This is a list of people associated with the University of Illinois at Chicago in the United States. Note that for earlier alumni, validating attendance is difficult. Before the creation of the Circle Campus, UIC was a two-year institution at Navy Pier. After two years, students continued at the Urbana-Champaign campus.
During this period, the Chicago campus was not seen as distinct; thus, records about the first two years of a student's attendance often said nothing about whether those years were completed at Navy Pier. Consequently, some of the below alumni are credited in official biographies as graduating from the "University of Illinois." The alumni listed below for the Navy Pier period are those confirmed to have attended the Navy Pier campus.
Notable faculty
- Bill Ayers, retired Professor of Education; 1960s-era political activist; former member of the domestic terrorism organization Weather Underground; author of a number of books on the teaching profession; active in progressive campaigns for school reform
- Daniel J. Bernstein, professor, Department of Computer Science; author of qmail and djbdns; multiple NSF grant winner and Sloan Foundation fellow; distinguished for his work in the fields of cryptography and computer security
- William T. Bielby, sociologist, Professor of Sociology at UIC, President of the American Sociological Association from 2002â€"2003
- Jerry Bona, mathematician, professor at UIC math department
- Robert Bruegmann, professor of art history; specialist on the Chicago school of architecture; best known for his research on the architectural firm of Holabird & Root; commentator on urban sprawl
- Juan Carlos Campuzano, Distinguished Professor of Physics, Argonne Distinguished Fellow
- Ananda Chakrabarty, Distinguished professor of microbiology; created the oil-eating bacterium used during the Gulf War; special adviser to the US government and United Nations
- Marc Culler, mathematician working in geometric group theory and low-dimensional topology; known for work on the cyclic surgery theorem, Cullerâ€"Vogtmann Outer space, and the A-polynomial of a knot
- John D'Emilio, professor, department of gender and women's studies, department of history; leading scholar of gay and lesbian history; D'Emilio's work was cited by Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy in his 2003 majority opinion when the court struck down a Texas law that criminalized sodomy
- Luisa DiPietro, Ph.D. and D.D.S. (UIC), Professor of Periodontics at the UIC College of Dentistry, director of the Center for Wound Repair and Tissue Regeneration
- Peter Doran, Ph.D, Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences who specializes in polar regions, especially Antarctic climate and ecosystems; lead author of a research paper about Antarctic temperatures published in the journal Nature in January 2002
- Roberta M. Feldman, professor emerita (Architecture)
- Stanley Fish, Dean Emeritus of College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; has published many articles and books; renowned scholar on Milton; a sometimes controversial figure in academia
- Joe G. N. Garcia, Professor of Medicine at UIC; pulmonary scientist and physician; a leading authority on the genetic basis of lung disease and the prevention and treatment of inflammatory lung injury
- Gerald Graff, professor, department of English; respected literary critic, particularly on the subject of pedagogy
- Stedman Graham, specializes in the field of Management; public speaker on leadership and motivation; owner of successful consulting company; significant other of Oprah Winfrey
- Paul J. Griffiths, Arthur J. Schmitt Professor of Catholic Studies and Chair, department of classics and Mediterranean studies; a leading scholar in the fields of religious and Catholic studies, with specialization in Augustine, Buddhist thought, and religious diversity
- Peter Bacon Hales, former Chair and professor of Art History, photographer, and musician; specializes in the study of American spaces and landscapes, the history of photography, and contemporary art
- Hannah Higgins, professor of Art History; wrote the definitive history of the Fluxus movement, and author of The Grid Book, an interdisciplinary history of the grid's influence on Western culture
- Doug Ischar, Associate Professor Of Photography known for his fine art addressing stereotypes of masculinity and male behavior
- Louis Kauffman, professor of mathematics; known for the introduction and development of the bracket polynomial and Kauffman polynomial in knot theory; founding editor and a managing editor of the Journal of Knot Theory and its Ramifications, and editor of the World Scientific Book Series On Knots and Everything; writes the "Virtual Logic" column for the journal Cybernetics and Human Knowing; president of the American Society for Cybernetics (2007); 1993 recipient of the Warren McCulloch award of the American Society for Cybernetics
- Jimenez Lai, architect, comic book artist
- Deirdre McCloskey, Distinguished Professor of Liberal Arts and Sciences; known for analysis of economic rhetoric and critique of the role of statistical significance in economics
- Walter Benn Michaels, professor and chair, department of English; respected literary critic, particularly for his work on identity studies and American culture; known for the article "Against Theory", which appeared in Critical Inquiry
- Peter Nelson, professor, director of the Artificial Intelligence laboratory, Dean of the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Engineering
- S. Jay Olshansky, professor of epidemiology, UIC School of Public Health; biodemographer known for his research on the upper limits to human aging and longevity and his efforts to inform the public about products that claim to reverse or stop the aging process; lead author of The Quest for Immortality: Science at the Frontiers of Aging; recipient of two Independent Science Awards from the National Institute on Aging; Fulbright Senior Specialist
- Dan Peterman, Professor of Art and Art History, distinguished environmental artist.
- Anna C. Roosevelt, Professor of Anthropology, archaeologist
- Jennifer Reeder, Associate Professor of Moving Image
- Bhama Srinivasan, mathematician known for her work in the representation theory of finite groups, professor emerita of the Department of Math Statistics and Computer Science
- Deborah Stratman, Professor of Art and Art History, experimental film maker
- Richard Thieme, ex-priest, technology commentator
- LuÃs Alberto Urrea, poet, novelist, essayist, professor of English
- Anne Winters, poet, leftist, professor of English
- Xiaofeng Zhou, assistant professor, Center for Molecular Biology of Oral Diseases; internationally known oral cancer researcher
Alumni
Academia
- Anne Allison, professor of cultural anthropology at Duke University, specializing in contemporary Japanese society
- Nancy Cartwright, Ph.D., professor of philosophy at the London School of Economics and the University of California at San Diego, and a recipient of the MacArthur Fellowship
- William A. Dembski, B.A. 1981, M.S. 1983., mathematician, philosopher, theologian, author, and professor of philosophy at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas
- Kevin Desouza, associate dean for research, College of Public Programs, Arizona State University; formerly at University of Washington, London School of Economics, Virginia Tech, and the University of Witwatersrand; author of nine books and over 100 articles on information management, knowledge and innovation management, and security; Fellow, Royal Society of the Arts
- Lindsay Grace, C. Michael Armstrong professor of Fine Arts at Miami University, focusing on game design theory and writing
- Richard I. Morimoto, B.S., Bill and Gayle Cook Professor of Biology, Professor of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Cell Biology, and Director of the Rice Institute for Biomedical Research at Northwestern University
- Kali Nikitas, B.F.A, chair of the Communication Arts department at Otis College of Art and Design
- Richard Schneirov, 1971, professor of history, noted labor historian at Indiana State University, Fulbright Scholar
Architecture and design
- George J. Efstathiou, 1974, architect and managing partner of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, LLP
- Tom Marshall, M.A., award-winning architect who served on the Memphis City Council for 21 years
- Dan Meis, 1985, award-winning architect of ballparks, arenas and stadiums (Miller Park, Paul Brown Stadium, Safeco Field, Saitama Super Arena, Staples Center, and Sports City Stadium)
- Adrian D. Smith, 1969, former longtime partner at Skidmore, Owings and Merrill LLP, before starting his own firm; designed the Trump International Hotel and Tower (Chicago), Burj Khalifa and Jin Mao Tower
- Michael G. Turnbull, 1973, assistant Architect of the Capitol in Washington, D.C., previously head of the Department of Design and Construction at the Art Institute of Chicago
Arts and entertainment
- Mark Aguhar, M.F.A., multidisciplinary fine artist known for work addressing gender and non-conformity
- Santiago Durango, attorney and guitarist remembered for his work with the 1980s punk rock groups, Naked Raygun and Big Black
- Tom Friedman, M.F.A. in sculpture in 1990
- Janina Gavankar, actress and recording artist
- Michael Gross (1970), movie and television actor best known for his role as Steven Keaton on the 1980s NBC sitcom Family Ties
- Angelina Gualdoni, (M.F.A. 2000), painter
- Justin Hartley, actor best known for his roles on the NBC daytime soap opera Passions, and the WB/CW Superman-inspired series, Smallville
- Megan Hauserman (2005) reality TV personality and model
- Patty Hou, Taiwanese news anchor and actress
- Richard Hunt (1965), sculptor known for large public works
- Al Jourgensen, lead singer of Ministry; attended the Circle Campus c. 1979
- Ronnie Kroell, fashion model and former contestant on Bravo television's reality series Make Me a Supermodel
- Mike Nawrocki (B.S. 1992), co-creator, writer and director of the computer animated series VeggieTales; voice of Larry the Cucumber
- Lucas Neff (B.F.A. 2008), actor best known for his starring role as James "Jimmy" Chance in Fox's sitcom Raising Hope
- Christopher Sperandio, (M.F.A. 1991), artist known for his collaborative work with British artist Simon Grennan
- Kenny Techstepper (2006), co-host and technical producer for Mancow's Morning Madhouse, a nationally syndicated talk radio show
- Azhar Usman, comedian, lecturer, community activist and lawyer
Business
- Anuradha Acharya, founder and Chief Executive Officer, Ocimum Bio Solutions
- Cary Kochman, co-head of M & A at UBS
- Marc J. Lane, 1967, business and tax attorney, entrepreneur and founder of the Marc J. Lane Wealth Group
- Robert Anthony Mariano, B.S. 1971, chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President, Roundy's, Inc.
- Leo Melamed, attended in 1940s, former chairman, Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME); current board member, CME Group; chairman, CME Group Foundation
- Tony Podesta, class of '67, prominent Washington lobbyist, founder of the Podesta Group
Government, politics, and service
- Carol Moseley Braun, 1969, politician and lawyer and the first African-American woman elected to the U.S. Senate
- John H. Cox, lawyer, accountant, businessman, broadcaster, and aspiring politician
- Sharon Denise Dixon, 1985, Democratic alderman representing the 24th Ward on the Chicago City Council
- Radovan Jelasic, former Governor of the National Bank of Serbia
- Freddrenna Lyle, alderman of the 6th ward of the City of Chicago
- Iris Martinez, Democratic member of the Illinois Senate, representing the 20th district
- Jim McDermott, M.D. 1963, Democratic U.S. Representative for Washington's 7th congressional district (1989â€"present).
- Michael Noland, B.A. 1991, M.B.A. 2001, Democratic member of the Illinois Senate, representing the 22nd District
- Milton Patterson, M.P.A., former two-term Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives, representing the 32nd District
- Tony Peraica 1980, Cook County Commissioner
- Louanner Peters, M.A. 1973, former deputy governor of Illinois
- Bobby Rush, 1994, U.S. Congressman and civil rights leader
- James R. Thompson (Navy Pier), former governor of Illinois and member of the 9/11 Commission
- Lloyd Zimmerman, 1975, Minnesota jurist
Journalism, literature and writing
- Alaa Al Aswany, MDent, writer and political activist
- Charles Blackstone, novelist, editor and winner of the Barker Award for Fiction in 2001
- Patricia Brieschke, Ph.D. 1983, short story writer
- John Chancellor (Navy Pier), 1950, anchor for NBC Nightly News from 1970 to 1982
- Michael Collins, Ph.D. 1997, Irish novelist and international ultra-distance runner
- Tina De Rosa (master's degree in English), author of Paper Fish
- M. Miriam Herrera, M.A. 1981, author and poet
- Ma. Luisa Aguilar Igloria, Ph.D. 1995, poet and author of various award-winning collections
- Stuart Kaminsky, 1957, author of over 50 award-winning novels; mostly mystery genre
- Rich King, weekend sports anchor and sports reporter for WGN-TV in Chicago
- Jack Mabley, 1938, columnist for several Chicago newspapers, including the Chicago Tribune
- Gerald Nicosia, B.A. 1971, M.A. 1973., freelance journalist, interviewer, and literary critic
- Bernard Shaw, 1968, anchor for CNN from 1980 to his retirement in 2001
- Shel Silverstein, attended the University of Illinois at Navy Pier for a year
- Corrina Wycoff, M.A, writer, best known for her short story collection O Street
Medicine and dentistry
- Stanley J. Korsmeyer (1951â€"2005), oncologist who helped develop the concepts of the role of programmed cell death in carcinogenesis
- Harry Watson Martin (1889â€"1951), medical director of 20th Century Fox Studios and third husband of Louella Parsons
- Mohan D. Nair, Indian pharmaceutical scientist and author
- David Sackett (1934â€"2015), American-Canadian medical doctor, widely regarded as the "father of evidence-based medicine"
- John Short B.S. 1977, Senior VP, Chief Operating Officer, Resurrection Medical Center at Resurrection Health Care
- Sheila Tlou 1990, Botswana specialist in HIV/AIDS and women's health, nursing educator and former Minister of Health
Non-profit organizations
- Barbara A. Schaal, 1969, evolutionary biologist, professor at Washington University in St. Louis and vice president of the National Academy of Sciences
Sports
- Jeff Bzdelik, assistant coach for NBA's Memphis Grizzlies, former head coach of the Denver Nuggets and college basketball's Wake Forest Demon Deacons and Colorado Buffaloes
- Jay DeMerit, professional soccer player formerly of Watford F.C. of the English Football League Championship, currently of the Vancouver Whitecaps FC of Major League Soccer, and longtime member of the U.S. National Team
- Curtis Granderson, Major League Baseball center fielder for the New York Mets and finalist for the 2011 American League MVP
- Baggio Husidić, professional soccer player formally of the Chicago Fire of Major League Soccer, currently with Hammarby IF in the Swedish Superettan
- Joanne McCarthy, 1998, UIC career scoring and assists recordholder and former professional women's basketball player.
- Monroe Saffold Jr., bodybuilder, first place Masters Mr. America AAU, tall division 1990
- Chuck Ulrich, former NFL defensive tackle
- Cesar Zambrano, former UIC and professional soccer player