50 Notable alumni of Miami Dade College
Updated: June 14, 2026 EliteDegrees
Miami Dade College is ranked #2,379 in the world and #612 in United States by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 50 notable alumni from Miami Dade College sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff. Many individuals affiliated with Miami Dade College won Nobel Prizes for Peace, in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, and Economics.
1. Lawrence G. Abele
1946-. (aged 80)
biologist
Lawrence Gordon Abele is an American academic in the Department of Biological Science and the former Provost at Florida State University, where he is a distinguished professor, In 1994, he was appointed provost at Florida State, a position he held through 2010.
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2. Dorothy Elliston Hindman
1966-. (aged 60)
music educator
composer
musician
Dorothy Hindman is an American composer and music educator.
3. Dave Augustine
1949-. (aged 77)
baseball player
David Ralph Augustine is an American former outfielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates during the 1973 and 1974 baseball seasons. He was drafted by the Cleveland Indians out of Miami Dade College in the 33rd round of the 1968 MLB June Amateur Draft.
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4. Eduardo González
1969-. (aged 57)
politician
Eduardo González is a Republican member of the Florida House of Representatives, representing the 111th District, which includes parts of Miami and Hialeah in northeastern Miami-Dade County, since 2012, previously representing the 102nd District from 2006 to 2012.
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5. Chino Cadahia
1957-. (aged 69)
baseball player
Aurelio "Chino" Cadahia is a Major League Baseball coach.
6. Willie Logan
1957-. (aged 69)
politician
Willie Logan is an American politician from the U.S. state of Florida. A former member of the Florida House of Representatives, he campaigned for the United States Senate as an Independent in 2000.
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7. Carol W. Hunstein
1944-. (aged 82)
lawyer
judge
Carol Wyckoff Hunstein is an American lawyer and judge from Georgia. She is a former Justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia. She served on the Court as an associate justice from 1992 to 2009 and 2013 to 2018 and as Chief Justice from 2009 to 2013.
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8. Luis Garcia
1945-. (aged 81)
politician
Luis R. García, Jr. is a Democratic politician from Florida and the retired Fire Department Chief of Miami Beach. He served three terms in the Florida House of Representatives, representing parts of Miami Beach, Miami, and Coral Gables from 2006 to 2012. Previously, he served for seven years on the Miami Beach City Commission.
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9. Charles Chestnut IV
1962-. (aged 64)
politician
Charles S. "Chuck" Chestnut IV is a Democratic politician who currently serves as an Alachua County Commissioner, representing the 5th District from 2012 to the present. Prior to being elected to the Alachua County Commission, Chestnut served as a member of the Florida House of Representatives from 2006 to 2012, representing the 96th District.
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10. Nelson Santovenia
1961-. (aged 65)
baseball player
Nelson Gil Santovenia Mayol is a Cuban former professional baseball player who played in the Major Leagues primarily as a catcher from 1987 to 1993. He played college baseball at the University of Miami. He is currently the hitting coach for the Lakeland Flying Tigers.
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11. Alberto Gutman
1959-2019 (aged 60)
politician
Alberto Gutman was a Cuban-American politician. Born to a Jewish family in Havana, Cuba, he moved to the United States when he was 6 years old.
12. Rene Garcia
1974-. (aged 52)
politician
René García is an American politician who has served as a Miami-Dade County commissioner since 2020, representing the Hialeah area. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served in the Florida Senate from 2010 to 2018 and in the Florida House of Representatives from 2000 to 2008.
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13. Mirta Ojito
1964-. (aged 62)
journalist
Mirta Ojito is a Cuban-born author and journalist. She has written two nonfiction books, Finding Mañana: A Memoir of a Cuban Exodus a book about her journey to the U.S. as a teenager in the Mariel boatlift, and Hunting Season: Immigration and Murder in an All-American Town." She was part of a group of New York Times reporters who shared...
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14. Paul G. Byron
1959-. (aged 67)
lawyer
judge
Paul Gregory Byron is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida.
15. Danilo Maldonado Machado
1983-. (aged 43)
muralist
human rights defender
Danilo Maldonado Machado, also known as El Sexto (The Sixth), is a Cuban graffiti artist and human rights activist who has been arrested and imprisoned several times in Cuba. He was arrested in the United States in 2018 and charged with a felony, aggravated stalking, for repeatedly violating a restraining order filed by his ex-girlfriend Alexandra Martinez. He pled guilty...
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16. Bryan Avila
1984-. (aged 42)
politician
Bryan Avila is an American Republican politician who currently serves as a member of the Florida Senate, representing the 39th District. He serves as a Captain in the Florida Army National Guard and has been in the Guard for nine years. He previously served in the Florida House of Representatives, representing the 111th District, which includes parts of Miami and...
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17. Willy Gort
1940-. (aged 86)
politician
Wilfredo Gort de los Llanos is a Cuban-American politician who served as the 37th and acting Mayor of Miami from June to July 1996. Gort was a City of Miami Commissioner from 1993 to 2001 and again from 2010 to 2020.
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18. Elsa Murano
1959-. (aged 67)
university teacher
Elsa Alina Murano is a Cuban-born American executive and the Director of the Norman Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture and Development at Texas A&M University's Agriculture & Life Sciences program since 2012. She served as the 23rd president from January 3, 2008, until her resignation on June 15, 2009.
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19. Ariel Torres
1997-. (aged 29)
karateka
Ariel Torres Gutierrez is an American karateka. He won one of the bronze medals in the men's kata event at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. At the 2019 Pan American Games held in Lima, Peru, he won the silver medal in the men's kata event. He won gold at the 2023 Pan American Games held in Santiago, Chile.
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20. Raul L. Martinez
1949-. (aged 77)
politician
Raúl L. Martínez is a former mayor of Hialeah, Florida, United States. He is a Democrat and was mayor for 24 years, first elected in 1981 and was the Democratic congressional candidate for Florida's 21st congressional district in 2008.
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21. Markenzy Lapointe
lawyer
Markenzy Lapointe is an American lawyer who served as United States attorney for the Southern District of Florida from January 2023 to January 2025.
22. Geraldine F. Thompson
1948-2025 (aged 77)
politician
Geraldine Fortenberry Thompson was an American politician and member of the Democratic Party serving in various capacities in the Florida Legislature from 2006 until her death in 2025. She served as a member of the Florida State Senate from 2012 to 2016, representing parts of Orlando and western Orange County. She also served three terms in the Florida House of...
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23. Ralph de la Vega
businessperson
Ralph de la Vega is the former Vice Chairman of AT&T Inc. and CEO of AT&T Business Solutions and AT&T International. He has previously served as President & CEO of AT&T Mobile & Business Solutions; President and CEO of AT&T Mobility; COO of Cingular Wireless; President of BellSouth Latin America Operations; and the President of Broadband and Internet Services for...
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24. Paige McPherson
1990-. (aged 36)
taekwondo athlete
Paige Arielle "McFierce" McPherson is an American taekwondo athlete. A three-time Olympian, she competed for the United States in three different editions of the Summer Olympics (2012, 2016, and 2020). McPherson won the bronze medal in the women's 67 kg event at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, England.
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25. Madelaynne Montaño
1983-. (aged 43)
volleyball player
Madelaynne Montaño Caicedo is a volleyball player from Colombia, who won the silver medal at the 2012 FIVB Club World Championship playing with Rabita Baku.
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26. Cesar Santos
1982-. (aged 44)
artist
Cesar Santos is a contemporary Cuban-American artist and portrait painter. He is better known for his body of work "Syncretism", a term he uses to describe paintings where he presents two or more art tendencies in aesthetic balance. He has completed numerous commissions and his work is held in private as well as public collections around the world.
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27. Yolett McPhee-McCuin
1983-. (aged 43)
basketball coach
basketball player
Yolett Alessia McPhee-McCuin is a Bahamian-American basketball coach who is the current head coach of the Ole Miss Rebels women's basketball team. Her team at Jacksonville University won the 2016 ASUN Conference Tournament and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
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28. Joe Garcia
1963-. (aged 63)
director
lawyer
politician
José Antonio Garcia Jr., known as Joe Garcia, is an American attorney and politician. Garcia represented Florida's 26th congressional district in the House of Representatives from 2013 to 2015. A Democrat, Garcia represented most of western Miami-Dade County and the Florida Keys in Congress.
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29. Nat Moore
1951-. (aged 75)
American football player
Nathaniel Moore is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons during the 1970s and 1980s. Moore played college football for the Florida Gators, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Miami Dolphins of the NFL. He is best known as a favorite passing target of Dolphins quarterbacks...
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30. Carlos Lopez-Cantera
1973-. (aged 53)
politician
Carlos Lopez-Cantera is an American politician who served as the 19th lieutenant governor of Florida from 2014 to 2019.
31. Kurt Bevacqua
1947-. (aged 79)
baseball player
Kurt Anthony Bevacqua is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as an infielder from 1971 to 1985. Bevacqua is notable for his performance during the 1984 World Series when he hit two home runs and had a.412 batting average as the San Diego Padres' designated hitter. He also played for the Mayaguez Indians in...
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32. Mickey Rivers
1948-. (aged 78)
baseball player
John Milton "Mickey" Rivers is an American former baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball from 1970 to 1984 for the California Angels, New York Yankees and Texas Rangers. As a Yankee, he was part of two World Series championship teams, both defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers, in 1977 and 1978. "Mick The Quick" was generally known as a...
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33. Joe Carollo
1955-. (aged 71)
politician
Joseph Xavier Carollo is a Cuban-American politician who served as mayor of Miami from 1996 to 1997 and again from 1998 to 2001. Following his loss in the 2001 mayoral election, he served as Doral, Florida city manager from January 2013 until his firing in April 2014; he was reinstated in June 2017, then immediately resigned. He successfully ran for...
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34. John Mica
1943-. (aged 83)
businessperson
politician
John Luigi Mica is an American businessman, consultant and Republican politician who represented Florida's 7th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1993 to 2017. He was defeated by Democrat Stephanie Murphy in the November 8, 2016, general election while serving his 12th term in office.
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35. Raúl Ibañez
1972-. (aged 54)
baseball player
Raúl Javier Ibañez is an American former professional baseball left fielder in Major League Baseball (MLB) now serving as vice president of baseball development and special projects for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He played 11 of his 19 big league seasons for the Seattle Mariners, while also playing for the Kansas City Royals, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees, and Los...
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36. Pedro Gomez
1962-2021 (aged 59)
journalist
sports commentator
Pedro Gomez was an American sports journalist. He worked as a reporter for ESPN from 2003 to 2021, contributing to the network's SportsCenter show. He was primarily a baseball reporter and was also a member of the Baseball Writers' Association of America who cast election votes for the Baseball Hall of Fame. He covered 25 World Series and 22 Major...
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37. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
1952-. (aged 74)
politician
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen is an American politician and lobbyist from Miami who represented Florida's 27th congressional district from 1989 to 2019. At the end of her tenure, she was the most senior U.S. Representative from Florida. She was chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee from 2011–2013. In 1989, she won a special election becoming the first Cuban American elected to...
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38. Al Cárdenas
1948-. (aged 78)
lawyer
lobbyist
Alberto Remigio Cárdenas Pardo is a Cuban-born American lawyer, politician and conservative activist who is a partner in the law firm of Squire Patton Boggs and in the Advocacy Group at Cardenas Partners. He has been named as one of Washington D.C.'s top lobbyists by The Hill newspaper. Cardenas was a member of the Board of Trustees of Florida A&M...
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39. Mireya Moscoso
1946-. (aged 80)
politician
Mireya Elisa Moscoso Rodríguez is a Panamanian politician who served as the President of Panama from 1999 to 2004. She is the country's first and to date only female president.
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40. Michel Martelly
1961-. (aged 65)
politician
musician
singer-songwriter
Michel Joseph Martelly is a Haitian musician and politician who served as the 47th president of Haiti from 2011 until his resignation in 2016. On 20 August 2024, the United States sanctioned him for trafficking drugs, in particular cocaine, into the United States, and for sponsoring several gangs based in Haiti.
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41. María Elvira Salazar
1961-. (aged 65)
journalist
politician
María Elvira Salazar is an American journalist, author, and politician serving as the U.S. representative for Florida's 27th congressional district since 2021. She is a Republican assistant whip. Before entering politics, Salazar worked for the Spanish-language network Telemundo for three decades after serving as a news anchor for Miami-based WSBS TV. She has also worked for CNN Español and Univision.
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42. Harry Wayne Casey
1951-. (aged 75)
singer
record producer
singer-songwriter
Harry Wayne Casey, better known by his stage name KC, is an American record producer, musician, and songwriter. He is best known for his band, KC and the Sunshine Band, with co-founder Richard Finch. Casey has enjoyed success and recognition as a producer of several hits for other artists, and as a pioneer of the disco genre of the 1970s.
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43. Jeanette Dousdebes Rubio
1973-. (aged 53)
dancer
cheerleader
bank teller
Jeanette Christina Dousdebes Rubio is an American former professional cheerleader. She is married to United States secretary of state and former senator Marco Rubio.
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44. Steven Bauer
1956-. (aged 70)
musician
television actor
film producer
actor
film actor
Steven Bauer is an American actor.
45. Victoria Principal
1950-. (aged 76)
television actor
entrepreneur
actor
model
environmentalist
Vicki Ree Principal, later known as Victoria Principal, is an American actress, producer, entrepreneur, and author, best known for her role as Pamela Barnes Ewing on the American primetime television soap opera Dallas. She spent nine years on the long-running series, leaving in 1987. Afterwards, she opened her own production company, Victoria Principal Productions, focusing mostly on television films. In...
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46. Madeline Pumariega
Madeline Pumeriega is the fifth president of Miami Dade College in Miami, Florida. She is the first woman to hold the post.
47. Randy Bush
1958-. (aged 68)
baseball player
Robert Randall Bush is a former Major League Baseball player and current front office member of the Chicago Cubs. He played 12 seasons for the Minnesota Twins from 1982 to 1993, mainly as an outfielder and designated hitter, compiling 96 home runs, 409 RBIs, and a career batting average of.251 in 1,219 games with Minnesota.
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48. Mitch Needelman
1952-2025 (aged 73)
politician
Mitch Needelman was an American politician who was a member of the Florida House of Representatives serving as a Republican. He represented the 31st district from 2000 to 2008.
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49. Oscar Isaac
1979-. (aged 47)
television actor
stage actor
actor
film actor
Óscar Isaac Hernández Estrada is an American actor. Recognized for his versatility, he has been credited with breaking stereotypes about Latino characters in Hollywood. He was named the best actor of his generation by Vanity Fair in 2017 and one of the 25 greatest actors of the 21st century by The New York Times in 2020. His accolades include a...
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50. Alexander Torrenegra
1993-. (aged 33)
businessperson
Alexander Torrenegra is a Colombian-American entrepreneur, inventor, and investor. He is the founder and CEO of Torre and has founded multiple companies including Voice123 and Bunny Studio. He is also one of the "shark" investors on Sony's reality television series, Shark Tank Colombia and Shark Tank Mexico.
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