 1996, when he last won the Olympic long jump. He is one of six athletes to win gold in the same individual event in four consecutive Olympic Games, and is one of two people to win gold in the same individual athletics event in four Olympic Games, along with USA discus thrower Al Oerter. He is the head track and field coach for the University of Houston.
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Master P
- Occupations
- businesspersonbasketball playermotivational speakerrecord producersongwriter
- Biography
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Percy Robert Miller, better known by his stage name Master P, is an American rapper, actor, and entrepreneur. He founded No Limit Records in 1991, which was relaunched into the spin-off labels New No Limit Records and No Limit Forever Records. Miller gained fame in the mid-1990s as a member of the label's hip hop group TRU,and 504 Boyz as well as his fifth solo album, Ice Cream Man (1996), and its namesake lead single. His 1997 single, "Make 'Em Say Uhh!" received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
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Liza Koshy
- Occupations
- television actorYouTubertelevision produceractorfilm actor
- Biography
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Elizabeth Shaila Koshy is an American YouTuber and actress. She has received four Streamy Awards, four Teen Choice Awards, and a Kids' Choice Award.
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Brent Spiner
- Occupations
- comedianperforming artistactorfilm actormusician
- Biography
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Brent Jay Spiner is an American actor best known for his role as the android Data on the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987–1994), four subsequent films (1994–2002), and Star Trek: Picard (2020–2023). In 1997, he won the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Data in Star Trek: First Contact, and was nominated in the same category for portraying Dr. Brackish Okun in Independence Day, a role he reprised in Independence Day: Resurgence. Spiner has also enjoyed a career in the theater and as a musician. He is also known for voicing the Joker in the animated series Young Justice (2011–2022).
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Bill Hicks
- Occupations
- stand-up comedian
- Biography
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William Melvin Hicks was an American stand-up comedian and satirist. His material— encompassing a wide range of social issues including religion, politics, and philosophy— was controversial and often steeped in dark comedy.
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Case Keenum
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
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Casey Austin Keenum is an American professional football quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Houston Cougars, where he became the NCAA's all-time leader in total passing yards, touchdowns, and completions. In the 2008 college football season, Keenum ranked first nationally in total offense and second in total passing yards.
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Clyde Drexler
- Occupations
- basketball playerbasketball coach
- Biography
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Clyde Austin Drexler is an American former professional basketball player who currently works as the commissioner of the Big3 3-on-3 basketball league. Nicknamed "Clyde the Glide", he played 15 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), spending a majority of his career with the Portland Trail Blazers before finishing with the Houston Rockets. He was a ten-time NBA All-Star, five time All-NBA Selection, and was named to the NBA's 50th and 75th anniversary teams. Drexler won an NBA championship with Houston in 1995, and earned a gold medal on the 1992 United States Olympic team known as "The Dream Team". He was inducted twice into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, in 2004 for his individual career and in 2010 as a member of the "Dream Team". Drexler is often considered among the top basketball players and top shooting guards of all time.
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Townes Van Zandt
- Occupations
- singersongwritersinger-songwriterrecording artistguitarist
- Biography
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John Townes Van Zandt was an American singer-songwriter. He wrote numerous songs, such as "Pancho and Lefty", "If I Needed You", "Snake Mountain Blues", "Our Mother the Mountain", "Waitin' Round to Die", and "To Live's to Fly". His musical style has often been described as melancholic and features rich, poetic lyrics. During his early years, Van Zandt was respected for his guitar playing and fingerpicking ability.
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Brené Brown
- Occupations
- essayistscientistwriterpodcastersocial worker
- Biography
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Casandra Brené Brown is an American academic and podcaster who is the Huffington Foundation's Brené Brown Endowed Chair at the University of Houston's Graduate College of Social Work and a visiting professor in management at the McCombs School of Business in the University of Texas at Austin.
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Loretta Devine
- Occupations
- stage actortelevision actorvoice actoractorfilm actor
- Biography
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Loretta Devine is an American actress. She is known for numerous roles across stage and screen. Her most high profile roles include Lorrell Robinson in the original Broadway production of Dreamgirls (1981), Gloria Matthews in the film Waiting to Exhale (1995), and her recurring role as Adele Webber on the medical drama Grey's Anatomy, for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series. Devine also played Juanita Sims in the film adaptation of For Colored Girls (2010). She is also known for her roles as Stevie Rallen on NBC's A Different World during its first season and for her portrayal Marla Hendricks on the television series Boston Public (2000–2004).
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Brett Cullen
- Occupations
- television actorfilm produceractorfilm actor
- Biography
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Peter Brett Cullen is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Dan Fixx in Falcon Crest (1986–1988), Sam Cain in The Young Riders (1989–1990), Governor Ray Sullivan in The West Wing (2005–2006), Goodwin Stanhope in Lost (2005–2008), Mark Keeler in Make It or Break It (2009–2012), Nathan Ingram in Person of Interest, and Michael Stappord in Devious Maids (2013–2015).
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Nick Faldo
- Occupations
- golferbusinessperson
- Biography
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Sir Nicholas Alexander Faldo is an English retired professional golfer and television commentator. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, he was renowned for his dedication to the game, and was ranked No. 1 on the Official World Golf Ranking for a total of 97 weeks. His 41 professional wins include 30 victories on the European Tour and six major championships: three Open Championships (1987, 1990, 1992) and three Masters (1989, 1990, 1996).
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Tilman J. Fertitta
- Occupations
- businessperson
- Biography
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Tilman Joseph Fertitta is an American diplomat, businessman and television personality. He serves as the United States ambassador to Italy and San Marino since May 2025. He is the owner of the entertainment company Landry's and the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s Houston Rockets. Fertitta was the chairman of the board of regents of the University of Houston System from 2014 to 2025.
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Jim Nantz
- Occupations
- sports commentator
- Biography
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James William Nantz III is an American sportscaster who has worked on telecasts of the National Football League (NFL), NCAA Division I men's basketball, the NBA, and the PGA Tour for CBS Sports since the 1980s. He has anchored CBS's coverage of the Masters Tournament since 1989 and been the lead play-by-play announcer on CBS's NFL coverage since 2004. He was also the lead broadcaster for the NCAA men's basketball tournament from 1990 to 2023.
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Kenneth Lay
- Occupations
- businessperson
- Biography
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Kenneth Lee Lay was an American businessman and political donor who was the founder, chief executive officer and chairman of Enron. He was heavily involved in Enron's accounting scandal that unraveled in 2001 into the largest bankruptcy ever to that date. Lay was indicted by a grand jury and was found guilty of 10 counts of securities fraud at trial. Lay died in July 2006 while vacationing in his house near Aspen, Colorado, three months before his scheduled sentencing. A preliminary autopsy reported Lay died of a heart attack caused by coronary artery disease. His death resulted in a vacated judgment. Conspiracy theories regarding Lay's death surfaced, alleging that it was faked.
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Paul Wall
- Occupations
- singerrapperdisc jockeysongwritermusician
- Biography
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Paul Michael Slayton, better known by his stage name Paul Wall, is an American rapper and DJ. He was an early signee of the Houston-based record label Swishahouse in the late 1990s, through which he met labelmate Chamillionaire and released several albums, including the collaborative Get Ya Mind Correct (2002). By 2005, he signed with Atlantic Records to release his second album and major label debut, The Peoples Champ (2005), which debuted atop the Billboard 200. His third album, Get Money, Stay True (2007), peaked within the chart's top ten. His guest appearance on Nelly's 2005 single, "Grillz", yielded his furthest commercial success, as it peaked the Billboard Hot 100 and was nominated for Best Rap Performance as a Duo or Group at the 2007 Grammy Awards.
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Julian Schnabel
- Occupations
- film directorsculptorscreenwriterphotographerarchitectural draftsperson
- Biography
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Julian Schnabel is an American painter and filmmaker. In the 1980s, he received international attention for his "plate paintings"—with broken ceramic plates set onto large-scale paintings. Since the 1990s, he has been a proponent of independent arthouse cinema. Schnabel directed Before Night Falls, which became Javier Bardem's breakthrough Academy Award-nominated role, and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, which was nominated for four Academy Awards. For the latter, he won the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Director, as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Director, and also received nominations for the Academy Award for Best Director and the César Award for Best Director.
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Shannon Miller
- Occupations
- lawyerartistic gymnast
- Biography
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Shannon Lee Miller is an American former artistic gymnast. She was the 1993 and 1994 world all-around champion, the 1992 Summer Olympics all-around silver medallist, the 1996 Olympic balance beam champion, the 1995 Pan American Games all-around champion, and a member of the gold medal-winning Magnificent Seven team at the 1996 Olympics.
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Alice Sebold
- 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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Monica Rial
- Occupations
- screenwriterstage actoraudiobook narratorvoice actorfilm actor
- Biography
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Monica Jean Rial is an American voice actress and ADR script writer affiliated with Funimation/Crunchyroll, ADV Films/Sentai Filmworks and Toei Animation USA. She provides voices for English-language versions of Japanese anime films and television series.
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Victoria Osteen
- Occupations
- conferenciertelevangelistwriter
- Biography
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Victoria Osteen is an American author and the co-pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas. She is married to Joel Osteen and the daughter-in-law of John Osteen.
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Priscilla Shirer
- Occupations
- writerfilm actoractorpreacher
- Biography
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Priscilla Shirer is an American author, motivational speaker, actress, and Christian media personality, and evangelist. Her father is Dallas mega-church pastor Tony Evans and her brothers are motivational speaker and chaplain Jonathan Evans and musician Anthony Evans.
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Sylvester Turner
- Enrolled in the University of Houston
- In 1977 graduated with Bachelor of Arts
- Occupations
- lawyerpolitician
- Biography
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Sylvester Turner was an American politician and attorney who served as the U.S. representative for Texas's 18th congressional district from January 2025 until his death in March 2025. A member of the Democratic Party, Turner served as the 62nd mayor of Houston from 2016 to 2024 and as a member of the Texas House of Representatives from 1989 to 2016.
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Elvin Hayes
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Elvin Ernest Hayes, nicknamed "the Big E", is an American former professional basketball player and radio analyst for his alma mater Houston Cougars. He is a member of the NBA's 50th and 75th anniversary teams, and an inductee in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Known for both his offensive and defensive prowess, Hayes is often regarded as one of the best power forwards in NBA history. Hayes is also known for his longevity, being seventh in NBA minutes played (at exactly 50,000), and missing only nine games during his 16-season career.
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Peter Breck
- Occupations
- film actortelevision actorstage actor
- Biography
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Joseph Peter Breck was an American character actor. The rugged, dark-haired Breck played the gambler and gunfighter Doc Holliday on the ABC/Warner Bros. Television series Maverick as well as Victoria Barkley's (Barbara Stanwyck) hot-tempered middle son Nick in the 1960s ABC/Four Star Western The Big Valley. Breck also had the starring role in an earlier NBC/Four Star Western television series entitled Black Saddle.
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Gene Wolfe
- Enrolled in the University of Houston
- In 1956 graduated with mechanical engineering
- Occupations
- science fiction writermilitary engineerwriternovelisteditor
- Biography
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Gene Rodman Wolfe was an American science fiction and fantasy writer. He was noted for his dense, allusive prose as well as the strong influence of his Catholic faith. He was a prolific short story writer and novelist who won many literary awards. Wolfe has been called "the Melville of science fiction", and he was honored as a Grand Master by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.
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Star Jones
- Enrolled in the University of Houston
- Graduated with Juris Doctor
- Occupations
- advocatefilm directorjournalisttelevision producerlawyer
- Biography
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Starlet Marie Jones Lugo, better known as Star Jones, is an American lawyer, journalist, television personality, fashion designer, author, and women's and diversity advocate. She is best known as one of the first co-hosts on the ABC morning talk show The View, which she appeared on for nine seasons from 1997–98 through 2005–06. She was also one of sixteen contestants of the fourth installment of The Celebrity Apprentice in 2011, coming in fifth place. She currently serves as the host of Divorce Court.
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Robert Wuhl
- Occupations
- screenwritertelevision actorfilm directorfilm actor
- Biography
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Robert Wuhl is an American actor, comedian, and writer. He is best known as the creator and star of the television comedy series Arliss (1996–2002) and for his portrayal of newspaper reporter Alexander Knox in Tim Burton's Batman (1989) and Larry in Bull Durham (1988).
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Greg Baldwin
- Occupations
- voice actorstage actor
- Biography
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Greg Baldwin is an American voice actor. He is best known for his roles as Frank Fontaine in BioShock, Uncle Iroh on the third season of Avatar: The Last Airbender and Aku on the fifth season of Samurai Jack, with the latter two as a voice match for the late Mako Iwamatsu.
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Tommy Tune
- Occupations
- music directorstage actortheatrical directoractorchoreographer
- Biography
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Thomas James Tune is an American actor, dancer, singer, theatre director, producer, and choreographer. Over the course of his career, he has won ten Tony Awards, the National Medal of Arts, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
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Crystle Stewart
- Occupations
- actorbeauty pageant contestantmodel
- Biography
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Crystle Stewart Sebrechts is an American actress and beauty pageant titleholder. Stewart began her acting career in 2011, when she played real estate agent Leslie Morris on the OWN/TBS comedy-drama television series For Better or Worse until 2017. Shortly after, she appeared in the 2018 film Acrimony. She also won Miss Texas USA 2008, and Miss USA 2008, she represented the United States at Miss Universe 2008, where she reached in the placed Top 10.
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Quentin Grimes
- Enrolled in the University of Houston
- Studied in 2019
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Quentin Marshall Grimes is an American professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Kansas Jayhawks and the Houston Cougars.
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Tom DeLay
- Enrolled in the University of Houston
- In 1970 graduated with Bachelor of Science
- Occupations
- bloggerentrepreneurpolitician
- Biography
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Thomas Dale DeLay is an American author and retired politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives. A Republican, DeLay represented Texas's 22nd congressional district from 1985 until 2006. He served as House majority leader from 2003 to 2005.
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Austin Tice
- Occupations
- journalist
- Biography
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Austin Bennett Tice is an American freelance journalist and a veteran U.S. Marine Corps officer who was kidnapped while reporting in Syria on August 13, 2012. Tice is the longest captive American journalist in history and the second-longest detained journalist in the world after Dawit Isaak, who has been held without trial in Eritrea since 2001. Since 2012, the U.S government has maintained that Tice was being held by the Assad regime. Syrian intelligence files uncovered by the BBC in June 2025 and statements from former Syrian officials after the fall of Assad confirmed this.
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Johnny Chan
- Occupations
- poker player
- Biography
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Johnny Chan (Chinese: 陳金海; (born 1957) is an American professional poker player. He has won 10 World Series of Poker bracelets, including the 1987 and 1988 World Series of Poker main events consecutively.
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Brittney Karbowski
- Occupations
- voice actorstage actoraudiobook narratoractor
- Biography
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Brittney Marie Karbowski is an American voice actress who has voiced in a number of English-language versions of Japanese anime series.
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Evonne Hsu
- Occupations
- actorsingermusician
- Biography
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Evonne Hsu, also known as Hsu Hui-hsin, is a Taiwanese-American Mandopop singer. Hsu is managed by Music Nation Wingman Limited and signed by Universal Music Taiwan since her debut in 2002.
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Gültekin Uysal
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Gultekin Uysal is a Turkish politician and businessman who has been the chairman of the Democrat Party (DP), since May 2012. In 2018 election he was elected on the İYİ Party list but then he rejoined his party.
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Ed Oliver
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
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Edward Oliver is an American professional football defensive tackle for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Houston Cougars, winning numerous awards, and was selected by the Bills in the first round of the 2019 NFL draft.
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Akihiko Hoshide
- Occupations
- astronaut
- Biography
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Akihiko Hoshide is a Japanese engineer, JAXA astronaut, and former commander of the International Space Station. On August 30, 2012, Hoshide became the third Japanese astronaut to walk in space.
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Tank Dell
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
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Nathaniel Jasper "Tank" Dell Jr. is an American professional football wide receiver for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Alabama A&M Bulldogs, Independence Community College, and Houston Cougars.
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Butch Harmon
- Occupations
- golfer
- Biography
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Claude "Butch" Harmon Jr. is an American golf instructor and former professional player.
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Damon Jones
- Occupations
- basketball playerbasketball coach
- Biography
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Damon Darron Jones is an American former professional basketball player best known for playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 2005 to 2008.
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John Whitmire
- Enrolled in the University of Houston
- Graduated with Bachelor of Arts in political science
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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John Harris Whitmire is an American attorney and politician who has served as the 63rd mayor of Houston, Texas, since 2024. Whitmire was previously a Democratic member of the Texas House of Representatives from 1973 until 1983, and the Texas State Senate from 1983 to 2023. In the state senate, he represented District 15, which included much of northern Houston.
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Jack Valenti
- Occupations
- civil servantpoliticianaircraft pilotbusinesspersonactor
- Biography
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Jack Joseph Valenti was an American political advisor and lobbyist who served as a Special Assistant to U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson. He was also the longtime president of the Motion Picture Association of America. During his 38-year tenure in the MPAA, he created the MPAA film rating system, and was generally regarded as one of the most influential pro-copyright lobbyists in the world.
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Kamal Kharazi
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Sayyid Kamal Kharazi is an Iranian reformist politician and diplomat who served as the foreign minister of Iran from 20 August 1997 to 24 August 2005.
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Pauline Oliveros
- Occupations
- university teachermusic theoristaccordionistcomposermusic educator
- Biography
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Pauline Oliveros was an American composer and accordionist.
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Donald Barthelme
- Occupations
- children's writernovelistjournalistphilosopherreporter
- Biography
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Donald Barthelme Jr. was an American short story writer and novelist known for his playful, postmodernist style of short fiction. Barthelme also worked as a newspaper reporter for the Houston Post, was managing editor of Location magazine, director of the Contemporary Arts Museum in Houston (1961–1962), co-founder of Fiction (with Mark Mirsky and the assistance of Max and Marianne Frisch), and a professor at various universities. He also was one of the original founders of the University of Houston Creative Writing Program.
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Esther Yang
- Occupations
- actortelevision actor
- Biography
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Esther Yang is a Taiwanese actress.
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Brigitte Boisselier
- Occupations
- chemist
- Biography
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Brigitte Boisselier, also known as Brigitte Roehr, is a French chemist and Raëlian religious leader best known for her claim to have overseen the creation of the first human clone. A native of Champagne-Ardenne, she studied chemistry in France and the United States, earning two PhDs. From 1984 to 1997, she lived near Paris and worked as a research chemist and a sales manager for Air Liquide. She embraced Raëlism in 1992; the group was unpopular in France and her conversion led to tensions with those around her. Five years later, she joined Clonaid, a Raëlian organization that sought to clone a human. After her service as their scientific director was publicized, she lost her position with Air Liquide and focused on cloning full-time.
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Larry Blyden
- Occupations
- theatrical directortelevision actorstage actor
- Biography
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Ivan Lawrence Blieden, known professionally as Larry Blyden, was an American actor, stage producer and director, and game show host. He made his Broadway stage debut in 1948 and went on to appear in numerous productions on and off Broadway. In 1972, he won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his performance in the revival of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, which he also produced. That same year, he became the host of the syndicated revival version of What's My Line?.
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Chris Patton
- Occupations
- voice actorstage actoraudiobook narratoractor
- Biography
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Christopher David Patton is an American voice actor who has worked on a number of English-language versions of Japanese anime series. Some of his major roles include Sousuke Sagara in Full Metal Panic!, Turles in Dragon Ball Z: The Tree of Might, Greed in Fullmetal Alchemist, Ayato Kamina in RahXephon, Graham Specter in Baccano!, Hajime Aoyama in Ghost Stories, Manabu Yuuki in The Galaxy Railways, Creed Diskenth in Black Cat, Ikki Minami in Air Gear, Asura in Soul Eater, Agito in Origin: Spirits of the Past, and Keima Katsuragi in The World God Only Knows.
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Ric Jan
- Occupations
- actor
- Biography
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Ric Huang is a Taiwanese singer and actor.
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Leroy Burrell
- Occupations
- athletics competitorsprinter
- Biography
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Leroy Russel Burrell is an American former track and field athlete, who twice set the world record for the 100 m sprint.
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Ted Poe
- Enrolled in the University of Houston
- In 1973 graduated with Juris Doctor
- Occupations
- lawyerteacherjudgepolitician
- Biography
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Lloyd Theodore Poe is an American politician who represented Texas's 2nd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 2005 to 2019. Poe was the first Republican to represent the 2nd district.
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Louie Hinchliffe
- Occupations
- athletics competitor
- Biography
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Louie Hinchliffe is a British sprinter. On 7 June 2024, he won the 2024 NCAA Championships 100 metres title with a time of 9.95 seconds for the University of Houston Cougars. That month, he also won the 100m title at the British Athletics Championships. Selected for his first Olympic Games later that month, Hinchliffe was part of the Great Britain team that won bronze in the men's 4 x 100 metre relay in Paris 2024. In 2025, Hinchliffe signed a partnership with ASICS.
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Carl Herrera
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Carl Víctor Herrera Alleyne is a retired Trinidadian-born Venezuelan basketball player. A power forward, he was part of the Houston Rockets National Basketball Association championship teams of the mid-1990s. He was the first Venezuelan to ever play in the NBA.
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Jarace Walker
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Jarace Isaiah Walker is an American professional basketball player for the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Walker was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the top players in the 2022 class. He played college basketball for the Houston Cougars and was selected eighth overall by the Washington Wizards in the 2023 NBA draft before being traded to the Pacers later that offseason.
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Frances Northcutt
- Occupations
- mathematicianengineerlawyerwomen's rights activist
- Biography
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Frances "Poppy" Northcutt is an American engineer and attorney who began her career as a computer operator and was later a member of the technical staff of NASA's Apollo program during the Space Race. During the Apollo 8 mission she became the first female engineer to work in NASA's Mission Control.
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Spike Spencer
- Occupations
- actortelevision actorvoice actor
- Biography
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Charles Forrest "Spike" Spencer is an American voice actor and columnist best known for dubbing Japanese anime films. He is known for his roles in ADV Films dubs of Neon Genesis Evangelion as Shinji Ikari, Martian Successor Nadesico as Akito Tenkawa, and Excel Saga as Gojo Shioji. He has also performed voice acting for radio, especially commercials. His anime character voices tend to be either for timid, shy, or weak characters, or for eccentric and comical ones.
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Christine Ha
- Occupations
- chef
- Biography
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Christine Huyentran Ha is an American chef, writer and TV host. She was the first blind contestant of MasterChef and the winner of its third season in 2012.
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Margaret Spellings
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Margaret M. LaMontagne Spellings is an American government and non-profit executive who serves as president and CEO of the Bipartisan Policy Center. She previously served as the eighth United States secretary of education from 2005 to 2009. After leaving the government, Spellings served as president of the University of North Carolina System, overseeing the seventeen campus system from 2016 to 2019. She then served as president and CEO of Texas 2036 from 2019 to 2023.
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Yasir Qadhi
- Occupations
- university teachertheologian
- Biography
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Yasir Qadhi is an American Muslim scholar and theologian. He is dean of The Islamic Seminary of America and resident scholar of the East Plano Islamic Center in Plano, Texas. He was formerly the dean of AlMaghrib Institute and taught in the religious studies department at Rhodes College. He currently serves as chairman of the Fiqh Council of North America.
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Michael Berry
- Enrolled in the University of Houston
- In 1989 graduated with bachelor's degree in political science
- Occupations
- radio personalityrestaurateurtalk show hostoperations managerlawyer
- Biography
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Michael Christian Berry is an American conservative radio talk show host based in Houston, Texas. A former member of the Houston City Council, Berry has worked as an attorney, a real estate developer, and a restaurateur.
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Don Chaney
- Occupations
- coachbasketball playerbasketball coach
- Biography
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Donald Ray Chaney is an American former professional basketball player and coach, most notable for winning two championships as a player on the Boston Celtics, and winning NBA Coach of the Year while leading the Houston Rockets.
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Cristina Rivera Garza
- Occupations
- historiannovelistshort story writerwriter
- Biography
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Cristina Rivera Garza is a Pulitzer Prize-winning Mexican author and professor known for her fiction and memoir. Multiple novels, including Nadie me verá llorar (No One Will See Me Cry), received Mexico’s highest literary awards and international honors. Born in the state of Tamaulipas, near the U.S.–Mexico border, she is a teacher and a writer who has worked in both the United States and Mexico. She taught history and creative writing at various universities and institutions, including the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), Tec de Monterrey, Campus Toluca, and University of California, San Diego, but currently holds a position at the University of Houston. She received a MacArthur Fellowship in 2020, and her recent accolades include the Juan Vicente Melo National Short Story Award, the Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz Prize (Garza is the only author to win this award twice), and the Anna Seghers Prize.
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Wu Maw-kuen
- Occupations
- physicist
- Biography
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Maw-Kuen Wu is a Taiwanese physicist specializing in superconductivity, low-temperature physics, and high-pressure physics. He was a professor of physics at University of Alabama in Huntsville, Columbia University, and National Tsing Hua University, the Director of the Institute of Physics at Academia Sinica, the President of National Dong Hwa University, and is currently a distinguished research fellow of the Institute of Physics, Academia Sinica, and international member of National Academy of Sciences.
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Guy Lewis
- Occupations
- basketball playerbasketball coach
- Biography
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Guy Vernon Lewis II was an American basketball player and coach. He served as the head men's basketball coach at the University of Houston from 1956 to 1986. Lewis led his Houston Cougars to five appearances in the Final Four of the NCAA tournament, in 1967, 1968, 1982, 1983, and 1984. His 1980s teams, nicknamed Phi Slama Jama for their slam dunks, were runners-up for the national championship in back-to-back seasons in 1983 and 1984. He was inducted into National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2007 and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013.
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Joe Young
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Joseph Michael Young is an American professional basketball player for the Qingdao Eagles of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). The son of former National Basketball Association (NBA) player Michael Young, he played college basketball with the Houston Cougars and later the Oregon Ducks. Young earned third-team All-American honors and was named conference player of the year in the Pac-12 as a senior with Oregon in 2015. He was selected by the Indiana Pacers in the second round of the 2015 NBA draft with the 43rd overall pick.
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Samuel DiPiazza
- Occupations
- businessperson
- Biography
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Samuel A. DiPiazza Jr. is an American business executive who presently serves as the chairman of Warner Bros. Discovery.
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Marcus Sasser
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Marcus Jerome Sasser Jr. is an American professional basketball player for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Houston Cougars.
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Royce West
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Royce Barry West is an American politician who serves as a member of the Texas Senate, representing the Dallas-based 23rd District.
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Mauli Dave
- Occupations
- singer
- Biography
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Mauli Dave is an Indian singer, actress, dancer, and television host. She was a contestant on Zee TV's Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2007. She was also a finalist in Sony Entertainment's Chalo America Boogie Woogie in 2004, and was crowned Miss Teen India Texas 2007. Mauli then decided to move to Mumbai at the age of 19 to pursue a career in music and acting. She hosted a family dance show on the Zee Network titled "Rock n Roll Family" in 2008, lead role in a Zoom Tele-Film "Ek Anhonee", participated in Fear Factor India: Khatron Ke Khiladi season 4 and emerged as the Runner-up. She is from Gujarat.
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Armoni Brooks
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Armoni Daetrell Brooks is an American professional basketball player for Olimpia Milano of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A (LBA) and the EuroLeague. He played college basketball for the Houston Cougars.
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Dan Rapoport
- Occupations
- businessperson
- Biography
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Dan Rapoport was a Latvian-American investor, financial executive, and outspoken critic of Russian president Vladimir Putin. He died after a fall from his high-rise apartment building in Washington, D.C.; the medical examiner, after an autopsy, listed the manner of death as undetermined. Rapoport's death was one of a series of suspicious deaths of Russian businessmen and Putin critics during the Russian invasion of Ukraine and it remains a source of speculation if there was foul play or not.
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Chloe Dao
- Occupations
- fashion designer
- Biography
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Chloe Dao is an American fashion designer and television personality who lives and works in Houston, U.S. She was the winner of the second season of the reality show Project Runway with a collection of women's evening wear. Many of the pieces in her finale collection featured billowing, voluminous sleeves, removable shrugs and strong brocade prints.
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Steve Elkington
- Occupations
- golfer
- Biography
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Stephen John Elkington is an Australian professional golfer on the PGA Tour Champions. Formerly on the PGA Tour, he spent more than fifty weeks in the top-10 of the Official World Golf Ranking from 1995 to 1998. Elkington won a major title at the PGA Championship in 1995, and is a two-time winner of The Players Championship.
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Louis Dunbar
- Occupations
- basketball coachbasketball player
- Biography
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Louis "Sweet Lou" Dunbar is the Director of Player Personnel, a coach, and a former 27-year veteran basketball player for the Harlem Globetrotters.
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John Danny Olivas
- Enrolled in the University of Houston
- In 1993 graduated with master's degree in mechanical engineering
- Occupations
- astronautengineer
- Biography
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John Daniel "Danny" Olivas is an American engineer and a former NASA astronaut. Olivas has flown on two space shuttle missions, STS-117 and STS-128, received two NASA Space Flight Medals, and has been in over 5 spacewalks throughout his career. He performed EVAs on both missions, totaling 34hrs 28min.
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Doug Drabek
- Occupations
- baseball player
- Biography
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Douglas Dean Drabek is an American former professional baseball pitcher, and a current minor league baseball coach. He is the pitching coach for the Reno Aces, the Triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in MLB for the New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates, Houston Astros, Chicago White Sox and Baltimore Orioles between 1986 and 1998. Drabek batted and threw right-handed. Known for his fluid pitching motion and sound mechanics, he won the National League Cy Young Award in 1990. Drabek was an MLB All-Star in 1994.
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Otis Birdsong
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Otis Lee Birdsong is an American former professional basketball player. He spent twelve seasons (1977–1989) in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and appeared in four NBA All-Star Games.
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Steve Stockman
- Enrolled in the University of Houston
- In 1990 graduated with Bachelor of Science
- Occupations
- accountantpolitician
- Biography
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Stephen Ernest Stockman is an American politician. He served as the U.S. representative for Texas's 9th congressional district from 1995 to 1997 and for Texas's 36th congressional district from 2013 to 2015. Stockman ran in the Republican primary for the United States Senate in the 2014 election but lost to incumbent Senator John Cornyn.
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Kathryn J. Whitmire
- Occupations
- academic administratorpolitician
- Biography
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Kathryn Jean Whitmire is an American politician, businesswoman, and accountant best known as the first woman to serve as Mayor of Houston, serving for five consecutive two-year terms from 1982 to 1992. From 1977 to 1981, she was the city controller, a position which made her the first woman elected to any office in the city. Whitmire drew national attention when she defeated former Harris County Sheriff Jack Heard in her election as mayor. The election drew national focus because it symbolized a major political realignment in the fourth-largest city in the United States.
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Bo Outlaw
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Charles "Bo" Outlaw is an American former professional basketball player. He was born in San Antonio, Texas, and is a 1989 alumnus of John Jay High School.
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Tyus Bowser
- Occupations
- basketball playerAmerican football player
- Biography
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Tyus Kevon Bowser is an American professional football linebacker. He played college football for the Houston Cougars.
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William Frederick Fisher
- Occupations
- astronautphysician
- Biography
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William Frederick Fisher is an American physician and a former NASA astronaut. Fisher went into space in 1985 on board the Space Shuttle. He retired from NASA in 1992 and returned to the full-time practice of medicine. His time at NASA coincided with that of his then wife and fellow astronaut Anna Lee Fisher.
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Dawn Burrell
- Occupations
- athletics competitor
- Biography
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Dawn C. Burrell is an American chef and retired long jumper. She won the gold medal at the 2001 IAAF World Indoor Championships and represented the United States at the 2000 Summer Olympics. In her culinary career, she was a semifinalist in 2020 for a James Beard Foundation Award. Burrell is the younger sister of former 100 m world record holder Leroy Burrell.
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Rod Canion
- Occupations
- computer scientistchief executive officerbusinessperson
- Biography
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Joseph Rodney "Rod" Canion is an American computer scientist and businessman who co-founded Compaq Computer Corporation in 1982 and served as its first President and CEO.
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Oliver Lafayette
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Oliver Lafayette is an American-born former Croatian professional basketball player. Standing at 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m), he played at the point guard and shooting guard positions. A two-time EuroCup winner, Lafayette has also won the national championships in Greece and Lithuania.
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Cameron Burrell
- Occupations
- athletics competitor
- Biography
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Cameron Malik Burrell was an American sprinter. He was the NCAA Division I champion over 100 meters in 2018, and anchored the Houston Cougars to victory in the 4 × 100 meters relay in 2017 and 2018. He ran for the United States 4 × 100 m relay team at the World Junior Championships in 2012 and the World Relays in 2019, with the team earning gold and silver from each competition respectively. Additionally Burrell anchored the U.S. 4 × 100 m relay team to gold at the inaugural Athletics World Cup in 2018.
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John Moores
- Occupations
- businessperson
- Biography
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John Jay Moores is an American entrepreneur and philanthropist, and the former owner of the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball (MLB).
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Reed O'Connor
- Occupations
- lawyerjudge
- Biography
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Reed Charles O'Connor is a chief United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas. He was nominated by President George W. Bush in 2007.
