List of Emerson College people

This is a list of notable alumni, faculty, and administrators of Emerson College, a private university located in Boston, Massachusetts.

Notable alumni

Film and television production

Pamela Abdy (1995), film producer and executive, co-CEO of Warner Bros.
Patricia Alvarado Nuñez (MA, 1993), television producer and director for PBS
Paul Thomas Anderson (did not graduate), Academy Award-winning director known for Boogie Nights and There Will Be Blood
Roberto Bentivegna, screenwriter known for House of Gucci
Jay Bienstock (BFA, 1987), television producer
Dave Blass, production designer known for The Boys
Kevin S. Bright, television producer known for Friends
Jim Cummings, filmmaker and actor known for Thunder Road
The Daniels (Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert), directors known for Swiss Army Man and Everything Everywhere All at Once
Vin Di Bona (1966), television producer known for MacGyver
Paul Dini, screenwriter, known for Batman: The Animated Series
Jim Finn, independent filmmaker
David Flebotte, television producer and writer
John Frink, screenwriter known for The Simpsons
Todd J. Greenwald, television producer known for Wizards of Waverly Place
John Harrison, director and producer best known for Dune and Frank Herbert's Dune
Doug Herzog, television producer and MTV Networks executive
Shane Hurlbut (BA, 1987), cinematographer
Laura Kightlinger, television writer and producer
Marci Klein, television producer known for Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock
Richard LaGravenese (did not graduate), director and screenwriter known for The Bridges of Madison County
Norman Lear (did not graduate), television producer known for All in the Family and Sanford and Son
Adele Lim, director known for Crazy Rich Asians
Joe Mande, television producer and writer
Terry Matalas, television producer known for 12 Monkeys and Star Trek: Picard
Michael McCusker, editor known for Logan and Ford v Ferrari
Erik Messerschmidt, cinematographer known for Mank
Amir Mokri, cinematographer
Max Mutchnick, television producer known for Will & Grace
Anna Hamilton Phelan, screenwriter known for Girl, Interrupted
Brittany Martin Porter, television producer known for The Voice
Felicia Pride, writer and producer known for Grey's Anatomy
Jacobo Rispa, Spanish television producer
Stefani Robinson, screenwriter known for Atlanta and What We Do in the Shadows
Bill Schulz, writer and television producer
George Scribner, director and animator known for Oliver & Company
Tyler Taormina, director and screenwriter known for Christmas Eve in Miller's Point
Alex Tse, screenwriter known for Watchmen
Lilly Wachowski (did not graduate), director and screenwriter known for The Matrix
Harris Wittels, comedian and television writer known for Parks and Recreation

Acting and performing arts

Mary Kay Adams, actress, known for work on Guiding Light and Babylon 5
Pearl Aday, singer
Landry Allbright, actress
Michael Angelakos, singer-songwriter known for Passion Pit
Anthony Atamanuik, actor, comedian, and Donald Trump impressionist
Sarah Borges, singer-songwriter
Glenn Branca, avant garde composer and guitarist
Bill Burr, comedian and actor
Kerem Bürsin, television actor
Tim Burton, saxophonist for The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
Mario Cantone, actor and comedian
Ian Cardoni, actor and voice talent; current voice of "Rick" on Adult Swim's Rick and Morty
Anthony Clark (1986), television actor, known for Yes, Dear
Bonnie Comley, Tony Award-winning theater producer
Jennifer Coolidge, actress and comedian, known for American Pie and The White Lotus
Billy Costa, radio personality
Michael Cyril Creighton, actor known for Only Murders in the Building
David Cross (did not graduate), actor and comedian, known for Mr. Show and Arrested Development
Gabe Dunn, podcaster and writer known for Just Between Us and Bad with Money
Richard Dysart, actor, known for L.A. Law
Joely Fisher (did not graduate), actress
Gina Gershon, actress
Natalie Gold, actress known for Succession
Spalding Gray, actor and performance artist
Adam Green, musician known for The Moldy Peaches
Louise Closser Hale, actress and playwright
Elden Henson, actor known for Daredevil
Eric Hutchinson, singer-songwriter
Abbi Jacobson (did not graduate), actress and comedian known for Broad City
Jen Kirkman, comedian and podcaster
Kizzy, actress and television personality
Paul Kreppel, actor and theatre producer
Denis Leary, comedian and actor
Brandon Lee, actor and martial artist known for The Crow
Jay Leno (1973), comedian and talk show host
Jack Lepiarz, circus performer and former WBUR anchor
Dan Levy, comedian
Sunita Mani, actress
Andrea Martin, actress and comedian
Matt McGorry, actor known for Orange Is the New Black
Shelley Mitchell, actress and performance coach
Lance Norris, actor and comedian
Michael Nouri, actor known for Flashdance
Morgan Page, music producer
Eddie Palladino, announcer for the Boston Celtics
Don Pardo, television personality
Penny Peyser (1973), film and television actress
Chrystee Pharris, actress known for Passions
Eugene Roche, television actor
Hartley Sawyer, actor known for CW's The Flash
Iliza Shlesinger, comedian and actress
Emily Skeggs, actress known for Fun Home
Steve Sweeney, actor and comedian
Michael Grant Terry, actor known for Bones
Natasha Gregson Wagner (did not graduate), actress
George Watsky, poet and rapper
Justin Willman, television personality
Henry Winkler, actor known for Happy Days and Barry
Gene Wood, television personality and game show host^[1]
Steven Wright, comedian
Elisha Yaffe, television actor

Literature

Mary P. Burrill (1904), playwright of the Harlem Renaissance
Gerry Duggan, comic book writer for Marvel Comics
Denise Duhamel, poet
Jack Gantos, children's book writer
Seth Grahame-Smith, novelist and screenwriter
Jody Houser, comic book writer
Don Lee, novelist
Thomas Lux, poet and academic
Chris Lynch, YA novelist
Carl Menninger, stage director and playwright
Erik Mona, writer known for Dungeons & Dragons game magazines
Jay Baron Nicorvo, poet and essayist
Porsha Olayiwola, poet laureate of Boston
Joe Randazzo, comedy writer known for The Onion
Taylor Jenkins Reid, novelist known for The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Kim Roberts, poet
Olen Steinhauer, television producer and spy novelist
Laurie Faria Stolarz, YA novelist
Cecilia Tan, writer, publisher, and founder of Circlet Press
Laura van den Berg, author
Nicola Yoon, YA novelist known for Everything, Everything

Journalism

Julie Banderas, television news correspondent and anchor for Fox News
Veronica Belmont, technology journalist and media personality
Steve Berthiaume, sportscaster for the Arizona Diamondbacks
Warren Bobrow, culinary writer and chef
Jared Bowen, reporter and editor at WGBH-TV
Ben Collins, reporter for NBC News and The Daily Beast
Morton Dean (1957), television correspondent and anchor, known for CBS Evening News and Good Morning America
Greg Dickerson, sideline reporter for the Boston Celtics
Frank Fixaris, broadcast reporter and anchor at WGME-TV
Al Jaffe (1968), broadcast producer and executive
Mike Joy, sportscaster for NASCAR
Wayne Larrivee, sports broadcaster for the Green Bay Packers
Gene Lavanchy, reporter and anchor for WFXT Boston 25
Dion Lim, television anchor for KGO-TV
Leslie Marshall, journalist and talk radio host
Maria Menounos, entertainment journalist and media personality
Tim Neverett, sportscaster for the Los Angeles Dodgers
Josh Pahigian, baseball sportswriter
Anaridis Rodriguez, television correspondent anchor for WBZ-TV
Matt Shearer, reporter for WBZ NewsRadio
Lauren Sherman, fashion writer
Katya Soldak, journalist and editor for Forbes
Matt Spiegel, sports broadcaster
Kristin Tate, libertarian columnist and commentator
Susan Wornick, television reporter and anchor

Business

Benjamin Bronfman, environmentalist and entrepreneur
Bobbi Brown, make-up artist and entrepreneur
Will Dawkins, basketball executive and general manager of the Washington Wizards
Ada Crogman Franklin, newspaper publisher
Marian Goodman, art dealer
Rob Hennigan, basketball executive and former general manager of the Orlando Magic
Jayceeoh, music producer and DJ
Sam Presti, basketball executive and general manager of the Oklahoma City Thunder
Sara Weeks Roberts, president of the National Library for the Blind
Wishnutama, Indonesian executive

Academia

Elma Lewis (1943), arts educator and founder of the National Center of Afro-American Artists
Guy McElroy (1975), art historian
Henry Lawrence Southwick, second president of Emerson College
Jessie Eldridge Southwick, actress, author, and Emerson College professor

Politics

Elspeth B. Cypher, associate justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
Susan Del Percio, political strategist
Jaclyn Friedman, feminist activist
Doris Haddock, campaign finance reform activist
Chris Hurst, activist and member of the Virginia House of Delegates
Hussein Ibish (1986), Arab-American activist and scholar
Suzan Johnson Cook, political advisor and pastor
Gaynelle Griffin Jones, former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Texas
Katherine G. Langley, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Kentucky
Julie Mayberry, member of the Arkansas House of Representatives
Peter Meade (1970), head of the Boston Redevelopment Authority under Mayor Thomas Menino
Alice Moore Hubbard, feminist writer and suffragette
Elaine Noble, member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
Jerry Parisella, member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
Michael Rulli (1991), member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio
Kotaro Tatsumi, Japanese politician and member of the Japanese House of Representatives from Osaka

Sports

Geoffrey Gray, basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
Skip Lockwood (1976), Major League Baseball pitcher
Jessie Ward, professional wrestler and television producer

Visual arts

Derek Paul Jack Boyle, visual artist
Ken Fallin, illustrator and cartoonist
Spencer Tunick, photographer

Miscellaneous

Anania, internet personality
Princess Noor bint Asem (2004), member of the Jordanian royal family
Princess Sarah bint Asem, member of the Jordanian royal family
Matt Ferrell, host of the YouTube series Undecided
James Parry, internet personality and comedian

Fictional alumni

Nancy Wheeler, from the television series Stranger Things
Zach Stone, as portrayed by Bo Burnham, from the television series "Zach Stone Is Gonna Be Famous"

Faculty

Jonathan Aaron (1988–present), poet
David Akiba, photographer
Melia Bensussen (2000–present), theater director
Sven Birkerts, literary critic
Benjamin Bolger, perpetual student
Tony Cennamo, radio host and disc jockey and host
Helen Chasin, poet
Samuel James Cornish, poet
Rashin Fahandej, artist
Jim Finn, independent filmmaker
Andy Fish, artist, writer, and graphic novelist
Ted Gup, writer and journalist
Alden Jones, writer
Bavand Karim, screenwriter and filmmaker
Michael W. King, filmmaker and music video producer
Bill Knott, poet
Kristin Linklater (1990–1996), vocal coach and author
Tim Riley, music journalist and critic
Beena Sarwar, journalist and activist
Jeffrey L. Seglin (1999–2011), columnist
David Foster Wallace, novelist and essayist

Presidents

Charles Wesley Emerson, founder and first president
Jacqueline Liebergott, president 1992–2011
M. Lee Pelton, president 2011–2021
Jay Bernhardt, president 2023–

References

↑ "Gene Wood, 78; Announcer for Popular TV Game Shows". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times Communications LLC. May 27, 2004. ISSN 2165-1736. OCLC 3638237. Retrieved August 9, 2025.

[LATimes-1] "Gene Wood, 78; Announcer for Popular TV Game Shows". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times Communications LLC. May 27, 2004. ISSN 2165-1736. OCLC 3638237. Retrieved August 9, 2025.

[1]