Over the years, theUniversity of Nevada, Reno has had an assortment of people gain regional, national, and international prominence in various fields of study.
Anne Henrietta Martin William Dwight Billings – preeminent ecologist who served as faculty in the Department of Biology from 1938 to 1952 and is known as the father of physiological ecology and for his contributions in desert and arctic ecology; in 1989, received the Nevada medal presented by Governor Bob Miller[ 1] Bryan E. Bledsoe ,DO ,FACEP ,EMT-P – clinical professor, School of Medicine Emergency Department; emergency physician,University Medical Center T. Brian Callister , M.D. – associate professor, Internal Medicine; physician; health care quality and policy expertJames E. Church – best known for having developed the Mount Rose snow sampler (1906), the first instrument for measuring snow water contentNellie Shaw Harnar , M.A. – historian of Native American historySteven C. Hayes , Ph.D. – foundation professor, clinical psychology; developer ofacceptance and commitment therapy ;[ 2] relational frame theory John Marini , professor of political science at the University of Nevada, Reno and senior fellow at theClaremont Institute [ 3] Anne Henrietta Martin – established the university's department of history; first woman to run for the United States SenateJames Richardson, Ph.D. – sociologist, critic of "cultic brainwashing" theoriesWolfram Samlowski – clinical professor of medicine; member of the Research Developmental Therapeutics and Genitourinary Committees for the US Oncology NetworkJames G. Scrugham – professor of mechanical engineering, 1903-1914; dean, 1914-1917; served as governor, representative, and senator from NevadaC. Richard Tracy – professor of biology; director of the Biological Resources Research Center; Vada Trimble Outstanding Mentor (1999); UNR Graduate Advisor of the Year (2008); Nevada System of Higher Education Most Outstanding Graduate Advisor (2008)Glenn Wilson , Ph.D. – adjunct professor of Psychology, 1994–2002; taught and established the field of psychology for performing artists; produced the standard text on the topicEsmail Zanjani – in 2007, led scientists at the School of Medicine and created a sheep with 15% human cells and 85% animal cells, the world's first "human-sheep chimera", which has the body of a sheep but half-human organs[ 4] Myram Borders –UPI bureau chief and reporter,Las Vegas News Bureau chiefJohanna Burton – director of theMuseum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles Walter Van Tilburg Clark – author ofThe Ox-Bow Incident Gabriel Damon – actor,RoboCop 2 Newsies Frederic Joseph DeLongchamps , 1904 – Nevada State Architect, 1919–1926Charley Douglass , 1933 – sound engineer, created the first TVlaugh track [ 5] Peter Epstein – jazz musician, alto saxophoneGrant Harvey – actor,The Secret Life of the American Teenager [ 6] Kane Hodder (attended) – stuntman and actor known for role asJason Voorhees Jamie Iredell – writer, author ofLast Mass Lorie Line – classical pianist; performer and composerWilliam D. Lutz , Ph.D. 1971 – author ofThe World of Doublespeak Nick Rattigan – singer-songwriter in Surf Curse and Current JoysFrancine Rivers – novelistPeter Santenello –videomaker , traveler and entrepreneurGeoff Schumacher , 1981 – journalist and author,Howard Hughes: Power, Paranoia & Palace Intrigue Cathy Scott – adjunct journalism instructor, 2000–2005; journalist and true-crime author,The Killing of Tupac Shakur Benjamin Wade – reality television personalityDaliah Wachs talk show host, media personality, authorClaire Vaye Watkins – author ofBattleborn Dolora Zajick – opera mezzo-sopranoPolitics and public service [ edit ] JudgeGershwin A. Drain Mark E. Amodei – current U.S. representative from Nevada, Nevada State Assembly, 1996–1998; Nevada State Senate, 1998–2010Thomas Atkinson – former mayor ofGreen Bay, Wisconsin Helen Delich Bentley – former congresswoman from MarylandAlan Bible , 1930 – U.S. senator from Nevada (1954–1974)Emmet D. Boyle , 1898 – former governor of NevadaErnest S. Brown , 1926 – U.S. senator from NevadaRichard Bryan , 1959 – former governor of Nevada and US senator (Alpha Tau Omega )Catherine Cortez Masto , 1986 – current U.S. senator; first Latina U.S. senator; former attorney general of NevadaFrankie Sue Del Papa , 1971 – first female Nevada state attorney general; first female secretary of stateGershwin A. Drain – U.S. federal judgeFrank J. Fahrenkopf, Jr. , 1962 – chairman of the Republican National Committee; 1983–1989 American Gaming Association chairman; currently co-chairman of the Commission on Presidential Debates, which conducts the United States general election presidential and vice presidential debates in presidential election years (Alpha Tau Omega )Jason Frierson – current U.S. attorney from the District of Nevada; Nevada State Assembly, 2016-2022; Nevada State Assembly, 2011-2015; Nevada Speaker of the Assembly, 2017-2022 (Kappa Alpha Psi )Jim Gibbons – 28th governor of Nevada (Sigma Nu)Matt Griffin – current deputy secretary of State of Nevada (Alpha Tau Omega )Steven Horsford – current U.S. representative from Nevada and chair of the Congressional Black Caucus; Nevada State Senate, 2005-2013; Nevada State Senate Majority Leader, 2009-2013Procter Ralph Hug, Jr. – judge,Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (Alpha Tau Omega )Myron E. Leavitt , 1952 –lieutenant governor of Nevada ; justice,Nevada Supreme Court Sheila Leslie , 1979 – M.A. in Spanish Language and Literature; current member of the Nevada State Assembly representing AD 27 (Washoe County)Pat McCarran , attended but did not graduate – Democratic United States senator from Nevada, 1933-1954; noted for his strong anti-Communist stanceDonald R. Mello – Democratic member of theNevada Assembly William Raggio – former Nevada state senator (Alpha Tau Omega )Clark L. Reber – member of theUtah House of Representatives Sig Rogich , 1967 – political adviser to President Reagan and Bush; former US Ambassador to Iceland (Sigma Alpha Epsilon)Brian Sandoval , 1986 – former U.S. District Court judge and former governor of Nevada (Sigma Alpha Epsilon)James David Santini – U.S. representative from Nevada (Alpha Tau Omega )Grant Sawyer – former governor of Nevada (Alpha Tau Omega )Robin L. Titus – Republican member of theNevada Assembly [ 7] Harvey Whittemore – lawyer, businessman, lobbyistJason Woodbury, 1995 – formerdistrict attorney ofCarson City, Nevada , current judge of the First District of Nevada Department I[ 8] Lyle Overbay Chris Ault , 1969 – former head coach of Wolf Pack football team (Sigma Alpha Epsilon )Rob Awalt – professional football player; transferred after his first seasonLuke Babbitt (class of 2012; left in 2010) – basketball player,Miami Heat Eric Beavers – professional football playerDoug Betters , 1977 – professional football player and Pro Bowler,Miami Dolphins Joel Bitonio , 2014 – professional football player,Cleveland Browns Nate Burleson , 2003 – wide receiver,Detroit Lions Kaelin Burnett , 2012 – professional football playerGina Carano (attended) – retired professionalmixed martial artist ;[ 9] Ryan Church , 2000 – former Major League Baseball outfielder,New York Mets Todd Clever , 2004 – international rugby playerJorge Cordova – professional football player[ 10] Andy Dominique , 1996–1997 – former Major League Baseball playerForey Duckett – professional football playerCody Fajardo – quarterback for theSaskatchewan Roughriders Nick Fazekas , 2007 – basketball player,Denver Nuggets Lucius Floyd , 1987 –Canadian Football League player,Grey Cup champion.Isaiah Frey , 2012 – professional football playerJoseph Salvatore Gilbert – boxer onreality tv showThe Contender Virgil Green , 2011 – professional football player,Denver Broncos Bob Hamm – NFL playerFrank Hawkins , 1981 – NFL running back,Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders ,1981 –87 Stan Heath , 1949 – first NCAA quarterback to throw for more than 2,000 yards in a seasonTerry Hermeling – former offensive lineman for theWashington Commanders Jeff Horton , 1958 – NFL assistant coach,St. Louis Rams Dario Hunt (born 1989) – basketball player forHapoel Haifa of theIsraeli Basketball Premier League Joe Inglett , 1997–2000 – former Major League Baseball player,Toronto Blue Jays Trevor Insley , 1999 – NCAA Division I-A all-time receiving yards leaderBill Ireland , 1960–67 – "father of UNLV Athletics", graduated from University of Nevada, Reno (Alpha Tau Omega )James-Michael Johnson , 2012 – professional football player,Kansas City Chiefs Edgar Jones , 1979 – former professional basketball player, drafted by theMilwaukee Bucks in 1979.Colin Kaepernick , 2011 – NFL quarterback,San Francisco 49ers , 2017 Time "Person of the Year" Finalist (Kappa Alpha Psi )Kevin Kouzmanoff , 2003 – former Major League Baseball player,Oakland Athletics Mills Lane , 1963 – NCAA boxing champion, boxing referee, lawyer, judgeMike Legarza , 1983 – leadership coach, public speaker, basketball coachLisé Mackie, 1995–1998 – 1996 Olympic swimming bronze medalist (800m freestyle relay team, Australia)[ 11] Charles Mann , 1980–82 – former professional football player and Pro Bowler,Washington Redskins Brock Marion , 1989–92 – professional football player,Detroit Lions Brandon Marshall , 2012 – professional football player,Denver Broncos Rishard Matthews , 2012 – professional football playerVladimir Matyushenko , 1999 – retired mixed martial artist formerly fighting in theUFC andBellator MMA Josh Mauga , 2009 – professional football playerJaVale McGee , 2008 – professional basketball player, Washington Wizards, Denver Nuggets, Philadelphia 76ers, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers, and currently on the Phoenix SunsCorky Miller , 1997–1998 – former Major League Baseball catcher,Chicago White Sox Marko Mitchell , 2009 – professional football player with Washington RedskinsDontay Moch , 2011 – professional football player,Tennessee Titans Marion Motley , 1940–42 – professional Football Hall of FamerDavid Neill , 1999–2002 – set theNCAA freshman record for mosttouchdown passes in a seasonLyle Overbay , 1996–1999 – former Major League Baseball first baseman,Toronto Blue Jays Krysta Palmer , 2012-2016 – 2020 Olympics bronze medalist in diving (3-m springboard)Dodie Post , 1947 – Olympic skierShar Pourdanesh , 1989–1992 – professional football player,NFL 1996–2001;CFL 1994, 1995Chad Qualls , 1999–2000 – former Major League Baseball pitcher,Arizona Diamondbacks Darrell Rasner , 2000–2002 – former Major League Baseball pitcher,New York Yankees Jeff Rowe , 2007 – professional football player, New England PatriotsRamon Sessions , 2007 – professional basketball player,Milwaukee Bucks , April 2008NBA Rookie of the MonthGrant Sherfield (born 1999) – basketball player in theIsraeli Basketball Premier League Chris Singleton , 1992–1993 – former Major League Baseball outfielder, current ESPN commentatorKirk Snyder , 2004–2011 – basketball player,Minnesota Timberwolves Cal Stevenson (born 1996) – baseball outfielder for theSan Francisco Giants Zach Sudfeld , 2013 – professional football playerDomingo Tibaduiza , 1974 – elite long distance runnerKirk Triplett – professionalPGA Tour golferDuke Williams , 2013 – professional football player,Buffalo Bills Khalid Wooten , 2013 – professional football playerCharles Wright –professional wrestler (gimmicks included The Godfather, Kama, and Papa Shango)Tony Zendejas , 1983 – professional football player^ Strain, Boyd R. (April 1, 1997)."William Dwight Billings, 1910‐1997" The Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America .78 (2):115– 117.doi :10.2307/20168134 .JSTOR 20168134 .S2CID 178569338 – via esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com. ^ "NevadaNews – University of Nevada, Reno" . Archived fromthe original on April 18, 2008.^ Baskin, Jon (March 17, 2017)."The Academic Home of Trumpism" .The Chronicle of Higher Education . RetrievedMarch 28, 2017 .John Marini, a professor of political science at the University of Nevada at Reno, praised Trump in July for having grasped that neither political party any longer provided a "meaningful link between the people and the government." ^ Nature, May 1, 2006 - Chimeras in the crosshairs ^ King, Susan; Baker, Bob (April 25, 2003)."Charles Douglass, 93; Inventor Brought Canned Laughs to TV" .Los Angeles Times . RetrievedSeptember 11, 2019 . ^ "Grant Harvey" .IMDb . RetrievedMay 19, 2017 .^ "Assemblywoman Robin L. Titus" .Nevada Legislature . RetrievedFebruary 6, 2016 .^ "District Court, Department I" . Carson City. RetrievedFebruary 26, 2024 .^ "Gina Carano MMA Bio" . RetrievedJanuary 1, 2014 .^ "Jorge Alberto Cordova" . Pro-Football-Reference.Com. Archived fromthe original on January 6, 2013. RetrievedDecember 10, 2012 .^ "Lise Mackie (1995-98/Swimming)" .University of Nevada Athletics .^ "Sue Desmond-Hellmann" .Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation . RetrievedMay 8, 2017 .^ "Susan Desmond-Hellmann | UCSF Profiles" .profiles.ucsf.edu . RetrievedMay 8, 2017 .^ "53 Wolf Pack Student-Athletes Set To Graduate" .Nevada Wolf Pack
Academics Athletics Campus Student life Traditions Founded : 1874Students : 21,353Endowment : 306.6 million
