The SUNY System Administration Building in downtown Albany, New York, formerly the Delaware & Hudson Railroad Building. Photo: Felix Lipov / Shutterstock.com
When people think of famous college alumni networks, their minds often jump to Ivy League campuses in New England or private arts schools in New York and California. But New York’s public higher-education system has produced an extraordinary roster of actors, broadcasters, writers, musicians, filmmakers, astronauts, entrepreneurs, and cultural figures.
The State University of New York was established in 1948 and today includes 64 schools, ranging from major research universities and liberal arts colleges to community colleges, technical institutions, and specialized arts programs. Every person on this list earned a degree from a SUNY institution; simply attending a SUNY school was not enough. Here are 25 famous people you may not have realized graduated from SUNY schools across New York State.
1. Stanley Tucci – Purchase College
Stanley Tucci graduated from Purchase College in 1982 with a BFA in acting. The Peekskill-born actor went on to build an extraordinary career across film, television, theater, directing, and writing, with memorable roles in The Devil Wears Prada, Julie & Julia, Spotlight, The Lovely Bones, and numerous other productions. Purchase’s conservatory training placed Tucci in one of SUNY’s most productive pipelines to the professional stage and screen.
2. Al Roker – SUNY Oswego
Al Roker graduated from SUNY Oswego in 1976 before becoming one of the most familiar personalities in American morning television. His long career with NBC’s Today made him nationally known as a weathercaster, interviewer, author, and television host. Oswego’s communication programs and student media have produced a remarkable number of national broadcasters, and Roker remains one of the school’s most recognizable alumni.
3. Paul Reiser – Binghamton University
Paul Reiser graduated from Binghamton University in 1977 after studying music. He later became a successful stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and producer, co-creating and starring in the hit sitcom Mad About You. His screen career has also included Aliens, Beverly Hills Cop, Whiplash, Stranger Things, and The Kominsky Method.
4. Edie Falco – Purchase College
Edie Falco graduated from Purchase College in 1986 with a BFA in acting. She became one of television’s most acclaimed dramatic performers through roles including Carmela Soprano on The Sopranos and Jackie Peyton on Nurse Jackie. Falco’s career brought multiple Emmy Awards and helped establish Purchase College as one of the most visible public conservatories for professional actors.
5. Wolf Blitzer – University at Buffalo
Wolf Blitzer earned a BA in history from the University at Buffalo in 1970. After beginning his journalism career overseas, he became a longtime CNN correspondent and anchor, covering national security, international affairs, elections, and major breaking-news events. His decades at CNN made the UB graduate one of the most recognizable television journalists in the country.
6. Wesley Snipes – Purchase College
Wesley Snipes graduated from Purchase College in 1984 with a BFA in acting. His film career soon expanded from dramatic roles into action, comedy, and martial-arts-driven productions, with major credits including New Jack City, White Men Can’t Jump, Demolition Man, and the Blade films. Purchase College lists Snipes among the notable graduates of its Acting BFA program.
7. Stephanie Courtney – Binghamton University
Stephanie Courtney graduated from Binghamton University in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in English. After moving into acting and improvisational comedy, she joined The Groundlings in Los Angeles and eventually became nationally recognizable as Flo in Progressive Insurance’s long-running advertising campaign. Her work has also included television and film roles beyond the commercials that made her famous.
8. Terry Gross – University at Buffalo
Terry Gross earned a BA from the University at Buffalo in 1972 and an education master’s degree there in 1975. She later found her calling in public radio and became the longtime host and executive producer of NPR’s Fresh Air. Her extended interviews with writers, actors, musicians, filmmakers, journalists, and public figures have made her one of public radio’s most distinctive voices.
9. Parker Posey – Purchase College
Parker Posey graduated from Purchase College’s acting program in 1991. She became closely identified with the independent-film movement of the 1990s through movies such as Party Girl, The House of Yes, and Waiting for Guffman, while also appearing in major studio films and television productions. Purchase College continues to identify Posey among the prominent Acting BFA alumni who emerged from its conservatory.
10. Steve Levy – SUNY Oswego
Steve Levy graduated from SUNY Oswego in 1987 and went on to become a longtime ESPN broadcaster. He became best known as an anchor on SportsCenter and later worked extensively in play-by-play broadcasting, including professional hockey and football. Along with Al Roker and Linda Cohn, Levy is part of an unusually strong national broadcasting tradition associated with SUNY Oswego.
11. Harvey Milk – University at Albany
Harvey Milk graduated in 1951 from the New York State College for Teachers, the predecessor of the University at Albany, with a degree in mathematics. He later moved to San Francisco, became active in civic and civil-rights causes, and was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977. UAlbany continues to recognize Milk as one of the institution’s historically significant graduates.
12. Linda Cohn – SUNY Oswego
Linda Cohn graduated from SUNY Oswego in 1981 and became one of the longest-serving anchors in the history of ESPN’s SportsCenter. A lifelong hockey fan and athlete, she also played goaltender during her years at Oswego. Her career helped make her one of the most prominent women in national sports broadcasting.
13. Chris Wedge – Purchase College
Chris Wedge graduated from Purchase College in 1981 with a BFA in film. He later co-founded Blue Sky Studios and became a major figure in computer animation. Wedge directed the Academy Award-winning short film Bunny as well as the feature films Ice Age and Robots, helping establish Blue Sky as one of the most important American animation studios of its era.
14. Bill Pullman – SUNY Oneonta
Bill Pullman graduated from SUNY Oneonta in 1975, where he was deeply involved in theater as an actor, director, and technician. He later became a familiar film and television performer through roles in Spaceballs, The Accidental Tourist, Sleepless in Seattle, While You Were Sleeping, Independence Day, and The Sinner.
15. Gregory Maguire – University at Albany
Gregory Maguire graduated from the University at Albany in 1976 with a bachelor’s degree in English and studio art. He went on to write numerous novels for children and adults, most famously Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. That novel became the foundation for the enormously successful Broadway musical Wicked and its later film adaptations.
16. Tony Kornheiser – Binghamton University
Tony Kornheiser graduated from Binghamton University in 1970 with a bachelor’s degree in English. His career moved from newspaper journalism into national sports radio and television, including many years as a columnist for The Washington Post and as co-host of ESPN’s Pardon the Interruption. Binghamton later awarded him an honorary degree in recognition of his career.
17. Sherry Stringfield – Purchase College
Sherry Stringfield graduated from Purchase College in 1989 with a BFA in acting. She became widely known as Dr. Susan Lewis on NBC’s ER, a role that brought multiple Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. Her television career has also included appearances in NYPD Blue, Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders, and numerous television films and series.
18. Regina Spektor – Purchase College
Regina Spektor graduated cum laude from Purchase College in 2001 with a bachelor of music degree in studio composition. She began developing her distinctive songwriting voice while still a student and self-released her first album during her senior year. Spektor later earned an international following with songs including “Fidelity,” “Samson,” and “You’ve Got Time.”
19. Ingrid Michaelson – Binghamton University
Ingrid Michaelson graduated from Binghamton University in 2001 after studying theater. She later built a major independent music career with songs including “The Way I Am,” “Be OK,” and “Girls Chase Boys.” Her music became a regular presence in television and advertising, and she later expanded into musical theater as the composer and lyricist for the Broadway adaptation of The Notebook.
20. Ving Rhames – Purchase College
Ving Rhames graduated from Purchase College in 1984 with a BFA in acting. He went on to become a commanding presence in film and television, with major roles in Pulp Fiction, Baby Boy, Con Air, and the long-running Mission: Impossible franchise. Purchase College lists Rhames among the graduates of its professional acting program.
21. Fern Mallis – University at Buffalo
Fern Mallis graduated from the University at Buffalo in 1969 with a BFA before entering the fashion industry. She later became executive director of the Council of Fashion Designers of America and played a central role in organizing what became New York Fashion Week. Her career also included leadership positions at IMG Fashion and the creation of the long-running “Fashion Icons” interview series.
22. Robin Li – University at Buffalo
Robin Li earned a master’s degree in computer science from the University at Buffalo in 1994. He later co-founded Baidu, which grew into one of the world’s largest internet search companies. His work in search technology and data retrieval made him one of UB’s most internationally prominent technology alumni.
23. Renée Fleming – SUNY Potsdam
Renée Fleming graduated from SUNY Potsdam’s Crane School of Music in 1981 with a bachelor’s degree in music education. She went on to become one of the leading operatic sopranos of her generation, performing at the Metropolitan Opera and major concert halls around the world. Fleming has also recorded extensively across opera, classical song, Broadway, film music, and contemporary works.
24. Ellen Shulman Baker – University at Buffalo
Ellen Shulman Baker graduated from the University at Buffalo in 1974 with a BA in geology before earning her medical degree from Cornell University. NASA selected her as an astronaut in the 1980s, and she flew on three Space Shuttle missions. Her career combined medicine, science, and human spaceflight, making her one of SUNY’s most accomplished astronaut alumni.
25. Tom Toles – University at Buffalo
Tom Toles graduated from the University at Buffalo in 1973 with a BA in English. He became a nationally syndicated editorial cartoonist and won the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning in 1990. His career included long tenures with The Buffalo News and The Washington Post, where his work addressed national politics, public policy, and current events through illustrated commentary.
For more stories about the people shaped by New York colleges, see 25 Famous People You Didn’t Know Went to College in Upstate New York, 25 Famous People Who Went to College in New York City, and 25 Famous People You Didn’t Know Went to College on Long Island.
