Notable Alumni

Columbia College Chicago is proud of the alumni that have helped shape the culture of our time. Here are some of our notable alumni.

For more in-depth interviews with our alumni, please see the Alumni Spotlights page.

View our Alumni of the Year page.



Scott Adsit (‘87) – Actor (30 Rock )

Len Amato (B.A. ’75) – President, HBO Films

Dan Asma (B.A. ’92) – Partner/Producer/Editor at Buddha Jones Movie Trailers

Hettie Barnhill (B.A. ’06) – Dancer, Broadway production of Fela! (2009-)

Art Baltazar (B.A. ’92) – Artist, writer, cartoonist (Tiny Titans, Patrick the Wolf Boy)

Peter Berkos (B.A. '51) – Sound effects editor, 1976 Academy-award winner for The Hindenburg

Mark Biello (B.A. ’83) – Senior photojournalist, CNN


Jay Boersma (B.A. ’74) – Creative Director at Playboy.com

Andrew Bolhuis (’93) – Emmy-nominated editor

Jay Bonansinga (M.A. ’88) – Best-selling author (Frozen, The Killer’s Game)


Karyn Bosnak (’96), author and screenwriter

Paul Broucek (B.A. ’74) – President, Music, Warner Brothers Pictures


Charles Robert Carner (B.A. '78) – Director/screenwriter (Who Killed Atlanta's Children, Witless Protection)

Nick Charles (’70) – Veteran blow-by-blow boxing announcer, ShoBox


Vandell Cobb (B.A. '75) – Photographer, Ebony/JET Magazine
s

Margi Cole (B.A. ’90) – Founder, The Dance COLEctive


Common (’86) – Recording artist and actor

Chet Coppock (B.A. '71) – Veteran sports commentator, WLS Radio


Maura Corey (’97) – Emmy-nominated editor

David Cromer ('86) – Broadway director and MacArthur Fellow (House of Blue Leaves, Sweet Bird of Youth)

Collin Daniel – Casting director

Aaron Davis (B.A. ’04) – Audio Department Manager, Technotrix

Don De Grazia (B.A. '92) – Author (American Skin, Scribners)

Cece DeStefano (B.A. '94) – Production designer (Melrose Place, Chuck, Alias)

Everett Downing (’99) –  Animator for Pixar

Nick Eipers (B.A. ’94) – President / Producer / Engineer, CHICAGO SESSIONS Record Label. Voting Member of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (The Grammy Awards) - since 1993

Lana Fertelmeister (B.A. '97) -–Jewelry designer


Mauro Fiore (B.A. ’87) – Academy Award-winning cinematographer (Avatar)

David Garcia-Vlasits (’01) – Emmy-nominated camera operator

Paul Garnes (B.A. '96) – V.P. Production, Tyler Perry Studios

Michael Goi (B.A. '80) – Cinematographer and President of American Society of Cinematographers
  
Andrew Gorton (B.A. ’00) – Voted in the 40-under-40 list of outstanding professionals in acoustics

Shecky Greene (’46) – Comedian   

Chester Gregory (B.A. ’95) – Singer, Actor (Broadway productions of Tarzan, Cry Baby, Dreamgirls

)

Hal Haenel (B.A. '81) – SVP, GM Studio Operations, 20th Century Fox

Aaron Hartline (’98) – Animator for the 2010 Academy Award-winner for Best Animated Feature: Up

Larry Heinemann (B.A. ’71) – Author (Close Quarters, Paco’s Story - Winner of the 1987 National Book Award for Fiction)

John Hellerman (B.A. '95) – Public relations executive, partner and co-founder of Hellerman Baretz Communications

Isabella Hofmann (’81) – Actor

Erica Hubbard (B.A. '99) – Actor (Lincoln Heights)

Stacey Hurst (’96) – Board Member of the American Dance Therapy Association

Sara Isaacson (’99) – Casting director

Richard Izui (B.A. ’96) – Photographer

Pete Janos (B.A. ’80) – West/Midwest Region Bureau Chief, CNN

Jay Johnston (’92) – Emmy-nominated actor


Jeff Jur (B.A. ’76) –  Cinematographer (Dirty Dancing, My Big Fat Greek Wedding)


Janusz Kaminski (B.A. ’87) – Two-time Academy Award-winning cinematographer (Saving Private Ryan, Schindler’s List)

Marty Kane (B.A. ’06) – drummer for the band Dot Dot Dot

Parisa Khosravi (B.A. ’87) – Senior VP International Newsgathering, CNN


Steve Kmetko (B.A. ’76) – Host, reporter (fmr. E! Entertainment Tonight)


Hilmar Koch (‘93) – 2010 Technical Achievement Award for advancing the technique of ambient occlusion rendering

Stephanie Kuehnert (B.A. ’03, M.F.A. ’06) – Author (Ballads of Suburbia, I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone)

Rashid Johnson (B.A. '00) – Photographer


Eric Lange (’97) – Emmy-winning cinematographer

Frank E. Lee (B.A. '78) – On-air radio personality, WXRT

Shannon Lengerich (’02) – Assistant Dean of the Department of Student Health and Services at Harper College

Marty Lennartz (B.A. '82) – Creative Assistant to Programming, on-air personality, and close, personal friend of The Regular Guy, WXRT

Josh Liss (B.A. '95) – Sports director, morning sports anchor - WBBM Radio

Tod Lending (B.A. ’83) – Documentarian, Academy Award-nominee (Legacy)

Josefina Lopez (B.A. '91) – Writer (Real Women Have Curves)

Daniel Lopez Munoz (’96) – Art Director for the 2010 Academy Award-winner for Best Animated Feature: Up

Curtis Mann (M.F.A. ’08) – Photographer – 2010 Whitney Biennial

Johnny Mars (  – On-air radio personality, WXRT

Pablo Martinez Monsivais (B.A. ’94) – Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist, Associated Press


Drew Matott (M.F.A. ’08) – Co-director, Combat Paper Project

Kym Mazelle (’86) – dance-pop, Hi-NRG, soul, and house singer

Navid McIlhargey (M.F.A. '00) – Executive producer, New Regency Productions

Chris McKay (’91) – Emmy-nominated producer/director/editor (Robot Chicken)

Bob McNamara (’67) – senior news correspondent (CBS News)


Joe Meno (B.A. ’97, M.A. ’00) – Author (Hairstyles of the Damned)

Sharon Mesmer (B.A. '83) – Poet, author, educator (Annoying Diabetic Bitch)


Steve Meyer (’88) – Emmy-nominated senior compositor

Mary Mitchell (B.A. ’91) – Columnist, Chicago Sun-Times

Beth Morgan (’02) – Emmy-nominated costume designer


Ozier Muhammad (’72) – Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist, the New York Times


Keith Neubert (B.A. ’01) – Regional Vice President, Clair Brothers

Bob Odenkirk (’84) – Writer, Saturday Night Live (1987-1995); writer/creator/actor (Mr. Show with Bob and David)

Tom O’Keefe (B.A. ’86)  – Executive creative director, North America, at Chicago ad agency DraftFCB


Patrick O’Neill ('91) – Screenwriter

Nobuko Oyabu (B.A. '95) – Photojournalist, advocate (Project STAND: Faces of Rape & Sexual Abuse Survivors)

Anita Padilla (B.A. ’91) – Reporter, FOX Chicago  

Alen Petkovic (’97)– Emmy-nominated producer/creative director

Joe Peyronnin (’70) – Exec. VP Telemundo, (fmr. VP CBS News)
 
    

Bill Phillips (B.A. '72) – VP of Original Productions, TBS & TNT

Steve Pink (’89) – Director, writer, producer (Hot Tub Time Machine, co-producer, Grosse Pointe Blank, High Fidelity)

Tonya Pinkins (B.A. ’96) – Tony Award-winning actor (Jelly's Last Jam)

Melissa Pinney (B.A. ’77) – Photographer - Guggenheim-award winner


Fred Pienkos (B.A. '96) – Visual effects supervisor (Spiderman 3)

Mark Protosevich (B.A. '83) – Writer (I Am Legend, Poseidon, The Cell)

Declan Quinn (B.A. ’79) – Cinematographer (Leaving Las Vegas)

Rob Renzetti (’93) – Emmy-nominated executive producer/director/writer

Dean Richards (B.A. ’76) – Entertainment reporter, WGN-TV, WGN-Radio


Andy Richter (’88) – Actor, co-host (Conan)

Pat Sajak (’68) – Host (Wheel of Fortune)

Marcus Sakey (’06) – Best-selling author (The Blade Itself, Good People)

Peter Schlesinger ('59) – Producer and former governor, Television Academy of Arts and Sciences; 18-time Emmy award-winner

Shawn Shiflett (B.A. '76) – Author (Hidden Place)

Earl Sewell ('02) – Best-selling author (Kimani Tru series)

Therese Sherman (’90) – Emmy-nominated cinematographer

Nana Shineflug (M.A. ’86) – Owner, The Chicago Moving Company

J.D. Sievertson (’93) – Emmy-nominated editor

Bob Sirott (B.A. ’71) – Co-anchor, Fox News Chicago

Dino Stamatopoulos (‘86) – Writer/creator (Morel Orel)

Laura Steele (B.A. '90)  – On-air radio personality, Clear Channel Communications

Mark Stegemann (’97) – Emmy-nominated writer/producer

Genndy Tartakovsky (’90) – Creator, animator (Samurai Jack, Powerpuff Girls, Dexter's Laboratory)

Bob Teitel (B.A. ’90) – Producer (Men of Honor, Barbershop, Notorious)

Peter Teschner (’80) – Editor (Borat, Dodgeball, Charlie's Angels)

Ruth Thorne-Thomsen (B.F.A. '74) – Photographer


Kirkland Tibbels (B.A. '95) – Founder, Funny Boy Films; producer (Adam & Steve)

Anne Tighe (’02) – Emmy-winning editor (Top Chef)

George Tillman, Jr. (B.A. ’91) – Director (Men of Honor, Barbershop, Notorious)

David Tuber (’05) – Storyboard artist for Emmy-nominated program

Pepe Vargas (B.A. '85) – Founder and executive director, International Latino Cultural Center, presenter of the Chicago Latino Film Festival


Eduardo Vilaro (M.A. ’01) – Founder/Artistic Director, Luna Negra Dance Company


Ron Walters, Jr. (’97) – Emmy-nominated music director

Nan Warshaw (M.A. '93) – Founder and co-owner, Bloodshot Records


Erica Watson (B.A. ’98, M.A. ’05) – Actress, comedienne, writer (Fat Bitch!)

Diane Weyermann (’92) – Executive Vice President of Documentary Production, Participant Media

Geling Yan (M.F.A. '99) – Author (Banquet Bug, Lost Daughter of Happiness, The Ninth Widow)

Melisa Young a.k.a. “Kid Sister” (B.A. ’04) – Recording artist

Ron Weiner (’52) – three-time, Emmy-winning director of Donahue

Marlon West (B.A. ’85) – Effects Supervisor/Animator, Walt Disney Animation Studios

Sam Weller (B.A ’90, M.A. ’01) – Author/biographer (The Bradbury Chronicles)