Notable Alumni of California State University, Fullerton
California State University, Fullerton (CSUF), a public research university in Fullerton, California, has produced a diverse and accomplished group of alumni who have made significant contributions to various fields. With over 343,000 alumni, the university recognizes exceptional graduates through the Vision & Visionaries awards, an honor bestowed upon a select few who have left a lasting impact. This article highlights some of the notable alumni of CSUF, showcasing their achievements in entertainment, sports, media, business, and public service.
Arts and Entertainment
CSUF has a strong presence in the entertainment industry, boasting alumni who have achieved success in film, television, music, and theater.
Kevin Costner, a renowned actor and filmmaker, attended CSUF from 1973 to 1978, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in finance and marketing. He has received numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award.
James Cameron, a Canadian filmmaker known for his innovative use of technology and classical filmmaking style, is another notable name. He gained recognition for writing and directing films such as The Terminator (1984), Aliens (1986), and Titanic (1997), the latter earning him Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Film Editing.
Gwen Stefani, a singer-songwriter and fashion designer, is the lead vocalist of the band No Doubt, known for hits like "Just a Girl" and "Don't Speak."
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Adam Lambert, a singer, songwriter, and actor, rose to fame as the runner-up on American Idol in 2009. His debut album, For Your Entertainment, reached number three on the Billboard 200 and earned him a Grammy nomination for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.
Danielle Fishel, an actress and director, is best known for her role as Topanga Lawrence on the sitcom Boy Meets World (1993-2000) and its sequel, Girl Meets World (2014-2017).
Kirsten Vangsness, an actress and writer, is recognized for her portrayal of FBI Technical Analyst Penelope Garcia on the CBS drama series Criminal Minds.
Eva Marie, a professional wrestler and actress, performed in WWE from 2013 to 2017 and 2020 to 2021.
Valorie Curry, an actress, has appeared in Veronica Mars, The Following, and The Tick. She also starred in the video game Detroit: Become Human (2018).
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David Castaneda, an actor, portrays Diego Hargreeves in the Netflix series The Umbrella Academy.
Omid Abtahi, an Iranian-born American actor, is known for his roles in American Gods, The Mandalorian, and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 (2015).
Christine Marie Cabanos, a voice actress of Filipino descent, has voiced characters in K-On!, Squid Girl, Puella Magi Madoka Magica, and Kill la Kill.
Tim Powers, a science fiction and fantasy author, is known for The Anubis Gates (1983), which won the Philip K. Dick Award. His novel On Stranger Tides (1987) inspired the Monkey Island video game franchise and was adapted into Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.
Jeremy Riddle, a Christian musician, songwriter, and worship leader.
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Rubén Carbajal, joined 'Hamilton' National Tour.
Matthew Lopez - Official UFC® Profile.
Jessica Penne Alum.
Kozue and Dan Kitchens (a.k.a. B.F.A.
Film, television, music video and commercial director whose Wilco documentary “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart” was listed by Rolling Stone as the fifth best rock film of all time.
Sports
CSUF's athletic program has produced numerous accomplished athletes who have excelled in professional sports.
T.J. Dillashaw, a former professional mixed martial artist, is a two-time UFC Bantamweight Champion.
Dan Henderson, a former mixed martial artist and Olympic wrestler, was the last Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion and a former champion in Pride Fighting Championships.
Bruce Bowen, a former professional basketball player, played for the Miami Heat, Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, and San Antonio Spurs.
Justin Turner, a professional baseball infielder and designated hitter, has played for the Baltimore Orioles, New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners.
Matt Chapman, a professional baseball third baseman for the San Francisco Giants.
April Jace, a masters track and field athlete, was the 2011 world champion in the women's over-35 4 × 100 meters relay.
Bobby Brown, a former professional basketball player, is the director of player development for the Cal State Fullerton Titans men's basketball team.
Karen Bardsley, an American-born English former footballer who played as a goalkeeper.
Dwight Ramos, a Filipino-American professional basketball player for Levanga Hokkaido of the Japanese B.League.
Mark Kotsay, a former professional baseball outfielder, is the manager for the Oakland Athletics.
Damon Allen, a former professional football quarterback, played 23 years in the Canadian Football League (CFL).
Ricky Romero, a former professional baseball pitcher, played for the Toronto Blue Jays.
Phil Bickford, a professional baseball pitcher in the Chicago Cubs organization.
Media and Journalism
CSUF alumni have made significant contributions to the field of media and journalism, working for major news organizations and publications.
Ronald M. Blauer is an award-winning broadcast journalist with more than 35 years of experience. Presidents, and has been a contributor for several national networks, including CBS News and CNN. He has worked in television in Palm Springs, LA & San Diego. He has received numerous Emmys and the Edward R.
Boster has worked for the Los Angeles Times for more than 30 years; his pictures and videos were part of the 2016 Pulitzer Prizewinning staff entry of the San Bernardino terrorist shooting coverage. He’s covered the 1984 Summer Olympics in LA; war and post-war in Kosovo; the presidential campaigns of Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush; and state funerals for Presidents Richard M. and.
Caraccioli has been a member of the CBS Sports Communications Department since 1997 and currently serves as executive director of communications. He has worked on the biggest events in sports like the 1998 Olympic Winter Games in Japan and several Super Bowls.
Chen is senior director of communications for the Office of University Life at Columbia University. She began her career as public relations coordinator for DIRECTV and went on to work at ABC News in New York before her appointment by New York City Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly as special assistant.
Combs-Nelson worked at the Downey Live Wire, Daily Pilot, Long Beach Press-Telegram and The Sacramento Union, culminating with 23 years at the Chicago Tribune.
Daley began as a sports writer and editor at The Orange County Register. In 1990, he began a 23-year career covering Major League Baseball for the Los Angeles Daily News, The Dallas Morning News, and contributed to MLB.com, Sports Illustrated, ESPN.com and The New York Times.
Devine is the primary anchor for the evening newscasts at ABC/FOX affiliates KESQ/KDFX and is also a member of the elite investigative reporting unit known as the I-Team in the Palm Springs television market. She is a multi-Emmy-award winner and two-time winner of the Edward R. Murrow regional award for her in-depth & investigative reporting.
DiCarlo is an American Meteorological Society certified meteorologist and sportscaster for the KTLA 5 Morning News in Los Angeles. Prior to joining KTLA in 2010, DiCarlo spent eight years at KCBS/KCAL Los Angeles. He also has worked in Seattle and Salt Lake City, and began his career as a sportscaster in Palm Springs.
Douglas began her career reporting and copy editing for The Orange County Register. Part of her career was spent as a senior executive at a full-service PR agency and later 19 years in higher education, first at Chapman University as public relations director and then in strategic communications at CSUF.
Duchardt is a Washington, DC-based anchor of TRT World, a Turkey-based English news network. She joined the international English-language news network in 2015 as a foreign correspondent based in Istanbul.
Dufresne is the co-founder of TMGcollegesports.com and recently retired from the Los Angeles Times after 35 years in editorial covering a wide range of sports that included the NFL, boxing and Major League Baseball. He covered seven Olympic Games starting with the 1994 Winter Games in Lillehammer, Norway.
Effler heads corporate communications at J.D. Power, a global leader in consumer insights and advisory services. He held the top communications post for the National Hot Rod Association and Volvo Cars of North America.
Fahey has been a fine art photography and art dealer in LA since 1975. He opened the Fahey / Klein Gallery and assumed full ownership in 2015. He edited, contributed to and coordinated the production of over 45 fine art photography books and has lectured on the history of photography at UCLA and the USC extension.
Fermin is the director of community and public relations at Los Angeles World Airports. She has worked as an officer with the Inland Empire Tourism Council.
Ferrell spent 20 years at the Los Angeles Times, where he was part of two Pulitzer Prize-winning news teams for coverage of the LA riots and the Northridge earthquake. He profiled newsmakers from Zsa Zsa Gabor to then-Lakers coach Phil Jackson.
Frey is manager of publications and public relations at Toastmasters International. Toastmasters International is a worldwide nonprofit educational organization that empowers individuals to become more effective communicators and leaders.
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