List of State University of New York at Purchase people

The following is a list of individuals associated with State University of New York at Purchase through attending as a student, or serving as a member of the faculty or staff.

Conservatory of Theater Arts and Film alumni
The alumni of the Conservatory of Theater Arts and Film, compose what has been called the "Purchase Mafia" by several different sources, including Edie Falco and Hal Hartley. The term was first coined by casting director, Eve Brandstein, and later used in multiple biographical listings of Purchase alumni on the Internet Movie Database. It was later picked up by the press when actress and Purchase alumna, Edie Falco, came to national attention as a result of her role on HBO's mob drama, The Sopranos.

Actors and actresses
Notable alumni and former students from the Conservatory of Theater Arts & Film include:


 * Kirk Acevedo
 * Rochelle Aytes
 * Robert John Burke
 * Parker Posey
 * Orlagh Cassidy
 * Ron Eldard
 * Susie Essman
 * Dwight Ewell
 * Edie Falco
 * Brian Gaskill
 * Terry Serpico
 * Seth Gilliam
 * Malcolm Goodwin
 * Josh Hartnett
 * Dean Haspiel
 * Kali Hawk
 * David Herman
 * Zoe Kravitz
 * Melissa Leo
 * Jodi Long
 * Matt Malloy
 * Michael C. Maronna
 * James McDaniel
 * Tracy Middendorf
 * Janel Moloney
 * Mizuo Peck
 * Adina Porter
 * Jason Ralph
 * Ving Rhames
 * Bill Sage


 * Paul Schulze
 * Wesley Snipes
 * Sherry Stringfield
 * Francie Swift
 * Richard Tanne
 * Stanley Tucci
 * Steven Weber
 * Shea Whigham
 * Will Scheffer
 * Jay O. Sanders
 * Lawrence Saint-Victor
 * Amanda Seales
 * Kellee Stewart
 * Mel Rodriguez
 * Laurence Mason
 * Meghan Andrews
 * Rey Valentin
 * Keegan DeWitt
 * Andy Bean
 * Constance Wu

Theatrical designers and technicians

 * David Gallo
 * Kenneth Posner
 * Brian MacDevitt

Playwrights and screenwriters

 * Carl Capotorto
 * Deborah Zoe Laufer
 * Donald Margulies
 * Jeffrey Alan Schechter

Producers

 * Tom Donahue
 * Bob Gosse
 * Paul Heyman
 * James Spione

Screenwriters

 * Hal Hartley
 * Jeffrey Alan Schechter
 * A. Dean Bell

Directors

 * Austin Chick
 * Abel Ferrara
 * Azazel Jacobs
 * Ilya Chaiken
 * Nick Gomez
 * Bob Gosse
 * Todd Graff
 * Hal Hartley
 * Danny Leiner
 * Tim McCann
 * Eric Mendelsohn
 * E. Elias Merhige


 * Jeffrey Alan Schechter
 * Rob Schmidt
 * James Spione
 * Alex Turner
 * Chris Wedge of Blue Sky Studios
 * John G. Young
 * Michael Spiller
 * A. Dean Bell
 * Nicholas McCarthy
 * Jeffrey Schwarz

Editors

 * Iris Cahn
 * Jeff Kushner
 * James Spione
 * Tom Cross

Dancers and choreographers

 * Doug Varone – José Limón Company, Doug Varone and Dancers, Lar Lubovitch Dance Company
 * Tami Stronach
 * Terese Capucilli - Martha Graham Dance Company
 * Kyle Abraham - Abraham.In.Motion

Musicians

 * Adult Mom
 * The Age of Rockets
 * Victor Axelrod
 * Chris Ballew of The Presidents of the United States of America
 * Mal Blum
 * Bill Charlap
 * Bryndon Cook
 * Imani Coppola
 * Crying (band)
 * Dan Deacon
 * Despot
 * The Dude of Life
 * Elite
 * Fire Flies
 * Gabriel Garzón-Montano
 * Gregory and the Hawk
 * Edward W. Hardy
 * Kiss Kiss (band)
 * Langhorne Slim
 * Jeffrey Lewis
 * J-Zone
 * Mase
 * Meneguar (band)
 * Mikey Die
 * Mirk
 * Mitski
 * Moby (majored in sociology)
 * Moving Mountains (band)
 * O'Death
 * Only Son (formerly of Moldy Peaches)
 * Jae Matthews of Boy Harsher


 * Jenny Owen Youngs
 * Daryl Palumbo of Glassjaw
 * LVL UP
 * Porches
 * Mary Ruth Ray
 * Suzzy Roche
 * Bess Rogers
 * Joel Rubin
 * Alan Shulman
 * Gerard Smith (musician) late bassist of TV on the Radio
 * Regina Spektor
 * Twin Sister
 * Sheer Mag
 * Vérité
 * Wooden Wand and the Vanishing Voice
 * Ice Spice
 * Samara Joy

Artists

 * Katherine Bradford
 * Ingrid Calame
 * Gregory Crewdson
 * Thomas E. Franklin
 * Dan Friedman
 * Kris Graves
 * Lucia Hierro
 * Jon Kessler
 * Aaron Krach
 * Cal Lane
 * Michael Rakowitz
 * Alan Resnick
 * Jimmy Joe Roche
 * Ron Rocco
 * Camille Seaman
 * Laura Vaccaro Seeger
 * Stephen Vitiello
 * Fred Wilson

Journalists

 * Adam Nagourney
 * J. Buzz Von Ornsteiner - forensic psychologist, journalist and television ;personality
 * Michael Powell - New York Times

Activists

 * David Graeber
 * Robyn Ochs
 * Nasreen Pervin Huq

Scientists

 * Carl Safina
 * Jill Bargonetti

Authors

 * Nora Raleigh Baskin
 * Billy Taylor

Radio personalities

 * Chris "Pepper Hicks" Stanley

Notable faculty

 * Shirley Neilsen Blum, a professor emeritus (1970–1989), she founded the Art History Department.