Featured Alumni

Nobel Prize recipients. MacArthur “Genius” Grant winners. Fulbright scholars. Super Bowl champions. Academy Award winners. Groundbreaking scientists. Innovative entrepreneurs. Political trailblazers.

Wesleyan’s alumni include global changemakers in countless industries and fields, widely recognized for their skills in thinking critically and creatively, and for their commitment to bold, practical idealism that enriches their communities. We are proud of the long line of Cardinals who achieve success in their careers. Read more about a few of our featured alumni.

Leaders

  • Lael Brainard '83

    Major: College of Social Studies
    Awards: National Science Foundation Fellowship, White House Fellowship
    Read: Magazine article
    Brainard is the director of the National Economic Council of the United States appointed by President Biden. She was an economic adviser to former President Clinton and has served on the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.

  • Michael Bennet '87

    Major: History
    Watch: Video
    Bennet represents Colorado in the U.S. Senate; previously he was superintendent of Denver Public Schools and managing director for the Anschutz Investment Company.

  • Michele Roberts '77

    Major: Government

    Read: Magazine article
    Roberts is the former executive director of the NBA, the first woman to head a major professional sports union in North America.

  • John Hickenlooper '74, MA'80

    Major: English (BA), Environmental Science (MA)
    Read: Magazine article
    Colorado U.S. Senator Hickenlooper started his career as a geologist before becoming mayor of Denver, and then Colorado's governor.

  • Souleymane Ba '03

    Major: Economics

    Ba was a partner for ten years at Helios Investment Partners, a specialist private equity firm with investments in over 30 countries in Africa. In 2022, he became a partner at Just Climate, an investment business dedicated to climate-led investing to address the net zero challenge at scale.  

  • Stephanie Ivy Sanford '92

    Major: African American Studies, Government

    Sanford leads West Coast institutional client business for Goldman Sachs Asset Management.

  • Peter Shumlin '79

    Major: Government
    Read: Magazine article
    The governor of Vermont from 2011 to 2017, Shumlin pioneered statewide policies to tackle climate change.

  • Bill Belichick '75

    Major: Economics
    Watch: Video
    The most successful coach in Patriots history, Belichick has led his team to six Super Bowl championships.

  • Laura Walker '79

    Major: History
    Awards: Edward R. Murrow Award
    Read: News article
    The president of Bennington College, Walker was president and CEO of New York Public Radio for 23 years.

Entertainers

  • Lin-Manuel Miranda '02, Hon. '15

    Major: Theater
    Awards: Tony, Grammy, Emmy, Olivier, Pulitzer, Genius

    Watch: Video
    Miranda developed Broadway's In the Heights at Wesleyan, not long before creating Hamilton; additional credits include Moana, Star Wars, and The Little Mermaid (2023).

  • Santi White '97

    Major: Music, African American Studies

    Known as singer-songwriter and producer Santigold, White has released four critically acclaimed albums and several popular singles.

  • Beanie Feldstein '15

    Major: Sociology

    Feldstein has acted in movies (Booksmart, Lady Bird), TV (Orange Is the New Black), and on Broadway (Hello, Dolly!).

  • Lynn Chen '98

    Major: Music, Women's Studies
    Awards: AXAward (2006)

    Read: News article
    Chen is most well-known for her roles in the film Saving Face and TV's Law and Order and Grey's Anatomy. She made her directorial debut with I Will Make You Mine. She is also a body image activist and has been an ambassador for The National Eating Disorder Association.

  • Bradley Whitford '81

    Major: Theater
    Awards: Emmy

    Read: News article
    Whitford has starred on such popular TV series as The West Wing, Transparent, and The Handmaid’s Tale.

  • Ben Goldwasser '05 and Andrew VanWyngarden '05

    Major: Music (BG); Music (AV)
    Awards: Grammy

    Read: Magazine article
    Known as the indie-rock band MGMT, Goldwasser and VanWyngarden are multi-instrumentalists.

  • Jordan Belfi '00

    Major: Film Studies
    Belfi has acted in such TV series as Entourage, Chicago Fire, Scandal, Grey’s Anatomy, and CSI: Miami.

  • Dar Williams '89

    Major: Religion, Theater
    Read: Magazine article
    Williams is a folk singer-songwriter known for witty, lyrical storytelling.

Influencers

  • Bozoma "Boz" Saint John '99

    Major: African American Studies; English
    Watch: Video

    Saint John is a Hall of Fame inducted marketing executive, author, and entrepreneur. Her background spans roles at Netflix, Endeavor, Uber, Apple Music & iTunes, and PepsiCo. She has also been named as an aambassador for the African Diaspora and Special Envoy to the President of Ghana. She serves on the boards of Girls Who Code, Vital Voices, the Tony Elumelu Foundation, Soho House, the CFDA, and Wesleyan University. 

  • Jessica Posner Odede '09 and Kennedy Odede '12

    Major: African American Studies (JPO); Sociology (KO)
    Awards: Echoing Green Fellowship

    Read/Watch: Magazine article and video
    Kennedy and Jessica co-founded Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO), which catalyzes transformation in urban slums.

  • John Yang '80

    Major: Government
    Awards: Peabody
    Yang is the anchor of PBS News Weekend and a PBS NewsHour correspondent who covers the Supreme Court and economic and social issues across the country.

  • Jennifer Finney Boylan '80, Hon. '23

    Major: English

    Read: Magazine article
    Boylan is an author of 18 books and contributes to the New York Times' op-ed page. She is also a nationally known advocate for LGBTQ+ and human rights.

  • Maria Santana '98

    Major: Psychology
    Listen: Podcast
    An anchor and correspondent for CNN En Español, Santana shines light on breaking news and cultural events.

  • Ariel Levy '96

    Major: English
    Awards: National Magazine Award
    Levy is an author and a staff writer for The New Yorker, known for exploring issues such as gender and sexuality.

  • Catherine Taibi Autorino '13

    Major: English
    Awards: Forbes 30 Under 30. Two-time winner of the Online Media Awards for Editorial Innovation of the Year and the Grand Prix. AdWeek's 2018 Hot List for "Hottest Social Media Presence." Four-time Shorty Award winner for Best Live News Coverage and Twitter Video Strategy. Fast Company's Innovation by Design 2018 Award finalist.
    Taibi launched QuickTake by Bloomberg, a social video news network with over 90 million monthly views across platforms. She is currently senior business development manager at LinkedIn.

  • Rob King '84

    Major: English
    Read: Magazine article
    King is an influential multimedia architect who spent nearly 20 years at ESPN. A 12-time Sports Emmy award winner, King directly oversaw ESPN's editorial direction and special projects such as The ESPY Awards and ESPN Films.

  • Field Yates '09

    Major: Psychology
    Read: Magazine article
    An NFL Insider for ESPN, Yates contributes analysis about NFL news and fantasy football across multimedia platforms.

Creators

  • Glenn Ligon '82, Hon. '12

    Major: Art
    Awards: American Academy of Arts and Letters
    Read: News article
    An internationally renowned artist, Ligon's work explores themes such as race, sexuality, and identity.

  • Matthew Weiner '87

    Major: College of Letters
    Awards: Emmy, Golden Globe, Peabody
    Read: Magazine article
    Weiner is the creator of the acclaimed TV series Mad Men, The Sopranos, and The Romanoffs.

  • Jenno Topping '89

    Major: College of Letters
    The head of film and television at Chernin Entertainment, Topping has worked on blockbusters like Hidden Figures, Charlie's Angels, and Dr. Dolittle.

  • Tony Ducret '00

    Major: Economics, Film Studies
    Ducret is director of development at Universal Pictures; previously he produced and wrote for networks such as VH1, MTV, BET, and Nat Geo.

  • Timothy Hyunsoo Lee '12

    Major: Art Studio, Biology, Neuroscience and Behavior
    Lee's incisive artwork has been exhibited at venues such as the Smithsonian Institution and The Studio Museum in New York. He is also a painting and drawing instructor at MIT and lecturer at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts.

  • Doug Berman '84

    Major: American Studies
    Awards: Peabody
    Read: Magazine article
    Berman is an NPR executive producer behind the popular radio series Car Talk and Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

  • Charlotte Castillo '94

    Major: American Studies, Sociology
    Castillo is managing director for Poderistas, a 501(c)(3), a digital community by and for Latinas—delivering information and inspiration in order to drive a mindset and lifestyle of civic engagement. Prior to her nonprofit work, she worked for Viacom for 15 years and was the founding marketing director for Latina Magazine.

  • Nadja Webb '90

    Major: English
    Webb is the executive vice president of programming operations and business and legal affairs for BET.

Innovators

  • Majora Carter '88, Hon. '13

    Major: Film Studies
    Awards: MacArthur Genius Grant, Peabody Award
    Listen: Podcast
    An advocate for environmental justice and urban revitalization, Carter is founder of the consulting/planning firm the Majora Carter Group.

  • Rahul Dhanda '95

    Major: History
    Read: News article
    Dhanda co-founded Sherlock Biosciences, which launched the first CRISPR product to be authorized by the FDA.

  • Jennifer Chayes '78

    Major: Physics
    Read: News article
    A distinguished inventor and a former Microsoft lab founder, Chayes is an associate provost and dean at UC Berkeley.

  • Marcus B. Chung '98

    Major: English, French Language & Literature
    Chung is a corporate social responsibility leader committed to sustainability and workers' rights. He is currently the chief operating officer for COYUCHI. Before this, he served as the vice president of manufacturing and supply chain at ThirdLove.

  • Ami Doshi '97

    Major: Anthropology
    Doshi founded Opportunity Plus, which supports financial empowerment programs for low-income communities; she is also director of Frontier Investment Management Company.

  • Joshua Boger '73

    Major: Chemistry and Philosophy
    Read: Magazine article
    Boger is the founder and retired CEO of Vertex Pharmaceuticals, which developed transformative treatments for HIV, hepatitis C, and cystic fibrosis.

  • Jordan Goldman '04

    Major: English
    Goldman is chief marketing officer of Genesis, a digital currency brokerage; he also founded Unigo, an education data and services marketplace.

  • Ritu Chhatwal '88

    Major: Government
    Chhatwal created the vegan cheese category in India with the launch of Violife products; her startup GreenGourmet Foods is India's first plant-based dairy company.

  • Glenn Cantave '16

    Major: Government
    Cantave founded Kinfolk, a nonprofit that creates self-guided and classroom-ready historical curriculums in the form of interactive digital media experiences to highlight underrepresented narratives.
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