List of Northern Arizona University alumni

Notable alumni of Northern Arizona University:

Academia

 * Valeen Tippetts Avery – historian
 * Harvey Butchart – author and professor known for hiking exploits near Grand Canyon
 * Aimée Classen – ecologist
 * Frederick Colwell – microbial ecologist
 * Lattie F. Coor – President of Arizona State University and the University of Vermont
 * Elizabeth Hadly – biology professor
 * Lomayumtewa C. Ishii – hopi researcher
 * Hartman H. Lomawaima – director of the Arizona State Museum
 * Randi Martinsen – geologist
 * John Marzluff – wildlife professor
 * Katrina Miranda – biochemistry professor
 * Brad McRae – ecologist
 * Raymond R. Rogers – geology professor
 * Joseph Shepard – President of Western New Mexico University
 * Cathy Small – anthropologist
 * William A. Stein – professor and founder of CoCalc
 * Lydia Tederick – White House Curator
 * Kimberly A. With – ecologist
 * Evangeline Parsons Yazzie – Navajo educator

Actors and television

 * Rutanya Alda – actress
 * Seamus Dever – actor in Castle
 * Camille Ford – actress and presenter of Food Wars
 * Marjean Holden – actress
 * Quentin Oliver Lee – Grammy Award-winning stage actor

Artists

 * R.C. Gorman – Native American artist
 * Ted Larsen – sculptor
 * Ray Manley – photographer
 * R. Carlos Nakai – 11-time Grammy nominated Native American flutist
 * Ryan Singer – artist
 * Joe Sorren – painter
 * Mary Antonia Wood – artist

Business

 * Richard Bitner – real estate publisher
 * Martin Casado – co-founder of Nicira Networks
 * Cheryl Casone – Fox Business news anchor
 * Robert Maynard Jr. – founder of LifeLock

Government and politics

 * J. Christopher Ackerley – Member of the Arizona House of Representatives
 * Brent T. Adams – Judge, Nevada Second Judicial District Court
 * Cesar Aguilar – Member of the Arizona House of Representatives
 * Andreas Borgeas – Member of the California State Senate
 * Chad Campbell – Member of the Arizona House of Representatives
 * Howard Cannon – U.S. Senator from Nevada
 * Richard A. Carranza – Chancellor of the New York City Department of Education
 * Heather Carter – Member of the Arizona State Senate
 * Raul Hector Castro – 14th Governor of Arizona; U.S. Ambassador to Argentina, Bolivia, and El Salvador
 * Doug Coleman – Member of the Arizona House of Representatives
 * Charlene Fernandez – Democratic leader of the Arizona House of Representatives
 * Carl Gatto – Member of the Alaska House of Representatives
 * Anthony Hartsook – Member of the Colorado House of Representatives
 * Theresa Hatathlie – Member of the Arizona State Senate
 * Katie Hobbs – 24th Governor of Arizona
 * John Huppenthal – Arizona superintendent, Member of the Arizona State Senate
 * Jill Jim – Member of the COVID-19 Advisory Board
 * Anthony Kern – Member of the Arizona State Senate
 * Jonathan Lines – Chairman of the Arizona Republican Party
 * Judith Loganbill – Member of the Kansas House of Representatives
 * Lynda Lovejoy – Member of the New Mexico State Senate
 * Jonathan Nez – 9th President of the Navajo Nation
 * Jamescita Peshlakai – Member of the Arizona House of Representatives
 * Rick Renzi – U.S. Representative from Arizona
 * Tyrone Thompson – Member of the Nevada Assembly
 * Myron Tsosie – Member of the Arizona House of Representatives
 * Dennis Van Roekel – labor leader

Literature

 * C. Dean Andersson – fantasy author
 * Dia Cha – author
 * Diana Gabaldon – author of the Outlander series
 * Paul Genesse – fantasy author
 * Kevin Hearne – author of The Iron Druid Chronicles series
 * Carlton Mellick III – absurdist author
 * Todd Robert Petersen – fiction writer
 * Jennifer Roberson – fantasy author

Military

 * Robin Braun – United States Navy rear admiral
 * Jay R. Vargas – United States Marine Corps Medal of Honor recipient

Science and engineering

 * Philip Johnston – code talker
 * David Mangelsdorf – pharmacologist, chemist
 * Michael Reeves – YouTuber and roboticist
 * Tajana Rosing – computer engineer

Sports

 * Greg Adams – National Hockey League
 * Geordie Beamish – New Zealand long-distance runner
 * Travis Brown – National Football League, quarterback
 * Dave Cahill – National Football League, defensive tackle
 * Darren Carrington – National Football League, safety
 * Víctor Castillo – Venezuelan long jumper
 * Allan Clark – National Football League, running back
 * Shawn Collins – National Football League, wide receiver
 * Diego Estrada – Mexican-American long-distance runner
 * Casey Frank – American-New Zealand professional basketball player
 * George Grantham – Major League Baseball, infielder
 * Luis Grijalva – Guatemalan-American long-distance runner
 * Tim Handel – German tennis player
 * Michael Haynes – National Football League, wide receiver
 * Mike Jankowski – skiing and snowboarding coach
 * Maya Kalle-Bentzur – Israeli Olympic runner and long jumper
 * Tara Koleski – soccer player
 * David Lang – National Football League, running back
 * Jeff Lewis – National Football League, wide receiver
 * Goran Lingmerth – National Football League, kicker
 * Mark Lomas – National Football League, defensive lineman
 * Lopez Lomong – South Sudanese-born track and field athlete and Olympian
 * Peter Lomong – long-distance runner
 * Pete Mandley – National Football League, wide receiver
 * Derek Mason – current defensive coordinator for Auburn Tigers
 * Todd McMillon – National Football League, cornerback
 * Mike Mercer – National Football League
 * Rex Mirich – National Football League, defensive tackle
 * Samantha Monahan – Professional soccer player
 * Lee Mulleneaux – National Football League
 * Abdihamid Nur – Somolian-born American long-distance runner
 * Keith O'Neil – National Football League linebacker, Super Bowl XLI champion with Indianapolis Colts
 * Josh Oppenheimer – Israeli-American professional basketball coach, and former professional basketball player
 * Eleanor Pilgrim – Welsh professional golfer
 * Frank Pollack – offensive tackle, San Francisco 49ers
 * John Rade – National Football League, linebacker
 * Claire Robertson – beach volleyball player
 * Francis St. Paul – football player
 * Andre Spencer (1964–2020) – basketball player
 * Brian Stewart – National Football League and college coach
 * Rayna Stewart – National Football League, safety
 * Cathy Thaxton-Tippett – rower
 * Rusty Tillman – National Football League, linebacker
 * Andy Trouard – long-distance runner
 * Nico Young – long-distance runner
 * Kasandra Vegas – Samoan discus thrower
 * Futsum Zienasellassie – long-distance runner

Other

 * Latif – Saudi Arabian gamer
 * Kayla Mueller – humanitarian and Islamic State hostage
 * Lisa Olson – sports journalist

Notable faculty

 * Harvey Butchart – mathematics
 * Lomayumtewa C. Ishii – Hopi researcher
 * Cathy Small – anthropology
 * Clyde Tombaugh – astronomer and discoverer of Pluto
 * Chad Trujillo – astronomer and co-discoverer of Eris and Sedna