37 Notable alumni of
Virginia State University
Updated:
Virginia State University is 1547th in the world, 535th in North America, and 503rd in the United States by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 37 notable alumni from Virginia State University sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff.
-
2 Chainz
- Occupations
- actorbusinesspersonrapperactivistbasketball player
- Biography
-
Tauheed Epps, known professionally as 2 Chainz, is an American rapper, songwriter, and actor. Born and raised in College Park, Georgia, he gained recognition as one-half of the Southern hip-hop duo Playaz Circle, alongside hometown rapper Earl "Dolla Boy" Conyers. The duo signed with fellow Georgia-based rapper Ludacris' Disturbing tha Peace label and became best known for their 2007 debut single "Duffle Bag Boy" (featuring Lil Wayne).
-
James Avery
- Occupations
- actorpoetscreenwriterfilm actorvoice actor
- Biography
-
James La Rue Avery was an American actor. He was best known for his roles as Philip Banks in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Judge Michael Conover on L.A. Law, Steve Yeager in The Brady Bunch Movie, and Dr. Crippen on The Closer (2005–2007); and as the voice actor for Shredder in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Haroud Hazi Bin in Aladdin.
-
Wale
- Occupations
- singersongwriterrapper
- Biography
-
Olubowale Victor Akintimehin listen, known professionally as Wale, is an American rapper. He first became known for his 2006 song "Dig Dug (Shake It)", which became popular in his hometown of Germantown, Maryland and led Wale to gain further local recognition as he amassed a number of follow-up releases. He signed a recording contract with English DJ-producer Mark Ronson's Allido Records in 2007, which, after a three-label bidding war, entered a joint venture with Interscope Records for US$1.3 million the following year. During this time, Wale's mixtapes and singles saw numerous attention as he appeared on MTV and various Black America-focused magazines.
-
Lucy McBath
- Enrolled in Virginia State University
- In 1982 graduated with bachelor's degree in political science
- Occupations
- flight attendantpolitician
- Biography
-
Lucia Kay McBath is an American politician who has served in the United States House of Representatives from a district in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia, since 2019. She represented Georgia's 6th congressional district from 2019 to 2023 and since 2025, and represented the neighboring 7th district from 2023 to 2025. McBath is a member of the Democratic Party.
-
Gladys West
- Enrolled in Virginia State University
- In 1955 graduated with Master of Mathematics
- Occupations
- mathematiciansurveyor
- Biography
-
Gladys Brown West was an American mathematician. She was known for her contributions to mathematical modeling of the shape of the Earth, and her work on the development of satellite geodesy models, which were later incorporated into the Global Positioning System (GPS).
-
Deshauna Barber
- Occupations
- motivational speakermodelbeauty pageant contestantmilitary officer
- Biography
-
Deshauna Barber is an American motivational speaker, beauty pageant titleholder and captain in the United States Army Reserve. On June 5, 2016, she was crowned Miss USA 2016 by the outgoing titleholder Olivia Jordan of Oklahoma. She represented the United States at the Miss Universe 2016 pageant and finished as a Top 9 finalist. She's also the first United States military member to win the Miss USA pageant.
-
Christine Darden
- Enrolled in Virginia State University
- In 1967 graduated with Master of Science in applied mathematics
- Occupations
- mathematicianmilitary flight engineer
- Biography
-
Christine Darden is an American aeronautical engineer who devoted much of her 40-year career in aerodynamics at NASA to research supersonic flight and sonic booms. She was the first African-American woman at NASA's Langley Research Center to be promoted to the Senior Executive Service, the top rank in the federal civil service.
-
Billy Taylor
- Occupations
- music educatorradio personalitycomposerjazz musicianuniversity teacher
- Biography
-
Billy Taylor was an American jazz pianist, composer, broadcaster and educator. He was the Robert L. Jones Distinguished Professor of Music at East Carolina University in Greenville, and from 1994 was the artistic director for jazz at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.
-
Jennifer Carroll Foy
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
-
Jennifer Denise Carroll Foy is an American politician and public defender serving in the Virginia Senate from the 33rd district since 2024. A Democrat, Carroll Foy previously served in the Virginia House of Delegates representing the 2nd district from 2017 until 2020. She resigned from the position to focus on her campaign for governor in the 2021 primary election, which she lost to Terry McAuliffe. In 2023, she was elected to the Virginia Senate.
-
Al Bumbry
- Occupations
- baseball player
- Biography
-
Alonza Benjamin Bumbry is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) outfielder who played for the Baltimore Orioles and San Diego Padres from 1972 through 1985. Bumbry was the 1973 American League Rookie of the Year, and went on to be an All-Star and World Series champion. He is an inductee of the Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame and the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame. Prior to his major league career, Bumbry served in the US Army during the Vietnam War and was awarded a Bronze Star.
-
Carl Weber
- Born in
-
United States - Occupations
- film producerscreenwriter
- Biography
-
Carl Weber is an American author, publisher, television writer and producer. He owns Urban Books, a publishing company, and formerly owned Urban Knowledge, a chain of bookstores. His mystery novels were adapted into films The Man in 3B (2015), The Preacher's Son (2017), The Choir Director (2018) and Influence (2020). Weber created and produced the crime family drama series The Family Business (2018–present) based on his book series. In 2022, he created the crime drama series The Black Hamptons.
-
Roger Gregory
- Occupations
- lawyerjudge
- Biography
-
Roger Lee Gregory is an American lawyer who serves as a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
-
Charles R. Hamilton
- Occupations
- army officer
- Biography
-
Charles R. Hamilton is a retired United States Army officer who served in various logistics and command roles during his 43-year military career. He most recently served as the commanding general of the United States Army Materiel Command from March 16, 2023, to March 22, 2024.
-
Dennis L. Via
- Biography
-
Dennis L. Via is a retired United States Army four-star general who last served as the 18th commanding general of the United States Army Materiel Command from 7 August 2012 to 30 September 2016. He is the first Signal Corps officer since General Henry H. Arnold to achieve four-star rank. He retired from the army on 30 September 2016 after over 36 years of service.
-
Herman Branson
- Occupations
- physicist
- Biography
-
Herman Russell Branson was an American physicist, chemist, best known for his research on the α protein structure, and was also the president of two colleges. He received a fellowship from the Rosenwald Foundation. He was one of the first African American physicists to make crystallography the focus of his research.
-
Camilla Williams
- Occupations
- opera singer
- Biography
-
Camilla Ella Williams was an American operatic soprano who performed nationally and internationally. After studying with renowned teachers in New York City, she was the first African American to receive a regular contract with a major American opera company, the New York City Opera. She had earlier won honors in vocal competitions and the Marian Anderson Fellowship in 1943–44.
-
Gaye Adegbalola
- Enrolled in Virginia State University
- In 1978 graduated with Master of Education
- Occupations
- singerlecturerguitaristactivistphotographer
- Biography
-
Gaye Adegbalola Listen is an American blues singer and guitarist, teacher, lecturer, activist, and photographer.
-
Clay Rapada
- Occupations
- baseball player
- Biography
-
Clayton Anthony Rapada is a Filipino American former professional baseball relief pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs, Detroit Tigers, Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees, and Cleveland Indians. He is currently an assistant pitching coordinator for the San Francisco Giants organization.
-
William R. Harvey
- Occupations
- businessperson
- Biography
-
William Robert Harvey is an American educator, academic administrator, and businessman who served as president of Hampton University from 1978 to 2022. He is the longest serving president in the school's history. Harvey became the first African-American owner in the soft drink bottling industry when he and his wife, Norma Baker Harvey, purchased a Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company franchise together in 1986.
-
Lashrecse Aird
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
-
Lashrecse Dianna Aird /ˌla.ʃəˈɹis/ is an American Democratic politician who represented the 63rd District in the Virginia House of Delegates from 2016 to 2022. The district includes Dinwiddie County and the city of Petersburg as well as parts of the counties of Chesterfield and Prince George. Aird served on the General Laws, Health, Welfare and Institutions, and Appropriations committees.
-
Rosalyn Dance
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
-
Rosalyn Randolph Dance is an American politician who served in the Senate of Virginia from 2014 until 2020. She was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates from 2005 to 2014, was mayor of Petersburg, Virginia from 1992 to 2004, and is the Vice-Chairman of the Board of the Virginia Department of Elections. Dance is a member of the Democratic Party.
-
Rodney Robinson
- Occupations
- secondary school teacher
- Biography
-
Rodney Alexander Robinson is an American educator. After teaching for over a decade in middle and high schools in Richmond, Virginia, he became a social studies and history teacher for grades 6 through 12 at the Virgie Binford Education Center, located inside the Richmond Juvenile Detention Center. He was named Virginia Teacher of the Year in 2018 and National Teacher of the Year in 2019.
-
Bobby Orrock
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
-
Robert Dickson Orrock Sr. is an American politician. From 1990 until 2026, he was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates, representing the 66th district in the east-central part of the state, including (since 2002) parts of Caroline and Spotsylvania counties; the former county is included in the Greater Richmond Region and the latter county is included in the Washington metropolitan area. From 1990–1991, the District encompassed all of Spotsylvania County, part of Caroline County, and part of the Fredericksburg City. From 1992–2001, the District encompassed part of Spotsylvania County and all of Fredericksburg City. He is a member of the Republican Party. Orrock was defeated by Democrat Nicole Cole in the 2025 Virginia House of Delegates election.
-
Thomas Miller
- Occupations
- graphic designer
- Biography
-
Thomas Miller was an American graphic designer and visual artist, whose best known publicly accessible work is the collection of mosaics of the founders of DuSable Museum of African American History in Chicago, Illinois. He designed the logos of Motorola and the Peace Corps while employed at the Chicago studio of Morton Goldsholl Associates and was the creative director of the 1975 rebrand of 7-Up.
-
Yvonne B. Miller
- Occupations
- teacherpolitician
- Biography
-
Yvonne Bond Miller was a Virginia educator and American politician who became the first African-American woman to serve in both houses of the Virginia General Assembly. A Democrat, in 1983 Miller became the first African-American woman elected to the state house, where she served for four years before winning election to the state Senate, where she consistently won re-election until her death in office. Miller taught in the Norfolk Public schools, and later taught early and childhood education at one of her alma maters, which had become Norfolk State University during her lifetime.
-
ABilly S. Jones-Hennin
- Occupations
- LGBTQ rights activist
- Biography
-
ABilly S. Jones-Hennin was an American LGBT rights activist based in Washington, D.C.
-
Larry Brooks
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
-
Lawrence Lee Brooks Sr. is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). Brooks played college football for the Virginia State Trojans and was selected in the 14th round of the 1972 NFL draft by the Rams. He was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 2000.
-
Antwan McClellan
- Years
- 1974-.. (age 52)
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
-
Antwan McClellan is an American Republican Party politician who has represented the 1st Legislative District in the New Jersey General Assembly since January 14, 2020. McClellan served as a councilman in Ocean City, New Jersey from 2012 until 2020.
-
Ruppert L. Sargent
- Occupations
- military personnel
- Biography
-
Ruppert Leon Sargent was a United States Army officer and a recipient of America's highest military decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in the Vietnam War.
-
Avis Wyatt
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
-
Avis Jawan Wyatt is an American retired basketball player. Wyatt is 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) and played as power forward and center. After four years playing in college for Virginia State, Wyatt played in the Netherlands, Cyprus and Greece.
-
Delores G. Kelley
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
-
Delores Goodwin Kelley is an American politician from Maryland and a member of the Democratic Party. She was a member of the Maryland Senate, representing Maryland's District 10 in Baltimore County.
-
Dzigbordi Kwaku-Dosoo
- Born in
-
Ghana - Occupations
- entrepreneur
- Biography
-
Dzigbordi Kwaku-Dosoo is a Ghanaian entrepreneur, speaker, media personality, and consultant. She is the founder and CEO of DCG Consulting Group and Allure Africa.
-
Ora Brown Stokes Perry
- Occupations
- teacher
- Biography
-
Ora Brown Stokes Perry was an American educator, probation officer, temperance worker, suffragist, and clubwoman based in Richmond, Virginia.
-
William F. Penn
- Years
- 1871-1934 (aged 63)
- Occupations
- physician
- Biography
-
William Fletcher Penn was a prominent Black-American medical doctor in Atlanta, Georgia and a founding member of the Atlanta Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
-
David S. Holmes, Jr
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
-
David S. Holmes Jr. was a member of both houses of the Michigan Legislature between 1959 and his death in 1994.
-
Pamela E. Bridgewater
- Occupations
- diplomat
- Biography
-
Pamela E. Bridgewater is an American career diplomat who served as the U.S. ambassador to Jamaica.
-
Alonzo Short
- Enrolled in Virginia State University
- Graduated with Bachelor of Science in education
- Occupations
- military officer
- Biography
-
Alonzo Earl Short Jr. is a retired United States Army lieutenant general who served as Director of the Defense Information Systems Agency.
