Montclair State University: A Legacy of Notable Alumni
Montclair State University, a public doctoral research university with a rich history, has fostered a diverse array of talented individuals who have made significant contributions across various fields. From the arts and entertainment to politics and science, Montclair State alumni have left an indelible mark on the world. As of June 2024, the university boasts a total enrollment of 22,570 students, comprising 18,062 undergraduates and 4,508 graduate students. This vibrant academic community continues to cultivate future leaders and innovators.
A Historical Overview
The institution's journey began in 1908 as the New Jersey State Normal School at Montclair, established to train educators. Over the years, it evolved into Montclair State Teachers College in 1927 and later Montclair State College in 1958, finally achieving university status in 1994. This transformation reflects the institution's expanding academic offerings and its commitment to providing a comprehensive education.
Notable Alumni in the Arts and Entertainment
Montclair State University has a strong tradition in the performing arts, with many graduates achieving success in theater, film, and television. Students graduating from the Department of Theatre & Dance pursue successful careers as actors, dancers, directors, choreographers, technicians, teachers, and arts administrators, among others.
Bruce Willis, perhaps one of the most recognizable names associated with Montclair State, attended the university as a drama major. While he didn't graduate, his time at Montclair State undoubtedly contributed to his development as an actor. Willis achieved fame with a leading role on the comedy-drama series Moonlighting (1985-1989) and has appeared in over one hundred films, gaining recognition as an action hero for his portrayal of John McClane in the Die Hard franchise (1988-2013). His extensive filmography includes blockbusters such as Planet of the Apes, Stargate, Independence Day, The Mummy, Mr. Deeds, and For Love or Money. Beyond acting, Willis has also ventured into producing and music.
Allen Ginsberg, a pivotal figure of the Beat Generation, briefly attended Montclair State College before transferring to Columbia University. As a poet and writer, Ginsberg challenged societal norms and advocated for social and political change. He vigorously opposed militarism, economic materialism, and sexual repression, and he embodied various aspects of this counterculture with his views on drugs, sex, multiculturalism, hostility to bureaucracy, and openness to Eastern religions.
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Dania Ramirez is a Dominican actress who graduated from Montclair State in 2001, where she played volleyball and holds a rank in the Top 5. Her credits include roles in television series such as Heroes, Entourage, and The Sopranos, as well as films like She Hate Me and X-Men: The Last Stand. She portrayed Rosie Falta on Lifetime's Devious Maids and Cinderella in ABC's Once Upon a Time. In 2023, she began the starring role of Captain Nikki Batista in the Fox crime drama Alert: Missing Persons Unit.
Lorene Scafaria attended Montclair State University after leaving Lafayette College in Pennsylvania. She is a filmmaker, playwright, musician, and actress known for writing and directing films such as Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012), The Meddler (2015), and Hustlers (2019), as well as writing the film Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist (2008).
Kevin Carolan attended Montclair as a theatre major in the late 1980s. He is best known for his performances on Broadway in classics like Newsies and Chicago, and most recently on television in Boardwalk Empire, Orange Is the New Black, Law and Order, All My Children and White Collar.
Jessica Vosk is an American singer and actress, known for her work in musical theater.
Allison Strong is an American pop singer, songwriter, and actress of stage, television and film. She first gained notice for her Broadway work in the musicals Bye Bye Birdie and Mamma Mia!, has done voice-over work on the Nickelodeon's animated children's television program Dora and Friends, and appeared in other television series such as The Blacklist, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. She gained wider exposure with her first feature film, playing Adam Sandler's daughter Sarah in The Week Of.
Read also: MSU Notable Graduates
Josh Dela Cruz is an American actor. He plays a fictional version of himself as the host in Blue's Clues & You!. He is the third main host of the franchise, after Steve Burns and Donovan Patton.
Jackie Nese is an American singer who was a contestant on American Idol in 2015. Her debut single titled "Lovin' Me Up" was released in 2017 along with the music video. The song was produced by Jimmy Greco and Russ DeSalvo.
Melba Moore is an American singer and actress who graduated Class of 1970 with a BA in Music from Montclair State University. Moore is most famous for performing as Dionne in the original cast of Hair on Broadway, playing ‘Bessie’ in The Fighting Temptations and for her award-winning career as R&B singer.
Christine Nagy graduated Montclair State with a degree in broadcasting and has had a brief career in television as well. Nagy previously worked on Z100 and is currently a morning personality on 106.7 Lite Fm.
Michael Price was a theatre major who wrote and directed a variety of plays on campus. Price is best known for his writing on The Simpson’s. His career started on the 300th episode and he wrote the 500th episode of the show.
Read also: Applying to Montclair State: GPA Expectations
The Department of Theatre & Dance at Montclair State University has a proven track record of producing successful graduates who excel in various aspects of the performing arts. Some alumni perform with prestigious theater and dance companies, while others pursue graduate work with the goal of teaching in a college or university. Numerous alumni have opened their own studios or serve as teachers/administrators in the private sector.
Credits of Montclair State University alumni include:
- Broadway: Tis Pity She’s a Whore, The King and I, Cats, Chess (revival), Dirty Blond, Anything Goes, Once on This Island (revival), Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (revival), Uptown…It’s Hot!, Man of La Mancha (revival), Seussical, The Wild Party, Those Were the Days, Whoop: Back to Broadway-The 20th Anniversary.
- Off-Broadway: The Last Session, ZombieProm, Slut, Forbidden Broadway, Romeo and Juliet, The Rivals, The Prodigal Cow, Dial M for Murder, Little Shop of Horrors, Enter Laughing, Lucky Stiff, Mr. President, Breaking up is Hard To Do, What Makes Sammy Run?, The Grand Tour.
- Tours: International Tour of Tommy, and understudy for national tour of Tommy.
- TV: Money Line on CNN, CNBC New York, Larry King Live, Nick U-Pick Live!, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, Law and Order: Criminal Intent, Trinity, Co-executive produced Ruby’s Bucket of Blood, Sketch Off, Strong Medicine, Law and Order, The Nanny, The Pretender.
- Film: Claus, Funny Money.
- Regional: King Lear, The Norman Project, A Chorus Line, West Side Story, Camilla.
- Other: Amazon.com, Geico, Founder of KLAD Design Company, Personal assistant to Whoopi Goldberg, President of One Ho Productions.
Political and Social Activists
Montclair State University has also produced notable figures in the realm of politics and social activism.
Warren Farrell is an American political scientist and activist who initially gained prominence in the 1970s as a supporter of second-wave feminism. He is the author of nine books on the issues of men, women, fathers, and couples’ communication. He served for three years on the New York City Board of the National Organization for Women (NOW). Farrell advocates for "a gender liberation movement", with "both sexes walking a mile in each other's moccasins".
Barbara Buono served in the New Jersey Senate from 2002 to 2014, representing the 18th Legislative District. She served from 2010 to 2012 as the Majority Leader in the Senate. She is a member of the Democratic Party and was the Democratic nominee for Governor of New Jersey in the 2013 general election.
Ana María Archila is an American attorney and activist serving as co-director of the New York Working Families Party. She previously ran for Lieutenant Governor of New York in 2022. She was formerly the co-executive director of the Center for Popular Democracy (CPD) and a co-founder and co-executive director of Make the Road New York and Make the Road Action.
Don Norte is an American gay rights political activist. Norte's career covers over thirty years of public service with federal, state, and local government, including the Department of Defense, the General Services Administration, and the New York State Department of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.
Joan Voss served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 2004 until 2012, representing the 38th Legislative District. Voss was elected to the Bergen County Board of County Commissioners in 2011 after choosing not to seek reelection to her Assembly seat.
Henry Helstoski represented New Jersey in the United States House of Representatives for twelve years, lasting from 1965 until 1977. He was the representative for New Jersey's 8th congressional district.
Matthew Feldman was a New Jersey State Senator and Mayor of Teaneck, New Jersey.
Regina Egea served as chief of staff to governor of New Jersey Chris Christie. She is the president of Garden State Initiative, a public policy think tank based in Morristown, New Jersey, which was founded in 2017.
Other Notable Alumni
Beyond the arts and politics, Montclair State University boasts alumni who have excelled in various other fields.
Tobin Bell is an American actor most recognized for his role as John Kramer / Jigsaw in the Saw franchise. Bell has a master’s degree in environmental science from Montclair State.
Camille Grammer is an American actress, dancer, model, and television personality. She is known for appearing on several seasons of the reality television show, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Grammer is also the ex-wife of Kelsey Grammer, who played psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Cane on the NBC sitcoms Cheers and Frasier.
Robert M. Price is an American New Testament scholar who argues in favor of the Christ myth theory - the claim that a historical Jesus did not exist. Price is the author of a number of books on biblical studies and the historicity of Jesus.
Nel Noddings was an American feminist, educator, and philosopher best known for her work in philosophy of education, educational theory, and ethics of care.
Tom Malloy is an American actor and filmmaker based in Los Angeles, California. He starred in Gravesend, The Alphabet Killer (2008), Love N' Dancing (2009), and Ask Me to Dance (2022), and television shows, including Law & Order, Third Watch, and Kidnapped.
Jane Holl Lute is an American diplomat and security analyst currently serving as the UN special envoy on the Cyprus dispute.
Alan Weiss is an American entrepreneur, author, and public speaker.
Nelson J. Perez is an American prelate of the Catholic Church who serves as the 10th Archbishop of Philadelphia.
Christopher Phillips is an American author, educator, consultant, lecturer, and pro-democracy advocate. He is best known for his 2001 book Socrates Café.
Brendan Suhr is an American former basketball coach.
Julia Indichova is an American reproductive healthcare activist and author. She is best known for her book Inconceivable: A Woman’s Triumph Over Despair and Statistics.
Chris Opperman is a composer. Opperman is known mostly for his work orchestrating the music of guitarists Steve Vai and Mike Keneally for their respective performances with Holland's Metropole Orkest.
Jonathan LeVine is an American art dealer, instrumental in the proliferation of lowbrow and street art on the East Coast of the United States.
Richard O'Meara is a retired brigadier general in the United States Army.
Diane Lockward is an American poet. The author of four full-length books of poetry, Lockward serves as the Poet Laureate of West Caldwell, New Jersey.
Bernie Anderson Jr. is a silent film music composer, organist and orchestrator.
Herman Kull was an American basketball coach. He served as an assistant coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and a head coach in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA).
Mike Fratello attended Montclair State where he played football. Fratello was the head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies from December 2004 to December 2006. Fratello has been a sports broadcaster for NBC Sports, TNT and the YES Network.
Steve Covino got his start in broadcasting while attending Montclair State University. He was a personality on Montclair State’s 90.3 WMSC radio station. Today he is a radio personality and DJ and can be heard daily on Sirius XM.
Paul Mirabella attended Montclair State before he began his professional career as a baseball pitcher. In his career of thirteen seasons he pitched (left-handed) for the Texas Rangers, New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, Baltimore Orioles, Seattle Mariners and the Milwaukee Brewers.
Tom Reilly played football for Montclair State until he dropped out. Reilly is most famous for his role as Officer Bobby “Hot Dog” Nelson in CHiPs, a television series about the motorcycle officers of the California Highway Patrol.
Sam Mills attended Montclair State, where he played football from 1977-1980 and made the team as a walk-on. As of today, Mills is still the all-time leader in career tackles at Montclair State holding a record with 501, 142 tackles in a season and 22 tackles in a game.
Montclair State University: A Hub of Opportunity
Montclair State University's commitment to academic excellence and its diverse range of programs have enabled its alumni to achieve remarkable success in various fields. The university's emphasis on interdisciplinary learning, coupled with its strong connections to the professional world, provides students with the skills and knowledge necessary to thrive in a rapidly changing global landscape.
Rankings and Recognition
Montclair State University has consistently received recognition for its academic quality and its commitment to social mobility. U.S. News & World Report listed Montclair State as No. 152 among all national universities in its 2025 rankings, tied for No. 12 in Top Performers on Social Mobility and tied for No. Several of the University's programs are ranked among the best in the nation, including its education program, its Master's in Public Health program, and its part-time Master's in Business Administration program.
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