Notable Alumni
What's one way to see the legacy of a great university? Watch what its alumni do. Here are just a few of the Duke alumni who are making a difference in the world today.
Leaders
Melissa Bernstein ’87: Cofounder, Melissa & Doug toys
Lisa Borders '79: President, WNBA
Martin Dempsey AM’84: Former chairman, U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff
Chad Dickerson ’93: CEO, Etsy
Amy Hood ’94: CFO, Microsoft
Lesa Kennedy ’83: CEO, International Speedway Corporation
Sean McManus '77: President, CBS Sports
Adam Silver ’84: Commissioner, NBA
Influencers
Elizabeth Dole ’58: Former U.S. senator, cabinet member and president of the American Red Cross
Sylvia Earle AM’56, PhD’66: Former chief scientist at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, Time magazine’s first Hero for the Planet
Paul Farmer ’82: Physician and cofounder of the global-health organization Partners in Health
Neal Keny-Guyer ’76: CEO, Mercy Corps
Shannon Huffman Polson ’93: Former U.S. Army Apache Helicopter Pilot and Founder of the Grit Institute
David M. Rubenstein ’70: Philanthropist and cofounder of The Carlyle Group
Mayassa al-Thani ’05: Chairperson, Qatar Museums Authority, daughter of the Emir of Qatar
Champions
Alana Beard ’04: Four-time WNBA All-Star
Grant Hill '94: Seven-time NBA All-Star. Turner Sports and NBA-TV broadcaster
Nancy Hogshead-Makar ’86: Won three gold medals in swimming, 1984 Olympics
Abby Johnston ’13: Silver medalist in diving, 2012 Olympics
Nick McCrory ’14: Bronze medalist in diving at 2012 Olympics
Becca Ward ’12: Won two medals in fencing at 2008 Olympics
Innovators
Kimberly Blackwell ’89: Duke professor and oncologist, pioneer in breast-cancer research
Dr. William Kaelin Jr. '79, M.D.'83: Winner of the 2016 Lasker Prize for cancer research; 2019 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
Josh Kun '93: Cultural historian and winner of 2016 MacArthur genius grant
Kathryn Minshew ’08: Founder of The Muse
Dylan Smith ’08: Cofounder and CFO, Box.net
Luis von Ahn ’00: Inventor of CAPTCHA Internet security system; MacArthur genius grant winner
Blake Wilson BSE’74: Duke professor who co-developed the cochlear implant; won 2013 Lasker Award for clinical research
Entertainers
Amy Gravitt'95: Executive vice president of comedy, HBO
Ken Jeong ’90: Comedian, TV and film actor (The Ken Jeong Show, The Hangover, Knocked Up)
Martin Kratt ’89: Co-host of PBS children’s show Wild Kratts
Mike Posner ’09: Singer/songwriter
Charles Randolph-Wright ’78: Director of Broadway musicals (Motown: The Musical)
Ryan White ’04: Documentary filmmaker (Good Ol’ Freda, The Case Against 8)
Robert Yeoman ’73: Cinematographer (Drugstore Cowboy, The Royal Tenenbaums, Bridesmaids, The Grand Budapest Hotel)
Commentators
Dan Abrams ’88: ABC News chief legal analyst and co-anchor of ABC’s Nightline
Jay Bilas ’86, JD’92: ESPN sports analyst
John Harwood ’78: Chief Washington correspondent for CNBC, political writer for The New York Times
Nia-Malika Henderson ’96: Senior political correspondent, CNN
JJ Ramberg '92: MSNBC host and anchor (Your Business)
Body
Other Notables
Current Members of U.S. Congress
Mo Brooks ’75: U.S. House of Representatives (Alabama)
Shelley Moore Capito ’75: U.S. Senate (West Virginia)
Rand Paul MD’88: U.S. Senate (Kentucky)
Scott Peters '80: U.S. House of Representatives (California)
Mike Levin JD'05 U.S. House of Representatives (California)
Heads of state
Richard Nixon JD’37: 37th president of the United States
Ricardo Lagos AM’63, PhD’66: President of Chile, 2000-2006
Nobel Prize winners
Hans Dehmelt Postdoc 1955: 1989 Nobel Prize winner in physics
Dr. William Kaelin Jr. '79, M.D.'83: 2019 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
Brian Kobilka Postdoc 1987: Co-winner (with Duke professor Robert Lefkowitz) of 2012 Nobel Prize in chemistry
Robert Richardson PhD’66: 1996 Nobel Prize winner in physics
Charles Townes AM’37: 1964 Nobel Prize winner in physics; winner of 2005 Templeton Prize
Names from history
Ian Barbour ’47: Won 1999 Templeton Prize for study of science and religion
Les Brown ’36: Musician, inducted into Big Band & Jazz Hall of Fame
David Hartman ’56: First host of Good Morning America
Sonny Jurgensen ’57: Hall of Fame NFL quarterback
Juanita Kreps AM'44, PhD'48: U.S. Secretary of Commerce, 1977-79
Clarence “Ace” Parker ’37: Played professional baseball and football (1937-1941), inducted into Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1972
Reynolds Price ’55: Poet, novelist and former Duke professor of English
William Styron ’47: Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist and essayist