22 Notable alumni of William Paterson University of New Jersey
Updated: June 13, 2026 EliteDegrees
William Paterson University of New Jersey is ranked #1,991 in the world and #495 in United States by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 22 notable alumni from William Paterson University of New Jersey sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff. Many individuals affiliated with William Paterson University of New Jersey won Nobel Prizes for Peace, in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, and Economics.
1. Dana Hall
1969-. (aged 57)
bandleader
ethnomusicologist
conductor
composer
jazz musician
Dana Hall is an American jazz drummer, percussionist, composer, bandleader, and ethnomusicologist. After spending the first few years of his life in Brooklyn, New York (his birthplace), he relocated with his family to his mother's hometown of Philadelphia. There, Hall was exposed to jazz and soul music at an early age through the recordings of his mother Diane, his uncle...
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2. Steve LaSpina
1954-. (aged 72)
university teacher
jazz musician
Steven Frank LaSpina is an American jazz bassist who plays both upright and electric bass.
3. Keith Kidwell
1961-. (aged 65)
politician
Keith D. Kidwell is a Republican member of the North Carolina House of Representatives. He has represented the 79th district (including constituents in Beaufort and Craven counties) since its creation in a mid-cycle redistricting in 2019.
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4. Emil Salvini
historian
Emil R. Salvini is a historian/author/host of Tales of the Jersey Shore on NJTV.
5. Steve Lonegan
1956-. (aged 70)
politician
Steven Mark Lonegan is an American businessman and politician who served as mayor of Bogota, New Jersey, from 1996 to 2007. He was also the Republican Party's nominee in the 2013 Special Senate election in New Jersey, which he lost to Cory Booker.
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6. Justin Kauflin
1986-. (aged 40)
pianist
songwriter
jazz musician
Justin Kauflin is an American jazz pianist, composer, educator and record producer.
7. Ferit Odman
1982-. (aged 44)
jazz musician
Ferit Odman is a jazz drummer based in Istanbul, Turkey.
8. Tom Brislin
1968-. (aged 58)
pianist
singer
record producer
Tom Brislin is an American keyboardist, songwriter, singer, producer, and author. In December 2018, American progressive rock band Kansas announced Brislin as the group’s keyboardist; his playing, vocals, and prominent songwriting contributions are featured on the band’s most recently released studio album, The Absence of Presence (2020).
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9. Tyshawn Sorey
1980-. (aged 46)
percussionist
music educator
composer
Tyshawn Sorey is an American composer, multi-instrumentalist, and professor of contemporary music.
10. Eric Alexander
1968-. (aged 58)
saxophonist
jazz musician
Eric Alexander is an American jazz saxophonist, composer, and educator. Having placed second at the 1991 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition behind Joshua Redman and ahead of Chris Potter and Tim Warfield, he was soon signed by a record label and has since recorded over 20 albums as a leader and over 300 as a sideman.
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11. Mark Guiliana
1980-. (aged 46)
drummer
composer
musician
Mark Guiliana is an American drummer, composer and leader of the band Beat Music. He has played with Avishai Cohen, Brad Mehldau, David Bowie, Meshell Ndegeocello, Gretchen Parlato, Jason Lindner, Lionel Loueke, Dhafer Youssef, Tigran Hamasyan, Matisyahu, St. Vincent, the European piano trio Phronesis and his own groups, Heernt and the Mark Guiliana Jazz Quartet.
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12. Brian Lynch
1973-. (aged 53)
film screenwriter
film director
actor
illustrator
director
Brian Michael Lynch is an American film and comic book writer. Lynch was the initial writer and co-creator of Angel: After the Fall for IDW Publishing alongside Joss Whedon, and is best known for writing the screenplays for the films Puss in Boots (2011), Minions (2015), The Secret Life of Pets (2016), The Secret Life of Pets 2 (2019), and...
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13. Ray Toro
1977-. (aged 49)
songwriter
guitarist
musician
Raymond Toro is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer, best known as the lead guitarist and backing vocalist of the band My Chemical Romance.
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14. Kevin Burkhardt
1974-. (aged 52)
sports commentator
Kevin Burkhardt is an American sportscaster. He is currently the lead play-by-play voice for the NFL on Fox and lead studio host for Fox Major League Baseball.
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15. Joseph Farah
1954-. (aged 72)
editor
writer
journalist
Joseph Francis Farah is an American author, journalist, and editor-in-chief of the far-right website WorldNetDaily (WND). Farah gained prominence for promoting conspiracy theories surrounding the suicide of Vince Foster and is a proponent of birtherism, a debunked conspiracy theory that Barack Obama is not a natural-born citizen of the United States.
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16. Joseph D. Pistone
1939-. (aged 87)
writer
police officer
spy
special agent
Joseph Dominick Pistone is an American former FBI special agent who worked undercover as Donnie Brasco between September 1976 and July 1981, as part of an infiltration primarily into the Bonanno crime family under the tutelage of Anthony Mirra and later Dominick Napolitano, and to a lesser extent the Colombo crime family, two of the Five Families of the Mafia...
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17. Ian Ziering
1964-. (aged 62)
actor
television actor
film actor
dub actor
voice actor
Ian Andrew Ziering is an American actor best known for his role as Steve Sanders on the television series Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990–2000). He is also the voice of Harry Osborn in Spider-Man: The New Animated Series and Vinnie on Biker Mice from Mars. From 2013 to 2018, he saw a career resurgence after starring as Fin Shepard in the...
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18. Dick Vitale
1939-. (aged 87)
journalist
basketball coach
Richard John Vitale, also known as "Dickie V", is an American basketball sportscaster. A former head coach in the college and professional ranks, he is well known for his tenure since 1979 as a college basketball broadcaster for ESPN. He is known for catchphrases such as "This is awesome, baby!" and "diaper dandy" (outstanding freshman player), as well as his...
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19. Tom Fitzgerald
journalist
Thomas James Fitzgerald is an American ice hockey executive and former player who played 17 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) and American Hockey League (AHL). He is the president of hockey operations and general manager of the New Jersey Devils. He won the Stanley Cup in 2009 as a director of player development with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
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20. Andy King
1962-. (aged 64)
politician
Andy King is an American politician. A Democrat, he is the former Council Member for the 12th district of the New York City Council, which includes the Baychester, Co-op City, Edenwald, Eastchester, Wakefield, and Williamsbridge sections of The Bronx. King and his wife, Neva Shillingford-King are the founders of the Bronx Youth Empowerment Program (YEP). King was expelled from the...
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21. Joey Travolta
1950-. (aged 76)
film producer
film actor
film director
film editor
television actor
Joseph Allen Travolta is an American actor. He is the elder brother of actor John Travolta.
22. Bill Stewart
1966-. (aged 60)
jazz musician
William L. Stewart, nicknamed "Stew", was an American football coach. He was named interim head coach of the West Virginia Mountaineers after Rich Rodriguez left for Michigan in December 2007. After leading the Mountaineers to a 48–28 victory over the Oklahoma Sooners in the Fiesta Bowl, he was named the school's 32nd head football coach on January 3, 2008. Stewart...
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