100 Notable alumni of
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Updated:
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University is 345th in the world, 145th in North America, and 137th in the United States by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 100 notable alumni from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff.
-
Steve Bannon
- Enrolled in Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
- In 1976 graduated with bachelor's degree
- Occupations
- screenwriterbankerinvestment bankerpolitical adviserstrategist
- Biography
-
Stephen Kevin Bannon is an American media executive, political strategist, and former investment banker. He served as the White House's chief strategist for the first seven months of U.S. president Donald Trump's first administration, before Trump discharged him. He is a former executive chairman of Breitbart News and previously served on the board of the now-defunct data-analytics firm Cambridge Analytica.
-
Dell Curry
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
-
Wardell Stephen Curry Sr. is an American former professional basketball player. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1986 until 2002 and retired as the Charlotte Hornets' all-time leader in points (9,839) and three-point field goals made (929). Curry currently works as a color commentator, alongside Eric Collins, on Charlotte Hornets television broadcasts. He is the father of NBA players Stephen Curry and Seth Curry.
-
Hoda Kotb
- Enrolled in Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
- Graduated with Bachelor of Arts
- Occupations
- journalistwriter
- Biography
-
Hoda Kotb is an American broadcast journalist, television personality, and author. She was the main co-anchor of the NBC News morning show Today from 2018 to 2025, and co-host of its entertainment-focused fourth hour from 2007 to 2025. Kotb also formerly served as a correspondent for the television news magazine program Dateline NBC.
-
Jayma Mays
- Occupations
- actorfilm actorsingertelevision actorvoice actor
- Biography
-
Jamia Suzette "Jayma" Mays is an American actress. She is known for playing Emma Pillsbury in the Fox musical series Glee (2009–2015) and for her starring roles in the films Red Eye (2005), Paul Blart: Mall Cop (2009) and The Smurfs (2011). She is also known for portraying Debbie in the sitcom The Millers (2013–2014) and her recurring role as Charlie Andrews on the NBC sci-fi series Heroes (2006–2010). Mays starred as prosecutor Carol Anne Keane in the NBC sitcom Trial & Error (2017–2018).
-
Jim Miller
- Occupations
- mixed martial arts fighter
- Biography
-
James Andrew Miller is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he currently holds the UFC records for most bouts, most total wins, and most wins in the Lightweight division. He is the younger brother of former UFC fighter Dan Miller.
-
Homer Hickam
- Occupations
- autobiographeraerospace engineernovelistwriterscience fiction writer
- Biography
-
Homer Hadley Hickam Jr. is an American author, Vietnam War veteran, and a former NASA engineer who trained the first Japanese astronauts. His 1998 memoir Rocket Boys (also published as October Sky) was a New York Times Best Seller and was the basis for the 1999 film October Sky. Hickam's body of written work also includes several additional best-selling memoirs and novels, including the "Josh Thurlow" historical fiction novels, his 2015 best-selling Carrying Albert Home: The Somewhat True Story of a Man, his Wife, and her Alligator and in 2021 the sequel to Rocket Boys titled Don't Blow Yourself Up: The Further Adventures and Travails of the Rocket Boy of October Sky. His books have been translated into many languages.
-
Dave Calhoun
- Occupations
- managerbusiness executive
- Biography
-
David L. Calhoun is an American executive who was the president and chief executive of Boeing from January 2020 to August 7, 2024. In March 2024, Boeing announced that Calhoun would step down as chief executive by the end of 2024.
-
Nickeil Alexander-Walker
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
-
Nickeil Alexander-Walker is a Canadian professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Virginia Tech Hokies. A shooting guard, he was drafted 17th overall by the Brooklyn Nets in the 2019 NBA draft but was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans.
-
Tremaine Edmunds
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
-
Fe'Zahn Tremaine Edmunds is an American professional football linebacker for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Virginia Tech Hokies and was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft.
-
Michelle Krusiec
- Occupations
- film produceractorfilm actorfilm directortelevision actor
- Biography
-
Michelle Jacqueline Krusiec is an American actress, writer and producer.
-
Shane Beamer
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
-
Shane Beamer is an American college football coach who is currently the head football coach at the University of South Carolina, and the son of current Illinois head coach Bret Bielema. Beamer is the highest-paid coach in school history. He is the first South Carolina coach to win back-to-back games against top-10 teams, the first to win three straight games over AP top-25 teams, and the first FBS coach since 1978 to win twice by 20+ points as a 20+ point underdog.
-
Gladys West
- Occupations
- mathematiciansurveyor
- Biography
-
Gladys Mae West is an American mathematician. She is known for her contributions to mathematical modeling of the shape of the Earth, and her work on the development of satellite geodesy models, that were later incorporated into the Global Positioning System (GPS). West was inducted into the United States Air Force Hall of Fame in 2018. West was awarded the Webby Lifetime Achievement Award for the development of satellite geodesy models.
-
Terrell Edmunds
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
-
FeDerius Terrell Edmunds is an American professional football safety. He played college football at Virginia Tech and was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft.
-
Dorian Finney-Smith
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
-
Dorian Lawrence Finney-Smith is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for Virginia Tech Hokies and Florida Gators. After spending his first seven seasons with the Dallas Mavericks, he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets in February 2023, and then to the Lakers in late December 2024.
-
Carol M. Swain
- Occupations
- university teacherwriterjuristpolitical scientist
- Biography
-
Carol Miller Swain is an American political scientist and legal scholar who is a retired professor of political science and law at Vanderbilt University. She is a frequent television analyst and has authored and edited several books. Her interests include race relations, immigration, representation, evangelical politics, and the United States Constitution.
-
Kendall Fuller
- Enrolled in Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
- Studied finance
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
-
Kendall Christopher Fuller is an American professional football cornerback for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Virginia Tech and was selected by the Washington Redskins in the third round of the 2016 NFL draft. Fuller also played for the Kansas City Chiefs, recording a game-sealing interception in Super Bowl LIV.
-
Malcolm Delaney
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
-
Malcolm Hakeem Delaney is an American former professional basketball player. He is from Baltimore, Maryland, and attended Towson Catholic High School. Delaney played college basketball for the Virginia Tech Hokies men's basketball team. At the end of his college career, Delaney declared for the 2011 NBA draft. He was not drafted, and instead began his professional basketball career overseas, playing one season each for Élan Chalon, Budivelnyk Kyiv, and Bayern Munich, and later joined Lokomotiv Kuban for two seasons. In 2016, he earned an All-EuroLeague First Team selection.
-
Duane Brown
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
-
Duane Anthony Brown is an American professional football offensive tackle. He played college football for the Virginia Tech Hokies and was selected by the Houston Texans in the first round of the 2008 NFL draft. Brown has also played for the Seattle Seahawks and New York Jets.
-
William G. Boykin
- Enrolled in Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
- In 1971 graduated with Bachelor of Arts in English studies
- Occupations
- military personnel
- Biography
-
William Gerald "Jerry" Boykin is a retired American lieutenant general who was the United States Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence under President George W. Bush from 2002 to 2007. During his 36-year career in the military he spent 13 years in the Delta Force and was involved in numerous high-profile missions, including the 1980 Iran hostage rescue attempt, the 1992 hunt for Pablo Escobar in Colombia, and the Black Hawk Down incident in Mogadishu, Somalia. He is an author and visiting professor at Hampden–Sydney College, Virginia. He is currently Executive Vice-President at the Family Research Council.
-
Christopher C. Kraft
- Occupations
- inventormilitary flight engineerwriter
- Biography
-
Christopher Columbus Kraft Jr. was an American aerospace and NASA engineer who was instrumental in establishing the agency's Mission Control Center and shaping its organization and culture. His protégé Glynn Lunney said in 1998: "the Control Center today... is a reflection of Chris Kraft".
-
Keith Buckley
- Occupations
- singer-songwritersinger
- Biography
-
Keith Buckley is an American singer, best known as the vocalist and lyricist of Many Eyes, the now defunct metalcore band Every Time I Die and the heavy metal supergroup The Damned Things. He is also a published author.
-
Erick Green
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
-
Erick O'Brien Green is an American professional basketball for Napoli Basket of the Lega Basket Serie A (LBA). He finished the 2012–13 NCAA Division I season as the top scorer in the nation at 25.0 points per game. Green was selected by the Utah Jazz with the 46th overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft, but was later traded to the Denver Nuggets.
-
Kevin Barker
- Occupations
- baseball player
- Biography
-
Kevin Stewart Barker is an American baseball analyst and former professional baseball player. In his career, he played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a first baseman for the Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres, Toronto Blue Jays, and Cincinnati Reds. He currently co-hosts the sports talk show Blair and Barker alongside Jeff Blair on Sportsnet 590 the FAN radio and on multiple Sportsnet TV channels, out of Toronto. He began co-hosting Blair and Barker after Sportsnet parted ways with Gregg Zaun.
-
Jim Buckmaster
- Occupations
- engineer
- Biography
-
Jim Buckmaster is an American computer programmer who has been the CEO of Craigslist since 2000.
-
Charlie Byrd
- Occupations
- composerjazz musicianguitaristclassical guitaristjazz guitarist
- Biography
-
Charlie Lee Byrd was an American jazz guitarist. Byrd was best known for his association with Brazilian music, especially bossa nova. In 1962, he collaborated with Stan Getz on the album Jazz Samba, a recording which brought bossa nova into the mainstream of North American music.
-
Rob Wittman
- Enrolled in Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
- In 1981 graduated with Bachelor of Science
- Occupations
- civil servantpolitician
- Biography
-
Robert Joseph Wittman is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for Virginia's 1st congressional district since 2007. The district contains portions of the Richmond suburbs and Hampton Roads area, as well as the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula. He is a member of the Republican Party.
-
Todd Grantham
- Occupations
- American football coachcoachdefensive coordinator
- Biography
-
Jeffrey Todd Grantham is an American football coach who is the defensive coordinator for Oklahoma State. He has previously served as defensive coordinator at the University of Florida.
-
Antonio Freeman
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
-
Antonio Michael Freeman is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL), most notably for the Green Bay Packers. He attended the Baltimore Polytechnic Institute and Virginia Tech.
-
Wyatt Teller
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
-
Wyatt Teller is an American professional football guard for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Virginia Tech.
-
Amanda Chase
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
-
Amanda Chase is an American politician. From 2016 to 2024, she was a member of the Virginia Senate for the 11th District and represented Amelia County, the city of Colonial Heights, and part of Chesterfield County. Chase, self-described as "Trump in heels" was narrowly defeated in the primary of her reelection campaign for a redrawn 12th District in June 2023 and left office in January 2024.
-
Kevin Roberts
- Enrolled in Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
- Graduated with Master of Arts in study of history
- Occupations
- university teacherhistorianacademic administratornonprofit administrator
- Biography
-
Kevin David Roberts is an American historian and political strategist who is the president of the Heritage Foundation, a conservative political think tank, and its lobbying arm, Heritage Action. Prior to assuming his current role, he was the CEO of another conservative think tank, the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Roberts served as the president of Wyoming Catholic College from 2013 to 2016.
-
Kwame Alexander
- Occupations
- writerchildren's writerpoet
- Biography
-
Kwame Alexander is an American writer of poetry and children's fiction.
-
Hochen Tan
- Years
- 1950-.. (age 75)
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
-
Hochen Tan is a Taiwanese politician. He was the Minister of Transportation and Communications of the Republic of China from 20 May 2016 until 16 July 2018. He is the elder brother of Hocheng Hong.
-
Chet Culver
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
-
Chester John Culver is an American politician who served from 2007 through 2011 as the 41st governor of Iowa. A member of the Democratic Party, he had previously served as the 29th Secretary of State of Iowa from 1999 to 2007. He was elected governor in the 2006 Iowa gubernatorial election and ran unsuccessfully for reelection in 2010, losing to former governor Terry Branstad.
-
Douglas Domenech
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
-
Douglas William Domenech is an American government official who served as the Assistant United States Secretary of the Interior for Insular Areas in the Trump administration from 2017 to 2021. He is a former George W. Bush administration political appointee who served in roles of Deputy Chief of Staff of the United States Department of the Interior, and Senior Advisor to the Secretary of the Interior, as well as having held a position on the White House Working Group on the Political Status of Puerto Rico.
-
Jarell Eddie
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
-
Jarell Alexander Eddie is an American professional basketball player for Peristeri of the Greek Basketball League (GBL). He played college basketball for Virginia Tech before splitting the first four years of his professional career in the NBA and NBA G League. Since 2018, Eddie has played in Europe.
-
Regina E. Dugan
- Occupations
- businesspersonengineer
- Biography
-
Regina E. Dugan, is an American businesswoman, inventor, technology developer and government official. She was the first female director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), where she served from July 2009 until March 2012.
-
Christian Darrisaw
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
-
Christian Darrisaw is an American professional football offensive tackle for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Virginia Tech and was selected by the Vikings in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft.
-
Kevin Jones
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
-
Kevin S. Jones is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Virginia Tech Hokies, earning consensus All-American honors in 2003. Jones was selected in the first round of the 2004 NFL draft. He played in the NFL for six seasons (2004–10) with the Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears.
-
Kristi Castlin
- Occupations
- athletics competitor
- Biography
-
Kristi Castlin is an American track and field athlete who specializes in the 100 metres hurdles. She won a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympics. Her personal best for the event is 12.50 seconds, set on July 8, 2016, during the finals of the 2016 United States Olympic Trials, in which she qualified for the 2016 Summer Olympics by placing 2nd. She was the 2012 American champion in the indoor 60 metres hurdles and represented the United States at the 2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships. She shares the world record for the shuttle hurdle relay, with her time of 50.78 seconds set in 2013.
-
Sean Glennon
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
-
Sean Glennon is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at Virginia Tech.
-
Thomas DiLorenzo
- Years
- 1954-.. (age 71)
- Occupations
- pedagoguewriterhistorianeconomist
- Biography
-
Thomas James DiLorenzo is an American author and former university economics professor who is the President of the Ludwig von Mises Institute. He has written books denouncing President Abraham Lincoln and is well known among economists for his work chronicling the history of antitrust policy in the United States.
-
Robert Coleman Richardson
- Occupations
- physicistprofessor
- Biography
-
Robert Coleman Richardson was an American experimental physicist whose area of research included sub-millikelvin temperature studies of helium-3. Richardson, along with David Lee, as senior researchers, and then graduate student Douglas Osheroff, shared the 1996 Nobel Prize in Physics for their 1972 discovery of the property of superfluidity in helium-3 atoms in the Cornell University Laboratory of Atomic and Solid State Physics.
-
Darryl Tapp
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
-
Darryl Anthony Tapp is an American professional football coach and former defensive end who is the defensive line coach for the Washington Commanders. He played college football for the Virginia Tech Hokies and was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the second round of the 2006 NFL draft. Tapp also played for the Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins, Detroit Lions, New Orleans Saints, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers before entering coaching in 2018.
-
Bimbo Coles
- Occupations
- basketball playerbasketball coach
- Biography
-
Vernell Eufaye "Bimbo" Coles is an American retired professional basketball player who played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Virginia Tech Hokies and won an Olympic bronze medal as a member of the United States national team in 1988. He received his nickname from a cousin in reference to a country music song of the same name.
-
Benjamin King
- Occupations
- sport cyclist
- Biography
-
Benjamin T. King is an American former professional road racing cyclist, who competed as a professional from 2008 to 2022.
-
Tim Settle
- Enrolled in Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
- Studied communication studies
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
-
Tim Settle is an American professional football defensive tackle for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Virginia Tech and was selected by the Washington Redskins in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL draft.
-
Justin Robinson
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
-
Justin Robinson is an American professional basketball player for Trapani Shark of the Lega Basket Serie A. He played college basketball for the Virginia Tech Hokies.
-
Brian Sullivan
- Occupations
- journalist
- Biography
-
Brian Sullivan is a television news anchor and business journalist for CNBC.
-
Bill Dally
- Years
- 1960-.. (age 65)
- Occupations
- university teachercomputer scientistacademicengineer
- Biography
-
William James Dally is an American computer scientist and educator. He is the chief scientist and senior vice president at Nvidia and was previously a professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Stanford University and MIT. Since 2021, he has been a member of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST).
-
Jimmie W. Monteith
- Occupations
- military personnel
- Biography
-
Jimmie Watters Monteith Jr. was a United States Army officer who received the Medal of Honor posthumously for his heroic actions in World War II at the D-Day landings in Normandy, France.
-
Divine Deablo
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
-
Divine Ahmad Deablo is an American professional football linebacker for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Virginia Tech and was drafted by the Raiders in the third round of the 2021 NFL draft.
-
Elizabeth Kitley
- Enrolled in Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
- In 2019 graduated with bachelor's degree
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
-
Elizabeth Ann Kitley is an American professional basketball player who played college basketball at Virginia Tech. She was drafted 24th overall in the 2024 WNBA draft by the Las Vegas Aces.
-
James Bell
- Occupations
- stage actoractor
- Biography
-
James Harlee Bell was an American film and stage actor who appeared in about 150 films and television shows through 1964.
-
Deron Washington
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
-
Deron Washington is an American basketball player who last played for Mitteldeutscher of the German Basketball Bundesliga (BBL). He played in college for the Virginia Tech Hokies men's basketball team. He was selected with the 59th overall selection in the 2008 NBA draft by the Detroit Pistons.
-
Lloyd W. Williams
- Occupations
- military officer
- Biography
-
Major Lloyd W. Williams was an officer in the United States Marine Corps who served and died in World War I.
-
Peggy O'Neal
- Occupations
- lawyer
- Biography
-
Peggy Yvonne O'Neal AO is an American-born Australian lawyer who, from 2013 to 2022, served as the president of the Richmond Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). She is the first woman in AFL history to serve as a club president. Since January 2022, she has served as Chancellor of RMIT University.
-
John B. McKay
- Occupations
- engineerastronautmilitary officermilitary flight engineeraircraft pilot
- Biography
-
John Barron McKay was an American naval officer, World War II pilot, aeronautical engineer, test pilot, and astronaut. He was one of twelve pilots who flew the North American X-15, an experimental spaceplane jointly operated by the United States Air Force and NASA. On September 28, 1965, he flew the X-15 to an altitude of 295,600 feet (90,100 m), thereby qualifying as an astronaut according to the United States definition of the boundary of space. However, this altitude did not surpass the Kármán line as defined by the FAI, the FAI-accepted boundary of 100 kilometres (62.1 mi).
-
Jamon Gordon
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
-
Jamon Alfred Lucas Gordon is an American former professional basketball player. Standing at 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) he played the point guard and shooting guard positions. He played college basketball with the Virginia Tech Hokies.
-
Carroll Dale
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
-
Carroll Wayne Dale is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He was an All-American playing college football for the Virginia Tech Hokies before becoming a member of the Green Bay Packers teams that won three straight NFL championships, including the first two Super Bowls. He was originally from Wise, Virginia.
-
Tyrone Garland
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
-
Tyrone W. Garland, nicknamed South West Philly Floater, is an American former basketball player. A native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he joined the Mississauga Power midway in the 2014–15 season, a few months after completing his senior year at La Salle University. He had several impactful performances with Mississauga in his rookie season and was awarded several starts. Garland primarily plays the point guard position, but is known as an all-around guard.
-
Kerry Blackshear Jr
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
-
Kerry Blackshear Jr. is an American professional basketball player for Hiroshima Dragonflies of the B.League. He played college basketball for the Virginia Tech Hokies and the Florida Gators.
-
Josh Jackson
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
-
Joshua Anthony Jackson is a former American football quarterback for Virginia Tech and Maryland.
-
Deborah Hersman
- Occupations
- official
- Biography
-
Deborah A.P. Hersman is a former board member of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board who served as its 12th chairman. She completed two terms as chairman and was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on October 16, 2013, for a third term. On March 11, 2014, she announced she would join the National Safety Council as its president and CEO. She is currently the chief safety officer at Waymo.
-
Johnny Hamilton
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
-
Johnathan Hamilton is a Trinidadian professional basketball player for Força Lleida of the Liga ACB. He began his college career at Jacksonville College, before moving to NCAA Division I program Virginia Tech and playing his final season for UT Arlington. Standing 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m), he plays the center position.
-
Claude A. Swanson
- Occupations
- lawyerpolitician
- Biography
-
Claude Augustus Swanson was an American lawyer and Democratic politician from Virginia. He served as U.S. Representative (1893–1906), Governor of Virginia (1906–1910), and U.S. Senator from Virginia (1910–1933), before becoming U.S. Secretary of the Navy under President Franklin D. Roosevelt from 1933 until his death. Swanson and fellow U.S. Senator Thomas Staples Martin led a Democratic political machine in Virginia for decades in the late 19th and early 20th century, which later became known as the Byrd Organization for Swanson's successor as U.S. Senator, Harry Flood Byrd.
-
Sharyn McCrumb
- Occupations
- writernovelistscience fiction writer
- Biography
-
Sharyn McCrumb is an American writer best known for books that celebrate the history and folklore of Appalachia. McCrumb is the winner of numerous literary awards, and the author of the Elizabeth McPherson mystery series, the Ballad series, and the St. Dale series.
-
John E. Whitley
- Biography
-
John Euler Whitley is an American government official who served as the acting United States Secretary of the Army from January 20, 2021, to May 28, 2021. He previously serviced as Assistant Secretary of the Army (Financial Management and Comptroller) and acting director of cost assessment and program evaluation for the Department of Defense.
-
Joseph DeSimone
- Enrolled in Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
- In 1990 graduated with Doctor of Philosophy in chemistry
- Occupations
- engineerchemistresearcher
- Biography
-
Joseph M. DeSimone is an American chemist, inventor, and entrepreneur who has co-founded companies based on his research, including the American 3D printing technology company, Carbon, of which he was CEO from 2014 until November 2019.
-
Joe Mantiply
- Occupations
- baseball player
- Biography
-
Joseph Newman Mantiply is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Detroit Tigers and New York Yankees. Mantiply was selected by the Detroit Tigers in the 27th round of the 2013 MLB draft. He was an All-Star in 2022.
-
Jalen Hudson
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
-
Jalen Andreas Hudson is an American professional basketball player who last played for Yukatel Merkezefendi of the Basketbol Süper Ligi (BSL). He played college basketball for the Virginia Tech Hokies and the Florida Gators.
-
Kylene Barker
- Occupations
- modelbeauty pageant contestant
- Biography
-
Kylene Barker is an American pageant winner from Galax, Virginia who was Miss Virginia 1978 and Miss America 1979.
-
James Dunsmuir
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
-
James Dunsmuir was a Canadian industrialist and politician in British Columbia. He served as the 14th premier of British Columbia from 1900 to 1902 and the eighth lieutenant governor of British Columbia from 1906 to 1909.
-
Torrian Gray
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
-
Torrian Gray is an American football coach and former player who is currently the defensive backs coach at the University of South Carolina. Also known by the nickname “Big Play Torrian Gray”.
-
Linda Swartz Taglialatela
- Years
- 1949-.. (age 76)
- Occupations
- diplomat
- Biography
-
Linda Swartz Taglialatela is a diplomat and she was United States Ambassador to Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean, and the OECS. She was nominated by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the Senate on December 9, 2015. On February 1, 2016, she presented her credentials to Sir Elliott Belgrave, the then Governor-General of Barbados.
-
Trevor Thompson
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
-
Trevor Thompson is an American professional basketball player for Shenzhen Leopards of the Chinese Basketball Association. He played collegiate for Ohio State University.
-
Tony McNulty
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
-
Anthony James "Tony" McNulty is a retired British politician who was the Labour Member of Parliament (MP) for Harrow East from 1997 to 2010. During his ministerial career, which began in 2003, he was Minister for London and later Minister of State for Employment and Welfare Reform at the Department for Work and Pensions. He resigned his position on 5 June 2009 after allegations in the press regarding his expenses.
-
Allan Bristow
- Occupations
- basketball playerbasketball coach
- Biography
-
Allan Mercer Bristow Jr. is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive. Bristow played college basketball at Virginia Tech, and was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round of the 1973 NBA draft. A 6 ft 7 in, 210 lb (95 kg) small forward, he had a 10-year career in both the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the American Basketball Association (ABA), playing for the Sixers, the San Antonio Spurs (in both leagues), the Utah Jazz, and finishing his playing career with the Dallas Mavericks. His nickname was "Disco".
-
Mike Michalowicz
- Occupations
- television presenter
- Biography
-
Michael Michalowicz (/mɪˈkæləwɪts/ mick-AL-ə-wits; (born September 19, 1970) is an American author, entrepreneur, and lecturer. He is the author of eight business books published by Penguin Random House, including All In (2023), Get Different (2021), Profit First (2017), and Clockwork Revised & Expanded (2022), and the former host of the "Business Rescue" segment for MSNBC's Your Business. He was a guest small business columnist for The Wall Street Journal and hosted a reality television program called Bailout!.
-
Zabian Dowdell
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
-
Zabian Dowdell is an American former professional basketball player. Born in Pahokee, Florida, he played basketball for his hometown's high school. He played college basketball for the Virginia Tech Hokies from 2003 to 2007. In his senior season he was named in the First-team All-ACC and the ACC All-Defensive team. Following his graduation from college, Dowdell played professionally mainly in Europe, also having brief stints in the NBA and the NBA D-League.
-
Neil Gourley
- Occupations
- athleteathletics competitor
- Biography
-
Neil Gourley is a Scottish middle-distance runner specialising in the 1500 metres. He won the silver medal in the event at the 2023 European Indoor Championships and bronze at the 2015 European Under-23 Championships.
-
Tic Price
- Occupations
- basketball playerbasketball coach
- Biography
-
George "Tic" Price is an American college basketball coach. He last coached the Lamar Cardinals men's basketball team. From 2002 to 2007, he served as head coach at McNeese State. Prior to that, he served as head coach of Memphis and New Orleans. Price's daughter is Sports Illustrated model Chanel Iman, who married NFL wide receiver Sterling Shepard in 2017. He is married to the former Jamie Lynn Simms, and the couple has two children - son, Ryan, a college basketball coach who played for his father at McNeese, and daughter, Chanel. He has three granddaughters - Bella Grace Price, Cali Clay Shepard and Cassie Snow Shepard.
-
Charles Camarda
- Enrolled in Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
- In 1990 graduated with Doctor of Philosophy in aerospace engineering
- Occupations
- astronaut
- Biography
-
Charles Joseph "Charlie" Camarda is an American engineer and a NASA astronaut who flew his first mission into space on board the Space Shuttle mission STS-114. He served as Senior Advisor for Engineering Development at NASA Langley Research Center. and was a senior advisor for innovation at the office of Chief Engineer in the Johnson Space Center.
-
Benjamin K. Sovacool
- Years
- 1979-.. (age 46)
- Enrolled in Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
- 2003-2006 graduated with Doctor of Philosophy in science
- Occupations
- consultantresearcher
- Biography
-
Benjamin K. Sovacool is an American and British academic who is director of the Institute for Global Sustainability at Boston University as well as Professor of Earth and Environment at Boston University. He was formerly Director of the Danish Center for Energy Technology at the Department of Business Development and Technology and a professor of social sciences at Aarhus University. He is also professor of energy policy at the University of Sussex, where he formerly directed the Center on Innovation and Energy Demand and the Sussex Energy Group. He has written on energy policy, environmental issues, and science and technology policy. Sovacool is also the editor-in-chief of Energy Research & Social Science.
-
Letitia Long
- Occupations
- civil servant
- Biography
-
Letitia A. Long served as a civilian in the U.S. Navy and the Intelligence Community between 1978 and 2014, retiring as the fifth Director the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, and the first woman to lead a major U.S. intelligence agency, in October 2014. She currently is the Chairman of the Board for the Intelligence and National Security Alliance.
-
Carlton D. Everhart II
- Occupations
- military leader
- Biography
-
Carlton Dewey Everhart II is a retired United States Air Force general, who served as the commander of Air Mobility Command. He was previously Commander, Third Air Force and commanded Eighteenth Air Force. Everhart is a 1983 graduate of Virginia Tech and received his commission through Air Force ROTC. He is a command pilot with more than 4,500 flight hours. Everhart has served in varying aircrew assignments in the C-130E, C-17A and C-21A. Everhart retired effective November 1, 2018 after more than 35 years of active duty service.
-
Zain Naghmi
- Years
- 1996-.. (age 29)
- Biography
-
Zain Naghmi, more commonly known by his tag Zain, is an American Super Smash Bros. Melee player from Reston, Virginia. Beginning his career in 2014, he rapidly climbed the ranks, becoming a ranked top 100 player in the world within only two years, a top 10 player since 2018 and was ranked the number one player in the world in 2022 and 2024. Naghmi plays Marth and is currently considered the best Marth player in the world. He was sponsored by Golden Guardians from February 2020 to March 2023. In April 2023, he was signed by Moist Esports.
-
Curtis Dvorak
- Occupations
- mascot character
- Biography
-
Curtis John Dvorak was primarily known as Jaxson de Ville, official mascot of the Jacksonville Jaguars NFL football team. He was the first person to portray the Jaguars mascot in the team's history and had the title, Vice President of Mascot Relations. Curtis retired from serving as Jaxson de Ville on June 23, 2015.
-
Queen Harrison
- Occupations
- hurdler
- Biography
-
Queen Quedith Claye née Harrison is an American hurdler and sprinter who competed in the 400 metres hurdles at the 2008 Summer Olympics. She was a six-time collegiate All-American at Virginia Tech where she was elected to its sports hall of fame. Queen is a meet director for Virginia's Best Track and Field Classic - VHSL meet hosted in Richmond, Virginia started in 2017.
-
Kirk Schulz
- Occupations
- teacher
- Biography
-
Kirk Herman Schulz is an American educator, currently serving as the president of the Washington State University System, a position he began on June 13, 2016. Prior to serving at Washington State, Schulz was the 13th president of Kansas State University.
-
Wang Xiji
- Occupations
- physicistmilitary flight engineer
- Biography
-
Wang Xiji is a Chinese aerospace engineer. The chief designer of China's first sounding rocket (T-7), first space launch vehicle (Long March 1) and first recoverable satellites, he was awarded the Two Bombs, One Satellite Meritorious Medal in 1999. He is an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the International Academy of Astronautics, and was inducted into the International Astronautical Federation Hall of Fame in 2016. Wang turned 100 in July 2021.
-
Patrick Nyarko
- Occupations
- association football player
- Biography
-
Patrick Nyarko is a Ghanaian former professional footballer.
-
Mark Obenshain
- Occupations
- lawyerpolitician
- Biography
-
Mark Dudley Obenshain is an American attorney and politician. He is currently serving as a member of the Senate of Virginia from Harrisonburg. He is a member of the Republican Party. He took office in 2004. At the 2013 state Republican convention he became the Republican nominee in the 2013 election for Attorney General of Virginia.
-
Darian Grubb
- Occupations
- engineer
- Biography
-
Darian Kent Grubb is a NASCAR mechanic, engineer, and crew chief who is currently employed at Trackhouse Racing as the Director of Performance and the crew chief of the team's part-time No. 91 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 driven by multiple drivers (including Hélio Castroneves in 2025) as part of the team's PROJECT91 program. He has collected 1 championship and 24 wins (including 1 Daytona 500 win) as a crew chief.
-
Justin Bibbs
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
-
Justin Michael Bibbs is an American professional basketball player for the Panteras de Aguascalientes of the Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional. He played college basketball for the Virginia Tech Hokies.
-
Wayne Robinson
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
-
Wayne Howard Robinson is a retired American basketball player. He was a 6'8", 217 lb forward. He played one season in the National Basketball Association with the Detroit Pistons (1980–81). He played college basketball at Virginia Tech.
-
Anthony Dobbins
- Occupations
- basketball playerbasketball coach
- Biography
-
Anthony Dobbins is an American-Italian professional basketball coach and former player who is an assistant coach for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
-
Jayron Hosley
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
-
Jayron Todd Hosley is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Virginia Tech Hokies.
-
Jeff King
- Occupations
- basketball playerAmerican football player
- Biography
-
Jeffery Wayne King is an American football executive and former tight end who is the senior director of player personnel for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served in various scouting roles for the Bears since 2015.
-
Keve Aluma
- Years
- 1998-.. (age 27)
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
-
Keve Aluma is an American professional basketball player for the Ryukyu Golden Kings of the B.League. He previously played for the Virginia Tech Hokies and the Wofford Terriers.
