39 Notable alumni of Northern Arizona University
Updated: June 22, 2026 EliteDegrees
Northern Arizona University is ranked #597 in the world and #185 in United States by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 39 notable alumni from Northern Arizona University sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff. Many individuals affiliated with Northern Arizona University won Nobel Prizes for Peace, in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, and Economics.
1. Earl Insley
1911-1958 (aged 47)
American football player
Earl Frank "Jiggs" Insley Jr. was an American football coach and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at his alma mater, Arizona State College at Flagstaff—now known as Northern Arizona University—from 1954 to 1955, compiling a record of 3–15. Insley was also the athletic director at Arizona State–Flagstaff from 1949 to 1958.
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2. Samantha Monahan
1988-. (aged 38)
association football player
Samantha Monahan is an American professional soccer player who plays for Ballerup-Skovlunde Fodbold of the Danish Elitedivisionen.
3. Brad McRae
1966-2017 (aged 51)
ecologist
Brad McRae was an American wildlife ecologist.
4. Doug Coleman
teacher
businessperson
politician
Doug Coleman is an American politician from Apache Junction, Arizona, who served as a member of the Arizona House of Representatives from January 2013 to January 2019. He also served as mayor of Apache Junction from 1995 to 2007 and was the first mayor of the city to be re-elected by the people.
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5. Víctor Castillo
1981-. (aged 45)
athletics competitor
Víctor Manuel Castillo Petit is a Venezuelan track and field athlete who specialises in the long jump. His personal best jump is 8.34 metres, a Venezuelan record achieved in May 2004 in Cochabamba.
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6. Paul Genesse
1973-. (aged 53)
writer
children's writer
novelist
nurse
Paul Genesse is a writer of young adult fantasy novels and a cardiac unit nurse at Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, Utah. His first book, The Golden Cord, was a best seller for Five Star Publishing.
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7. Diego Estrada
1989-. (aged 37)
athletics competitor
Juan Diego Estrada Constantino is a Mexican-American long-distance runner. He competed in the 10,000 metres at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London for Mexico. After some confusion about his eligibility after becoming a U.S. citizen, he was excluded from the U.S. Olympic trials even though it was later known that Estrada was misinformed on his eligibility possibilities. Estrada resides in...
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8. Latif
professional gamer
Abdullatif Alhmili, better known as Latif, is a Saudi Arabian electronic sports player. Primarily a Guilty Gear and King of Fighters player, Latif competed in the Street Fighter IV tournament at EVO 2011, coming out of nowhere to claim second place. Latif is known for his skill with Street Fighter character Crimson Viper.
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9. Heather Carter
politician
Heather Carter is an American politician and a former Republican member of the Arizona State Senate representing District 15 from 2019 to 2021. She previously served in the Arizona House of Representatives representing District 15 from 2013 to 2019. Carter also previously served consecutively from 2011 until 2013, in the District 7 seat.
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10. Dennis Van Roekel
teacher
trade unionist
Dennis Van Roekel is an American labor leader who served as president of the National Education Association, the largest labor union in the United States.
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11. Ida Nilsson
1981-. (aged 45)
ski mountaineer
athletics competitor
ultramarathon runner
Ida Nilsson is a Swedish long-distance runner who also competes in ski mountaineering. In 2003 – 2006 she won a total of ten gold medals in Swedish championships in track & field and cross country running, plus two NCAA gold medals. After many years away from training Nilsson won the Swedish championship in ski mountaineering in 2016 and a couple...
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12. Wilson Riles
1917-1999 (aged 82)
politician
Wilson Camanza Riles Sr. was an American educator and politician from California. He was the first African American to be elected to statewide office in California.
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13. Jamescita Peshlakai
politician
Jamescita Mae Peshlakai is a former Democratic member of the Arizona State Senate, serving from 2017 to 2021. She previously served in the Arizona House of Representatives from 2013 until 2015, and served as co-Minority Whip for the 2018 sitting of the state senate. Peshlakai is a member of the Navajo Nation. She served in the Persian Gulf War. Before...
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14. C. Dean Andersson
writer
programmer
technical writer
musician
C. Dean Andersson was an American writer of fantasy fiction and horror novels since 1981, both under his own name and under the pseudonym Asa Drake. He was best known as a writer of fiction in the science fiction, fantasy, and horror genres.
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15. Robert Maynard, Jr
1962-. (aged 64)
businessperson
Robert Maynard is an American businessman. He co-founded LifeLock, Internet America, Dotsafe, Kandoo, and SurchX. Internet America and LifeLock became public companies, and SurchX was sold to the financial technology company InterPayments in 2020.
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16. Catherine Miranda
1964-. (aged 62)
politician
Catherine Miranda is an American politician and member of the Arizona Senate for the 11th legislative district, serving since 2023.
17. Ruben Boykin
1985-. (aged 41)
basketball player
basketball coach
Ruben Eugene Boykin Jr. is an American former professional basketball player who last played for the Sun Rockers Shibuya of the Japanese B.League.
18. Charlene Fernandez
1955-. (aged 71)
politician
Charlene Fernandez is an American politician who is the Leader of the Arizona Democratic Party. She formerly served as the Democratic leader of the Arizona House of Representatives from 2019 to 2021. She was first elected to the state House in 2014 and represents Southwestern Arizona, specifically, the majority of Yuma County, western Pima County, southwestern Maricopa County and southwestern...
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19. Anthony Kern
politician
Anthony Kern is an American politician and a Republican former member of the Arizona Senate, representing District 27 since 2023. He previously represented District 20 in the State House of Representatives from January 5, 2015, to January 11, 2021. He is a member of the Arizona Freedom Caucus.
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20. Lattie F. Coor
1936-. (aged 90)
Lattie Finch Coor Jr. is an American academic specialising in public policy and the past president of two universities. He was the 15th President of Arizona State University (1990–2002) and the 21st President of the University of Vermont (1976–1989).
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21. Geordie Beamish
1996-. (aged 30)
athletics competitor
George Beamish is a New Zealand middle- and long-distance runner, who is the reigning 2025 World Athletics Champion at the 3000 m steeplechase. He also won the 1500 metres at the 2024 World Indoor Championships. He holds the Oceania area record in the 3000 m steeplechase of 8:09.64 and the New Zealand record in the indoor 3000 and 5000 m.
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22. William A. Stein
1974-. (aged 52)
university teacher
mathematician
engineer
William Arthur Stein is a software developer and previously a professor of mathematics at the University of Washington.
23. Andreas Borgeas
1974-. (aged 52)
politician
Andreas Borgeas is an American attorney, politician, and academic who served as a member of the California State Senate from the 8th district, which included parts of the Central Valley and the Sierra Nevada. Prior to being elected to the state Senate, he was a member of the Fresno County Board of Supervisors. He represented all or portions of Amador,...
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24. Hobbs Kessler
2003-. (aged 23)
athletics competitor
Hobbs Kessler is an American middle-distance runner who is the world record holder in the short track 2000 meters, with a time of 4:48.79 set in 2026. He competes professionally for Adidas, having turned professional directly after high school. Kessler holds the North American U20 record in the 1500 meters, having run 3:34.36 in 2021 during his senior year in...
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25. Carlton Mellick III
1977-. (aged 49)
novelist
science fiction writer
writer
Carlton Mellick III is an American author currently residing in Portland, Oregon. He is best known as one of the leading authors in the Bizarro movement in underground literature.
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26. Case Cookus
1995-. (aged 31)
American football player
Stephen Case Cookus, nicknamed "the Chef", is an American professional football quarterback. As a true freshman at Northern Arizona University, he was named the recipient of the 2015 Jerry Rice Award and the STATS FCS Freshman Player of the Year Award, both of which are awarded to the most outstanding freshman player in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision....
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27. Raúl Héctor Castro
1916-2015 (aged 99)
lawyer
diplomat
judge
politician
Raúl Héctor Castro was a Mexican American politician, diplomat and judge. In 1964, Castro was selected to be U.S. ambassador to El Salvador, a position he held until 1968 when he was appointed U.S. ambassador to Bolivia. In 1974, Castro was elected to serve as the 14th governor of Arizona, and resigned two years into his term to become U.S....
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28. Kevin Hearne
1970-. (aged 56)
novelist
science fiction writer
writer
Kevin Hearne is an American-Canadian fantasy novelist originally hailing from Arizona, now residing in Ontario.
29. Lopez Lomong
1985-. (aged 41)
athletics competitor
Lopez Lomong is a South Sudanese-born American track and field athlete. Lomong, one of the Lost Boys of Sudan, came to the United States at the age of 16 and became a U.S. citizen in 2007.
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30. Derek Mason
1969-. (aged 57)
American football player
Derek Mason is an American college football coach who is currently the head football coach for Middle Tennessee State University. He previously served as head coach at Vanderbilt University from 2014 to 2020.
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31. Jonathan Nez
1975-. (aged 51)
politician
Jonathan Nez is a Navajo politician who served as the 9th President of the Navajo Nation from 2019 to 2023. He previously served as Vice President and as a Navajo Nation Council delegate.
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32. Katie Hobbs
1969-. (aged 57)
social worker
politician
Kathleen Marie Hobbs is an American politician serving since 2023 as the 24th governor of Arizona. A member of the Democratic Party, she served from 2019 to 2023 as Arizona's Secretary of State and from 2011 to 2019 as a member of the Arizona Legislature.
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33. Rick Renzi
1958-. (aged 68)
businessperson
politician
Richard George Renzi is an American politician who was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives representing Arizona's 1st congressional district from 2003 until 2009.
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34. Michael Reeves
1997-. (aged 29)
YouTuber
Michael Reeves is an American YouTuber and Twitch streamer who produces "comedy-tech" YouTube videos. He is a member of OfflineTV, an online social entertainment group of content creators.
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35. Clyde Tombaugh
1906-1997 (aged 91)
university teacher
astronomer
Clyde William Tombaugh was an American astronomer and telescope maker, best known for discovering Pluto in 1930, marking the first detection of what would eventually be recognized as the Kuiper belt. At the time, Pluto was referred to as the ninth planet in the Solar System, a classification that stood for over seven decades.
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36. John Marzluff
1958-. (aged 68)
university teacher
ornithologist
biologist
John Marzluff is a professor of wildlife science at the University of Washington and an author.
37. Seamus Dever
1976-. (aged 50)
film actor
actor
television actor
Seamus Patrick Dever is an American actor known for his role as Detective Kevin Ryan in the ABC series Castle.
38. Chad Campbell
1973-. (aged 53)
businessperson
politician
David Chad Campbell is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour, where he has won four times. He also notably finished as a runner-up at the 2009 Masters, after losing in a sudden-death playoff.
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39. Howard Cannon
1912-2002 (aged 90)
lawyer
military officer
politician
prosecutor
Howard Walter Cannon was an American politician from Nevada. A member of the Democratic Party, he served four terms in the United States Senate representing Nevada from 1959 to 1983.
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