16 Notable alumni of SUNY Empire State College
Updated: June 13, 2026 EliteDegrees
SUNY Empire State College is ranked #3,322 in the world and #863 in United States by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 16 notable alumni from SUNY Empire State 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 SUNY Empire State College won Nobel Prizes for Peace, in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, and Economics.
1. Willa Schneberg
1952-. (aged 74)
poet
writer
Willa Hope Schneberg is an American poet. She has published five full-length poetry collections, including In The Margins Of The World, winner of the 2002 Oregon Book Award; Box Poems (Alice James Books); Storytelling In Cambodia (Calyx Books); Rending the Garment (Mudfish/Box Turtle Press); and The Naked Room. The letterpress chapbook, The Books of Esther, was produced in conjunction with...
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2. Lita Talarico
graphic designer
Lita Talarico is a co-founder and co-chair of the School of Visual Arts MFA Design Program in New York City. She also co-founded the SVA Masters Workshop in Italy, an ongoing summer program. She also teaches and lectures on design entrepreneurism around the world.
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3. Dola de Jong
1911-2003 (aged 92)
writer
novelist
dancer
journalist
Dola de Jong was a Jewish Dutch-American writer. She is most well-known for her publication of The Tree and the Vine in 1954, which depicts a lesbian relationship.
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4. Miriam Weiner
1942-. (aged 84)
archivist
columnist
writer
researcher
genealogist
Miriam Weiner is an American genealogist, author, and lecturer who specializes in the research of Jewish roots in Poland and the former Soviet Union. Weiner is considered to be one of the pioneers of contemporary Jewish genealogy through her work to open up archives and is described as a trail-blazing, highly respected guide and leading authority on archival holdings and...
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5. Robert Castelli
1949-2024 (aged 75)
intelligence analyst
politician
journalist
Robert J. Castelli was an American security consultant, academic, and media personality from Goldens Bridge, New York. He served two terms as a member of the New York State Assembly, representing northeastern Westchester County, New York.
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6. Ginny Brown-Waite
1943-. (aged 83)
politician
Virginia Brown-Waite is an American politician who served as U.S. Representative for Florida's 5th congressional district from 2003 until 2011. She is a member of the Republican Party and a founder of Maggie's List.
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7. Carl Potts
1952-. (aged 74)
comics artist
Carl Potts is an American comics artist, writer, teacher, and editor best known for creating the series Alien Legion for the Marvel Comics imprint Epic Comics.
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8. Mae Ngai
1951-. (aged 75)
historian
Mae Ngai is an American historian who is the Lung Family Professor of Asian American Studies and Professor of History at Columbia University. Her work focuses on nationalism, citizenship, ethnicity, immigration, and race in 20th-century United States history.
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9. Elliott Murphy
1949-. (aged 77)
musician
novelist
singer-songwriter
writer
journalist
Elliott James Murphy is an American rock singer-songwriter, novelist, record producer, and journalist.
10. Bob Watson
1946-2020 (aged 74)
baseball player
Robert José Watson was an American professional baseball player, coach and general manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a first baseman and left fielder from 1966 to 1984, most prominently as a member of the Houston Astros where he was a two-time All-Star player. Watson had a.295 batting average over a career that also saw him play for...
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11. Herb Trimpe
1939-2015 (aged 76)
visual artist
comics artist
writer
Herbert William Trimpe was an American comics artist and occasional writer, best known as the seminal 1970s artist on The Incredible Hulk and as the first artist to draw for publication the character Wolverine, who later became a breakout star of the X-Men.
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12. Frank Enea
1965-. (aged 61)
singer
songwriter
Frank Enea is an American musician and songwriter known as the composer, backup vocalist, and guitarist of the band B.E.R. from the Teen Titans Go! animated series. He is known for writing "The Night Begins to Shine" which peaked at #23 on the Billboard Hot Rock songs chart and #1 on the iTunes Rock song chart. The B.E.R. songs "Forever...
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13. Julie Carmen
1954-. (aged 72)
actor
television actor
psychotherapist
film actor
dancer
Julie Carmen is an American actress, dancer, and licensed psychotherapist. She came to prominence onscreen in the 1980s and 1990s, for her roles in John Cassavetes’ Gloria, Robert Redford’s The Milagro Beanfield War (1988), and John Carpenter’s In the Mouth of Madness (1994).
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14. Kenny Barron
1943-. (aged 83)
jazz musician
pedagogue
composer
recording artist
jazz pianist
Kenneth Barron is an American jazz pianist and composer who has appeared on hundreds of recordings as leader and sideman and is considered one of the most influential mainstream jazz pianists since the bebop era.
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15. Sarah Schulman
1958-. (aged 68)
university teacher
historian
actor
writer
film producer
Sarah Miriam Schulman is an American novelist, playwright, nonfiction writer, screenwriter, gay activist, and AIDS historian. She holds an endowed chair in nonfiction at Northwestern University and is a fellow of the New York Institute for the Humanities. She is a recipient of the Bill Whitehead Award and the Lambda Literary Award.
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16. Alan Rachins
1942-2024 (aged 82)
screenwriter
television actor
writer
voice actor
film actor
Alan Lewis Rachins was an American actor and comedian, known for his role as Douglas Brackman in L.A. Law which earned him both Golden Globe and Emmy nominations, and his portrayal of Larry (Dharma's hippie father) on the television series Dharma & Greg.
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