33 Notable alumni of California State University – Chico
Updated: June 15, 2026 EliteDegrees
California State University – Chico is ranked #1,322 in the world and #324 in United States by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 33 notable alumni from California State University – Chico sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff. Many individuals affiliated with California State University – Chico won Nobel Prizes for Peace, in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, and Economics.
1. Cyril Adelbert Stebbins
1880-1953 (aged 73)
teacher
Cyril Adelbert Stebbins was an American educator involved with nature and agricultural education. His publications in the early twentieth century were influential in promoting gardening in children's education, and he wrote much of the curriculum for the United States School Garden Army, a federal victory garden project during World War I. He wrote several publications with Ernest Brown Babcock and...
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2. Alyson Huber
1972-. (aged 54)
lawyer
politician
Alyson Lewis is an American politician who served in the California State Assembly from 2008 to 2012. She is currently a judge of the Superior Court of Sacramento County in California for a term that expires in January 2027. She is a Democrat.
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3. Thom Ross
1952-. (aged 74)
installation artist
sculptor
writer
Thom Ross is an American artist specializing painting, book illustrations, and installation art featuring life-sized cutout figures depicting famous people and historical events.
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4. Thomas C. Fleming
1907-2006 (aged 99)
editor
Thomas Courtney Fleming, was one of the most influential African American journalists on the West Coast in the 20th century. Starting in 1944, he spent 61 years as an editor, reporter and columnist for the black press in San Francisco. He began his career that year as founding editor of the Reporter – then the city's only black newspaper. In...
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5. Josh Borja
1990-. (aged 36)
association football player
Joshua Andrew Borja is an American born Guamanian footballer.
6. Kamshad Kooshan
1962-. (aged 64)
actor
screenwriter
television director
teacher
film director
Kamshad Kooshan is an Iranian-born American actor, film director, screenwriter, film producer, and educator.
7. Dominik Jakubek
1979-. (aged 47)
association football player
Dominik Jakubek is an American soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper.
8. Andre Levingston
teacher
basketball coach
Andre Levingston is an American entrepreneur and basketball coach. He was formerly an auto detailer and schoolteacher. He is a co-founder of the National Basketball League of Canada and most recently served as the owner and president of the Halifax Rainmen. Levingston has experience as the president of the Premier Basketball League (PBL).
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9. Annette Abbott Adams
1877-1956 (aged 79)
lawyer
judge
politician
Annette Abbott Adams was an American lawyer and judge. She was the first woman to be the Assistant Attorney General in the United States.
10. Kevin Ford
1967-. (aged 59)
mathematician
Kevin B. Ford is an American mathematician working in analytic number theory.
11. Irene Obera
1933-. (aged 93)
athletics competitor
Irene Romona Obera is an American track and field athlete, specializing in sprinting events. Over an extended career, she has set numerous world records and has won numerous world championships. She is currently a member of the W70 world record holding 4 × 100 metres relay team. She also holds the current American record in the W60 and W75 100...
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12. Richard Campbell
1961-. (aged 65)
musician
Richard J. Campbell is an American musician best known for his work as a bass guitarist and vocalist for Natalie Cole in the 1980s, and more recently with Three Dog Night, Dave Mason, and America.
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13. John Pugh
1957-. (aged 69)
painter
John Pugh is an American artist known for creating large trompe-l'œil wall murals giving the illusion of a three-dimensional scene behind the wall. Pugh has been creating his murals since the late 1970s. He attended California State University Chico, receiving his BA in 1983 and the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2003. He has received over 250 public and private commissions...
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14. Michael Polenske
banker
Michael Polenske is a Malaysian entrepreneur, gallery owner, and vintner. He is the founder of the Bespoke Collection and Blackbird Vineyards. He serves as creative director, chairman and founder of the Bespoke Collection. Polenske has been profiled in Forbes, the San Francisco Chronicle, Food & Wine, the Robb Report, Town & Country and Departures.
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15. Mike Thompson
1951-. (aged 75)
politician
screenwriter
Charles Michael Thompson is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for California's 4th congressional district (known as the 1st congressional district until 2013, and the California's 5th congressional district until 2023) since 1999. The district, in the outer northern portion of the San Francisco Bay Area, includes all of Lake and Napa counties and parts of Contra Costa,...
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16. Rocky Chávez
1951-. (aged 75)
politician
Rocky John Chávez is an American politician who served in the California State Assembly. A Republican, he represented the 76th district, encompassing parts of northern coastal San Diego County. He was a candidate for the United States House of Representatives, having run in the 2018 midterm election in California's 49th congressional district to replace Darrell Issa, but he failed to...
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17. Al Borges
1955-. (aged 71)
head coach
American football coach
Alan Anthony Borges is an American football coach. Borges is known for quarterback development having mentored Cade McNown and Jason Campbell, both first round NFL draft picks. Borges has been described as "one of the best offensive coordinators I've ever seen," by former Auburn head coach Pat Dye.
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18. Glynnis Talken Campbell
novelist
actor
voice actor
Glynnis Talken Campbell is an American historical romance author, composer, musician and voice actress, and is married to bass guitarist Richard Campbell. Glynnis Campbell graduated from California State University, Chico with a degree in Vocal Music Performance. Her first novel, My Champion, was nominated for a Romance Writers of America's RITA award for Best First Book and Best Long Historical...
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19. Bill Wattenburg
1936-2018 (aged 82)
radio personality
inventor
physicist
Willard Harvey Wattenburg was an American inventor, engineer, author, and talk radio show host from California. Advertisements for his show often referred to him as "The Smartest Man in the World."
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20. Carolyn S. Shoemaker
1929-2021 (aged 92)
university teacher
astronomer
Carolyn Jean Spellmann Shoemaker was an American astronomer and a co-discoverer of Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9. She discovered 32 comets (then a record for the most by an individual) and more than 500 asteroids.
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21. Clair Engle
1911-1964 (aged 53)
lawyer
politician
Clair Engle was an American politician who served as a United States senator from California from 1959 until his death in 1964. A member of the Democratic Party, he is best remembered for participating in the vote breaking the filibuster of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in the U.S. Senate while partially paralyzed and unable to speak, shortly before...
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22. David Brevik
1968-. (aged 58)
game designer
programmer
entrepreneur
David Brevik is an American video game designer, producer, and programmer who served as the co-founder and president of Blizzard North. He is best known for the critically acclaimed Diablo series. Currently, he serves as game designer and founder of his independent studio, Graybeard Games.
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23. Mat Kearney
1978-. (aged 48)
singer
composer
singer-songwriter
Mathew William Kearney is an American musician born in Eugene, Oregon, and based in Nashville, Tennessee. So far, he has a total of five top 20 hits on the Adult Top 40 Chart.
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24. Don Young
1933-2022 (aged 89)
ship captain
teacher
politician
Donald Edwin Young was an American politician from Alaska. He is the longest-serving Republican in House history, having been the U.S. representative for the state's at-large congressional district for 49 years, from 1973 until his death in 2022.
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25. Chris Wondolowski
1983-. (aged 43)
association football player
Christopher Elliott Wondolowski is an American former professional soccer player who played as a forward. He was MLS's top scorer in the 2010 and 2012 seasons, also being named the 2012 Most Valuable Player, and was one of the top strikers during his time playing in Major League Soccer (MLS). With 171 goals in Major League Soccer, he is the...
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26. Matthew Axelson
1976-2005 (aged 29)
military personnel
Matthew Gene "Axe" Axelson was an enlisted United States Navy SEAL who was awarded the U.S. Navy's second highest decoration, the Navy Cross and the Purple Heart, for his actions during the War in Afghanistan. Serving as a sniper in the operation, Axelson was killed in action during the firefight phase of Operation Red Wings.
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27. Blaire White
1993-. (aged 33)
television producer
YouTuber
film director
vlogger
Blaire Russell White is an American YouTuber and conservative political commentator. Her videos center around social issues such as transgender issues and feminism.
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28. Mark Davis
1955-. (aged 71)
entrepreneur
businessperson
Mark M Davis is an American businessman and sports franchise owner. He is the controlling owner and managing general partner of the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL) and the owner of the Las Vegas Aces of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). His father, Al Davis, was the principal owner of the Raiders from 1972 until...
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29. Adnan Khashoggi
1935-2017 (aged 82)
businessperson
entrepreneur
arms trader
Adnan Khashoggi was a Saudi businessman and arms dealer known for his business dealings, extensive geopolitical influence, and opulent lifestyle, which earned him the moniker "The Great Gatsby of the Middle East." During his peak in the early 1980s, Khashoggi's net worth was estimated at around $4 billion, amassed through his pivotal role as an intermediary between Western defense companies...
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30. Bill Dodd
1956-. (aged 70)
politician
William Joseph Dodd was an American politician who held five positions in the Louisiana state government in the mid-20th century, including state representative, lieutenant governor, state auditor, president and member of the State Board of Education, and state education superintendent.
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31. Ed Rollins
1943-. (aged 83)
political adviser
Edward Rollins is an American political consultant and advisor who has worked on several high-profile Republican political campaigns in the United States. In 1983 and 1984, Rollins was national campaign director for the successful Reagan-Bush 1984 campaign.
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32. Paul Mark
politician
Paul W. Mark is an American politician serving as a Democratic member of the Massachusetts Senate. He represents the Berkshire, Hampden, Franklin and Hampshire District, which includes 57 cities and towns throughout Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, and Hampshire counties. Paul Mark previously served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives.
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33. Lubna Khalid Al Qasimi
1962-. (aged 64)
politician
Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid bin Sultan Al Qasimi is an Emirati politician and member of the ruling family of Sharjah and the niece to Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al-Qasimi. She was previously the Minister of State for Tolerance, Minister of State for International Cooperation, and Minister of Economic and Planning of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). She was the first...
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