List of Cal Poly Pomona people
From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
This list of Cal Poly Pomona people includes notable matriculating students, and alumni that have graduated or are non-matriculating students of Cal Poly Pomona, a public university, and one of the 23 general campuses of the California State University located in Pomona, California.
-
This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by expanding it with reliably sourced entries.
File:PomonaPolytechnic.PNG
Kellogg horse ranch, the first building to be erected on campus.
Contents
Alumni
Athletics
Alumni | Notability | Relationship to Cal Poly Pomona | Citation |
---|---|---|---|
Dan Beebe | Former commissioner of the Ohio Valley Conference from 1989–2003 and Big 12 Conference from 2007-2011. | Student athlete | [1] |
Jonathan Bornstein | American professional footballer who plays as a left midfielder/defender for the United States men's national soccer team and Chivas USA in the MLS. | Student athlete | [2] |
Chi Cheng | Olympic bronze medalist, world record setter and Taiwan political leader, considered by many as the top female Asian athlete of the 20th century. | Student athlete (B.A. Kinesiology 1971) | [3] |
Glenn Davis | Davis, nicknamed "Mr. Outside", won the Maxwell Award in 1944 and the Heisman Trophy in 1946. He was also among the runners up in 1944 and 1945. Davis also was named the Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year in 1946. | Student athlete | [4] |
Fred Ford | American football halfback for the Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Chargers of the American Football League. | Student athlete | [5] |
Roman Gabriel | Former NFL starting quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams and Philadelphia Eagles. Served as coach of the football team during its last years. | Football coach | [6] |
Dave Mirra | X Games multiple medalist, world record setter, considered by many as the top BMX rider of the 20th century. | Student athlete (1995) | [7] |
Don Nomura | Baseball agent dealing primarily with Japanese baseball players such as Hideo Nomo. | Student Athlete | [8] |
Violet Palmer | First female referee in U.S. professional sports, NBA referee and member of 1985 and 1986 NCAA championship teams. | Student athlete | [9] |
Mark Peel | A James Beard Foundation Award-nominated chef and founder of the La Brea Bakery. | Student | [10] |
Joe Prokop | Former professional football player for the New York Jets. | Student athlete | [11] |
Kim Rhode | Medalist in five separate Olympic Games, including three gold medals, for double trap shooting. | Student athlete | [12] |
Everett Sharp | American football offensive tackle in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins. | Student athlete | [13] |
Al Smith | American football linebacker for the Houston Oilers in the National Football League. | Student athlete | [14] |
Art Williams | Former professional basketball player who won an NBA Championship with the Boston Celtics in 1974. | Student athlete | [15] |
Walter Ray Williams Jr. | Professional ten-pin bowler who holds the all-time PBA titles record with 47; seven-time PBA Player of the Year; also a six-time world horseshoe pitching champion. He has won an ESPY Award on six occasions. | Student (B.S. Physics 1984) | [16][17] |
Jim Zorn | NFL player; NFLPA's NFC Offensive Rookie of the Year (1976); starting quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks during their first seven seasons (1976–1983); head coach of the Washington Redskins in the National Football League (2008–2010). | Student athlete | [18] |
Business
Alumni | Notability | Relationship to Cal Poly Pomona | Citation |
---|---|---|---|
Beny Alagem | Entrepreneur and founder of Packard Bell Electronics; owner of the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Santa Monica, California. | Student (1970s) | [19] |
Jack Dangermond | Founder of ESRI consulting firm, the largest manufacturer and seller of GIS in the world. | Student (1967) Honorary Doctorate (2005) |
[20] |
Eddy Hartenstein | Co-president of Tribune Company and publisher and CEO of the Los Angeles Times and Los Angeles Times Magazine. | Student (B.S. Aerospace Engineering 1971) | [21] |
Kevin Lyman | Creator of touring music and extreme sports festivals called the Warped Tour, the Taste of Chaos and the Mayhem tours | Student (Recreation Administration) | [22] |
Satoshi Nakamoto | Alleged founder of BitCoin digital currency. | Student (B.S. Physics) | [23] |
Paul Tollett | Along with brother Perry Tollett, founder of Coachella and Stagecoach, and developers for the Pomona Fox Theater and The Glass House in Pomona. | Student (Chemical Engineering) | [24] |
Perry Tollett | Along with brother Paul Tollett, founder of Coachella and Stagecoach, and developers for the Pomona Fox Theater and The Glass House in Pomona. | Student (Chemical Engineering) | [25] |
Corrinne Yu | American game programmer. | Student (1980s) | [26] |
Education
Alumni | Notability | Relationship to Cal Poly Pomona | Citation |
---|---|---|---|
Alan Haskvitz | National Teacher's Hall of Fame educator. National Teachers Hall of Fame Biography | Student (B.A. Education 1972) | [27] |
Entertainment

Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker
Alumni | Notability | Relationship to Cal Poly Pomona | Citation |
---|---|---|---|
Nguyen Cao Ky Duyen | Vietnamese-American personality and co-host of Thuy Nga's Paris by Night shows. | Student | [28] |
Michael Steger | An American actor. He is best known for his role as Navid Shirazi on The CW's teen drama series 90210. | Alumni | [29] |
Kye Palmer | Trumpet player who performs with The Tonight Show Band. | Student (B.S. Engineering) | [30] |
Wilber Pan | An American-born Taiwanese singer, rapper and drama actor, who started his career as a host of Channel V programs. | Student | [31] |
Carol Vaness | Metropolitan Opera soprano. | Student (B.A. Music 1974) | [32] |
Forest Whitaker | Academy Award-winning actor (Panic Room, The Crying Game, The Last King of Scotland), director (Waiting to Exhale) and host of UPN’s revival of The Twilight Zone. | Student | [9] |
James Williamson | Guitarist for punk rock band The Stooges and later Vice President for Technology Standards for Sony. | Student (B.S. Engineering 1982) | [33] |
Larry Wilmore | Host of The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore. Writer for and actor in The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The Office, and others. Creator of The Bernie Mac Show. | Student | [34] |
Marc Wilmore | Writer for In Living Color, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and The PJs. Writer and producer for The Simpsons. | Student (Marketing) | [35] |
Brita Petersons-Wald | America's Next Top Model contestant, model | Student (master's degree in sports nutrition) | [36] |
Government

United States Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis
Alumni | Notability | Relationship to Cal Poly Pomona | Citation |
---|---|---|---|
Jim Brulte | Former Republican leader of the California State Senate. | Student (B.A. Political Science 1980) | [9][37] |
Jonathan D. Farrar | Chief of Mission of the United States Interests Section in Havana, Cuba (USINT). | Student (B.A. Political Science 1978) | [38][39] |
Richard Pombo | Republican member of the United States House of Representatives. | Student (attended three years) | [40] |
Hilda Solis | Democratic United States Secretary of Labor under President Barack Obama, former member of the United States House of Representatives. | Student (B.A. Political Science 1979) | [39][41] |
Chuck Walker | Republican Mayor, city of Scotts Valley, California 1999-2000, candidate for Governor, California 2003. | Student (B.S. Business 1989) | [37][42] |
Faculty
Active faculty
Faculty | Notability |
---|---|
Gabriel Georgiades | Professor of aerospace engineering and author. Georgiades has been the Regional Chair, Chair-Elect, VC of Education and Advisory Committee representative and was the former "Evolution of Flight" Program Officer for the San Gabriel Valley Region of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics [43] |
Renford Reese | Professor of Political Science, author, founder and director of the "Colorful Flags" program aimed at reducing ethnic and racial tensions, servicing 17 school districts and a variety of law enforcement, social service, and other agencies in Southern California.[44] |
Louis Rosenberg | American entrepreneur, author, screenwriter, inventor, and professor. |
Marc Schulitz (de) | Assistant Professor of Architecture,[45] designed numerous international sports arena projects, including the 2006 FIFA World Cup Arena in Hanover and the Lentpark ice and swim stadium in Cologne, Germany. |
Christoph Kapeller | Architecture lecturer.[46] Founding member of Norwegian firm Snohetta and design leader for the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Alexandria, Egypt.[47] |
Hilda Solis | Democratic United States Secretary of Labor under President Barack Obama, former member of the United States House of Representatives, scholar-in-residence starting in the winter quarter of 2014.[48] |
Michael Woo | Dean of the College of Environmental Design. Former Los Angeles city councilman. In 1993, with the backing of President Bill Clinton, he became the first Asian American to run for mayor of a major city. He garnered 46 percent of the vote but lost the race for mayor of Los Angeles to Richard Riordan. |
Retired, deceased, and former faculty
Faculty | Notability |
---|---|
Virginia Hamilton Adair (deceased) |
Poet, author of "Ants on the Melon". |
Aaron Betsky | Served as visiting instructor in the Department of Architecture.[49] |
Paul Caligiuri | Head soccer coach and National Soccer Hall of Fame player whose 1990 "Goal Heard Round the World" (sic) launched the United States into the FIFA World Cup for the first time in 40 years. Resigned as head coach after the 2008 season.[50] |
Craig Ellwood | Lecturer at the Department of Architecture and influential Mid Century Modern architect. |
Ray Kappe |
Former faculty. Founding Chair of the Department of Architecture and later founded the Southern California Institute of Architecture. |
Saul Landau | Director of digital media programs, noted internationally for his films and writing on domestic policy and cultural issues, the recipient of numerous awards, including a 1980 Emmy. |
John T. Lyle | Professor of landscape architecture;[51] the Lyle Center for Regenerative Studies at Cal Poly Pomona and the Lyle plaza at the entrance to Adam Joseph Lewis Center for Environmental Studies at Oberlin College are named after him.[52] |
Thom Mayne | Former professor in the Department of Architecture. Principal of Morphosis, Pritzker Prize laureate, and Co-Founder of Southern California Institute of Architecture. (SCI-ARC) |
Ronald Muldrow (deceased) |
Jazz guitarist and former member of the music faculty. |
Richard Neutra | Lecturer in the early days of the Department of Architecture[53] and influential Mid Century Modern architect featured on the cover of Time Magazine. |
Donald H. Pflueger | Historian, educator, prolific author of local stories. A founding member of the Glendora Historical Society, the Pomona Valley Historical Society. Also served on the Board of Directors of the Historical Society of Southern California. |
James Pulliam | Modernist, instructor and campus architect. He designed the bookstore, W. Keith and Janet Kellogg Art Gallery, and student union building (Bronco Student Center).[54] |
Michele Saee | Served as visiting instructor in the Department of Architecture from 1998 to 1999. |
Raphael Soriano | Noted modernist architect who experimented with steel in residential construction. Appointed Special Sessions Instructor.[55] |
Takeo Uesugi | Professor emeritus in Landscape Architecture noted for his work in Japanese gardens, Dr. Uesugi designed the garden at The Washington Center in Washington, D.C., among other notable landmarks. |
Martín Vásquez | Assistant association football (soccer) coach in 1999 and 2000. He is the head coach of C.D. Chivas USA, in Major League Soccer (MLS).[56] |
Richard Saul Wurman | Former Dean of the College of Environmental Design, founder of the TED conference, given credit for coining the term "information architect".[57] |
Bernard Zimmerman | Modernist architect, architecture instructor for over 30 years, helped co-found the department along with Ray Kappe.[58] |
University presidents
The following people have served as presidents of Cal Poly Pomona:
# | Name | Term | Citation |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Julian McPhee | 1938–1966 | [59] |
2 | Robert C. Kramer | 1966–1977 | [60] |
3 | Hugh O. LaBounty | 1977–1991 | [61] |
4 | Bob H. Suzuki | 1991–2003 | [62] |
5 | J. Michael Ortiz | 2003–2014 | [63] |
6 | Soraya M. Coley | 2015–Present | [64] |
Honorary degrees
Cal Poly Pomona has conferred 16 honorary doctorate degrees since 1969.[65]
Name | Degree | Year | Notes | Citation | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Andrew J.C. Cherng | Doctor of Humane Letters | 2008 | Founder and chairman of the board for Panda Express Restaurant Group. | [66] | |
Julia Child | Doctor of Humane Letters | 2000 | American chef, author, and television personality, host of The French Chef. | [67] | |
James A. Collins | Doctor of Humane Letters | 1992 | [68] | ||
Jack Dangermond | Doctor of Humane Letters | 2005 | Business executive and environmental scientist, co-founder of the Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI). | [68] | |
Richard N. Frank | Doctor of Humane Letters | 2009 | Entrepreneur, chairman of Lawry's Restaurants, Inc.[69] | [70] | |
Bob B. Huntley | Doctor of Science | 2009 | Businessman and farmer, owner of Huntley Moore Farms. | [71] | |
W.K. Kellogg | Doctor of Humane Letters | 1998 | [68] | ||
Will Keith Kellogg II | Doctor of Humane Letters | 1998 | [68] | ||
Russell G. Mawby | Doctor of Science | 1989 | [68] | ||
Emory W. Morris | Doctor of Humane Letters | 1969 | [68] | ||
Charles R. Oliver | Doctor of Science | 1996 | [68] | ||
Stuart Sperber | Doctor of Science | 2007 | |||
Charles Brown Voorhis | Doctor of Laws | 1995 | |||
Michi Nishiura Weglyn | Doctor of Humane Letters | 1993 | |||
Norman Williamson Jr. | Doctor of Letters | 1995 |
References
<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" />
Cite error: Invalid <references>
tag; parameter "group" is allowed only.
<references />
, or <references group="..." />
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ http://www.csupomona.edu/~alumni/spotlight_peel.html
- ↑ http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/P/ProkJo21.htm
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/williar01.html
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ The Jordan Of ... Bowling - Espn The Magazine
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ https://class.csupomona.edu/781/khp-alumnus-kevin-lyman-on-the-15th-year-of-warped-tour/
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ http://polycentric.csupomona.edu/2014/03/a-music-empire-started-with-big-dreams-and-hard-work/#.UyvS1lFdVTU
- ↑ http://polycentric.csupomona.edu/2014/03/a-music-empire-started-with-big-dreams-and-hard-work/#.UyvS1lFdVTU
- ↑ http://www.allgame.com/person.php?id=2497
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2009/09/90210-michael-steger-navid-virginity.html
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 37.0 37.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 39.0 39.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ https://academic.csupomona.edu/pandr/prgm_all.aspx?au=1452&key=y8t1t1pr
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ http://www.csupomona.edu/~arc/
- ↑ http://www.csupomona.edu/~arc/faculty.html
- ↑ http://www.ck-architecture.com/alexandria.html
- ↑ http://polycentric.csupomona.edu/news_stories/2013/11/former-labor-secretary-to-serve-as-scholar-in-residence.html
- ↑ http://books.google.com/books?id=SKaUH29Pzw8C&pg=PA45&lpg=PA45&dq=%22aaron+betsky%22+%2B+pomona&source=bl&ots=IqzE04J0rz&sig=FDWCmiVEA_mAXZaMbBuLMkmwSak&hl=en&sa=X&ei=M_EJT5H_E6nmiAKI48zNCQ&ved=0CFIQ6AEwBw#v=onepage&q=%22aaron%20betsky%22%20%2B%20pomona&f=false
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ John T. Lyle Center for Regenerative Studies - History
- ↑ [1] Archived February 27, 2009 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ California State Polytechnic University, Pomona - Prioritization and Recovery Responses
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Society Of Architectural Historians/Southern California Chapter
- ↑ Martin Vasquez named as assistant coach at San Diego Spirit
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Honorary Degrees Awarded Alphabetically By Last Name | CSU
- ↑ Andrew J. C. Cherng | Honorary Degrees | CSU
- ↑ Herald-Journal - Google News Archive Search
- ↑ 68.0 68.1 68.2 68.3 68.4 68.5 68.6 The Collins College | Cal Poly Pomona
- ↑ :: Lawry's Restaurant ::
- ↑ Richard N. Frank | Honorary Degrees | CSU
- ↑ Don B. Huntley | Honorary Degrees | CSU