University of California, Los Angeles - Faculty and Alumni

Faculty and Alumni

See also: List of University of California, Los Angeles people

There are 15 Nobel laureates associated with UCLA. Six professors (two of whom are current faculty) and nine alumni have been awarded the Nobel Prize for achievements in science, economics, and peace; notably Glenn T. Seaborg ('34) who was awarded the 1951 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, and Elinor Ostrom ('54 Political Science), who was awarded the 2009 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences. Alumnus Richard Heck won the 2010 Nobel Prize in chemistry. Fifty-two have been awarded Guggenheim Fellowships, and eleven are MacArthur Foundation Fellows. In 2006, 54 faculty members were listed as "Highly Cited" by the Institute for Scientific Information. Terence Tao, professor of Mathematics, was awarded the 2006 Fields Medal.

• 120 professors are members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
• 114 professors are members of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
• 16 professors are members of the American Philosophical Society
• 37 professors are members of the Institute of Medicine
• 23 professors are members of the National Academy of Engineering
• 50 professors are members of the National Academy of Sciences
• 7 professors are members of the National Academy of Education

Jared Diamond, a professor of Geography, won the 1998 Pulitzer Prize for his book Guns, Germs, and Steel. Two UCLA professors of history have each won 2008 Pulitzer Prizes for general nonfiction and history. Saul Friedländer, professor of history and noted scholar of the Nazi Holocaust, won the prize for general nonfiction for his 2006 book, The Years of Extermination: Nazi Germany and the Jews, 1939–1945, and Professor Emeritus Daniel Walker Howe won for his 2007 book, What Hath God Wrought: The Transformation of America, 1815–1848.

A number of UCLA alumni are notable politicians. In the U.S. House of Representatives, Henry Waxman ('61, '64) represents California's 30th congressional district and is Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. U.S. Representative Judy Chu ('74) represents California's 32nd congressional district and became the first Chinese American woman elected to the U.S. Congress in 2009. Kirsten Gillibrand ('91) is U.S. Senator from the State of New York and former U.S. Representative for New York's 20th congressional district. UCLA boasts two Mayors of Los Angeles, Tom Bradley (1937-1940), the city's only African-American mayor, and the incumbent, Antonio Villaraigosa ('77).

Computer scientist Vint Cerf ('70, '72) is Vice President and Chief Internet Evangelist at Google and the person most widely considered the "father of the Internet." Henry Samueli ('75) is co-founder of Broadcom Corporation and owner of the Anaheim Ducks.

UCLA alumni have also achieved prominence in the Arts and Entertainment. American composer John Williams is laureate conductor at the Boston Pops Orchestra and Academy Award-winning composer of the Star Wars film score. Martin Sherwin (’71) was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer. Actors Tim Robbins, James Franco, George Takei, Sean Astin and Milo Ventimiglia are also UCLA alumni. Popular music artists Sara Bareilles, The Doors, Linkin Park, and Maroon 5 all attended UCLA. Giada De Laurentiis is a program host at Food Network and former chef at Spago. Carlos Bocanegra, the USA soccer team captain is also a UCLA alumnus.

UCLA also boasts an excellent military background, with hundreds of alumni moving beyond their undergraduate careers to serve their nation. Francis B. Wai is, to date, the only Chinese-American and the first Asian-American to be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions in WWII. UCLA also lost an alumnus in early 2007 when Second Lieutenant Mark Daily was killed in Mosul, Iraq after his HMMWV was hit by an IED. Lieutenant Daily's service is marked by a plaque located on the northern face of the Student Activities Center (SAC), where the ROTC halls are currently located.

• 105 Academy Award winners
• 278 Emmy Award winners
• 5 California Scientist of the Year winners
• 1 Fields Medal in Mathematics winner
• 1 Turing Award in Computer Science winner
• 11 Fulbright Scholars (since 2000)
• 78 Guggenheim Fellows
• 11 MacArthur Fellows winners
• 10 National Medal of Science winners
• 15 Nobel laureates
• 3 Presidential Medal of Freedom winners
• 1 Pritzker Prize in Architecture winner
• 3 Pulitzer Prize winners
• 12 Rhodes Scholars
• 1 Medal of Honor