The following is a partial list of notable Brown University alumni, known as Brunonians. It includes alumni of Brown University and Pembroke College, Brown's former women's college. "Class of" is used to denote the graduation class of individuals who attended Brown, but did not or have not graduated. When solely the graduation year is noted, it is because it has not yet been determined which degree the individual earned.
MacArthur "Genius" Fellows
Donald Antrim (A.B. 1981) – novelist, Elect Mr. Robinson for a Better World; recipient of the 2013 MacArthur Fellowship Greg Asbed (BSc 1985) – human rights strategist and labor organizer; recipient of the 2017 MacArthur Fellowship Kelly Benoit-Bird (BSc 1998) – Senior Scientist at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute; recipient of the 2010 MacArthur Fellowship Richard Benson (1961) – photographer, Dean of the Yale School of Art (1996–2006); recipient of the 2010 MacArthur Fellowship Lucy Blake (A.B. 1981) – conservationist, recipient of the 2000 MacArthur Fellowship John C. Bonifaz (A.B. 1987) – founder, National Voting Rights Institute, recipient of the 1999 MacArthur Fellowship Edwidge Danticat (M.F.A. 1993) – Haitian-American author, recipient of the 2009 MacArthur Fellowship Michael H. Dickinson (Sc.B. 1984) – Esther M. and Abe M. Zarem Professor of Bioengineering and Aeronautics at the California Institute of Technology; recipient of the 2001 MacArthur Fellowship Richard Foreman (A.B. 1959) – playwright and avant-garde theater pioneer; recipient of the 1995 MacArthur Fellowship Rina Foygel Barber (Sc.B. 2005) – Louis Block Professor of Statistics, University of Chicago; recipient of the 2023 MacArthur Fellowship Jim Yong Kim (A.B. 1982) – 12th President of the World Bank, President Emeritus of Dartmouth College, and public health physician; recipient of the 2003 MacArthur Fellowship Ben Lerner (A.B. 2001, M.F.A. 2003) – poet; recipient of the 2015 MacArthur Fellowship David Lobell (Sc.B. 2000) – Gloria and Richard Kushel Director at the Center on Food Security and the Environment at Stanford University; recipient of the 2015 MacArthur Fellowship Monica Muñoz Martinez (A.B. 2006) – public historian; recipient of the 2021 MacArthur Fellowship Lynn Nottage (A.B. 1986) – first female playwright to win the Pulitzer Prize twice; recipient of the 2007 MacArthur Fellowship Nawal M. Nour (A.B. 1988) – obstetrician and gynecologist, Kate Macy Ladd Professor at Harvard Medical School; recipient of the 2013 MacArthur Fellowship Lauren Redniss (A.B. 1996) – artist and writer; recipient of the 2016 MacArthur Fellowship Jennifer Richeson (Sc.B. 1994) – Philip R. Allen Professor of Psychology, Yale University; recipient of the 2006 MacArthur Fellowship Sarah Ruhl (A.B. 1997, M.F.A 2001) – playwright; recipient of the 2006 MacArthur Fellowship Sebastian Ruth (A.B. 1997) – violinist, recipient of the 2010 MacArthur Fellowship Joanna Scott (M.A. 1985) – author; recipient of the 1992 MacArthur Fellowship William Seeley (A.B. 1993) – professor of Neurology and Pathology, UC San Francisco, recipient of the 2011 Macarthur fellowship
Academia
Academic administrators
Jasper Adams (A.B. 1815) – president, College of Charleston; 1st president, Hobart College Vernon Alden (A.B. 1945) – 15th president, Ohio University Cynthia Robinson Alexander (A.B. 1978) – interim president, Savannah State University Elisha Andrews (1870) – 6th president, Denison University; 8th president, Brown University; 7th chancellor, University of Nebraska–Lincoln James Burrill Angell (A.B. 1849) – 3rd president, University of Michigan Rufus Babcock (1821) – 2nd president, Colby College Silas Bailey (1834) – 2nd president, Franklin College; 3rd president, Denison University William Bakrow (1946) – 11th president, St. Ambrose University; interim president, Montserrat College of Art Clarence Barbour (1888) – 10th president, Brown University Jill M. Baren – 14th president of Lake Forest College (2022–2024) John Barlow (A.M. 1896) – interim president, University of Rhode Island Samuel Belkin (Ph.D. 1935) – 2nd president, Yeshiva University Ravi V. Bellamkonda (Ph.D. 1994) – dean, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University (2016–2021); provost and executive vice president of Academic Affairs, Emory University (2021–) Lee Eliot Berk (A.B 1964) – 2nd president and namesake, Berklee College of Music Sarah Bolton (Sc.B. 1988) – 12th president, College of Wooster; former Dean of the College, Williams College Hermon Carey Bumpus (Ph.B. 1884) – 5th president, Tufts University Walter Burse (1920) – 2nd president, Suffolk University Dame Frances Cairncross (A.M. 1966) – rector, Exeter College, Oxford Alexis Caswell (1822) – 6th president, Brown University Gordon Keith Chalmers (A.B. 1925) – 13th president, Kenyon College; 9th President, Rockford College James Tift Champlin (1834) – 7th president, Colby College Liu Chao-han (Ph.D. 1965) – president, National Central University; Vice President, Academia Sinica Jeremiah Chaplin (1799) – founder and 1st president, Colby College Oren B. Cheney (Class of 1840) – founder and 1st president, Bates College Barbara Chernow (A.B. 1979) – executive vice president of Finance and Administration, Brown University Aram Chobanian (A.B. 1951) – 9th president, Boston University Jay Coogan (A.B. 1980) – 16th president, Minneapolis College of Art and Design William E. Cooper (A.B., A.M. 1973) – 8th president, University of Richmond Robert A. Corrigan (A.B. 1957) – 12th president, San Francisco State University Glenn Cummings (M.A.T. 1984) – 13th president, University of Southern Maine Margaret Drugovich (A.M. 1988) – 10th president, Hartwick College; Interim President, Marietta College William Faunce (1880) – 9th president, Brown University Eliphaz Fay (A.B. 1821) – 4th president, Colby College William R. Ferrante (Sc.M. 1959) – acting president, University of Rhode Island Willbur Fisk (A.B. 1815) – 1st president, Wesleyan University Henry Simmons Frieze (A.B. 1841) – acting president, University of Michigan Joseph N. Gayles Jr. (Ph.D. 1963) – president, Talladega College John Wesley Gilbert (A.B. 1888, A.M. 1891) – president, Miles College Richard I. Gouse (A.B. 1968) – 1st president, New England Institute of Technology Edward Guiliano (1972) – 3rd president, New York Institute of Technology Marsha Hanen (A.B., A.M.) – 4th president, University of Winnipeg Thomas Hassan (1978) – 14th principal, Phillips Exeter Academy; first gentleman of New Hampshire John Hope (1894) – 4th president, Morehouse College; 5th president, Atlanta University; the first African-American in both roles; co-founder of the Niagara Movement, which became the NAACP George Rice Hovey – 2nd president, Virginia Union University Charles W. Hunt – 3rd president, State University of New York at Oneonta Suzanne Keen (A.B. 1984, A.M. 1986) – 10th president, Scripps College Jim Yong Kim (A.B. 1982) – 17th president, Dartmouth College; 12th president of the World Bank Larry Kramer (A.B. 1980) – president and vice chancellor, London School of Economics; Richard E. Lang Professor of Law and dean emeritus, Stanford Law School; president of the Hewlett Foundation Ari Kuncoro (Ph.D. 1994) – rector, University of Indonesia Joan Leitzel (M.A. 1961) – 17th president, University of New Hampshire Joan Lescinski (Ph.D. 1981) – 13th president, St. Ambrose University Jack N. Lightstone (Ph.D. 1977) – president and vice chancellor, Brock University Luther Luedtke (Ph.D. 1971) – 5th president, California Lutheran University James A. MacAlister (1856) – 1st president, Drexel University Horace Mann (A.B. 1819) – 1st president, Antioch College; "father" of American public education; member of the U.S. House of Representatives
Jonathan Maxcy (A.B. 1787) – 2nd president, Brown University; 1st president, University of South Carolina; 3rd president, Union College David Maxwell (A.M. 1968) – 12th president, Drake University Alexander Meiklejohn (A.B. 1893, A.M. 1895) – 8th president, Amherst College; Dean, Brown University; philosopher and free-speech advocate Asa Messer (1790) – 3rd president, Brown University Alicia D. Monroe (A.B. 1973) – provost, Baylor College of Medicine Alonzo G. Morón (B.A. 1932) – 8th president of Hampton University, sociologist, civil servant Richard L. Morrill (A.B. 1961) – 8th president, University of Richmond; 18th president, Centre College; president, Salem College Robert W. Morse (A.M. 1947, Ph.D. 1949) – 1st president, Case Western Reserve University Samuel M. Nabrit (Ph.D. 1932) – 2nd president, Texas Southern University Stephen W. Nease (A.B. 1946) – president, Mount Vernon Nazarene College; president, Southern Nazarene University; president, Nazarene Theological Seminary; president, Eastern Nazarene College Louis E. Newman (Ph.D. 1983) – associate vice provost for Undergraduate Education, Stanford University Dorothy L. Njeuma (Sc.B. 1966) – rector, University of Yaoundé; Vice-Chancellor, University of Buea Melissa Nobles (A.B. 1985) – chancellor and professor of Political Science, MIT Eliphalet Nott (A.M. 1795) – 4th president, Union College; 3rd president, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; the longest serving American college president Inman E. Page (A.B. 1877, A.M. 1880) – president of the Lincoln Institute, Langston University, Western University, and Roger Williams University Lynn Pasquerella (Ph.D. 1985) – 18th president, Mount Holyoke College Bill Pepicello – 6th president, University of Phoenix William Carey Poland (A.B. 1868, A.M. 1868) – 5th president, Rhode Island School of Design Willard Preston (A.B. 1806) – 4th president, University of Vermont Wendell Pritchett (A.B. 1986) – chancellor of Rutgers University–Camden (2009–14); provost, University of Pennsylvania (2017–21); interim president, University of Pennsylvania (2022); first person of color to lead the University of Pennsylvania Suzanne M. Rivera (A.B. 1991) – 17th president, Macalester College Chase F. Robinson (A.B. 1985) – president and Distinguished Professor, The Graduate Center, CUNY Ezekiel Robinson (1838) – 7th president, Brown University Vincent Rougeau (A.B. 1985) – 33rd president, College of the Holy Cross Leonard Schlesinger (A.B. 1972) – 12th president, Babson College Barnas Sears (1825) – 5th president, Brown University Kenneth Starr (A.M. 1969) – 14th president, Baylor University Arthur R. Taylor (A.B. 1957, A.M 1961) – 10th president, Muhlenberg College; president, CBS (1972–1976) Brock Tessman (A.B. 1998) – 13th president, Montana State University; 17th president, Northern Michigan University Sir Richard Trainor (A.B. 1970) – principal, King's College London (2004–2014); rector, Exeter College, Oxford (2014–2024)
Jean Walton (Sc.M. 1940) – vice president of Student Affairs, Pomona College Charles Henry Watts II (1947) – 11th president, Bucknell University Yang Wei (Ph.D. 1985) – president, Zhejiang University Nils Yngve Wessell (A.M. 1935) – 8th president, Tufts University Benjamin Ide Wheeler (A.B. 1875, A.M. 1878) – 8th president, University of California Charles Lincoln White (A.B. 1887) – 13th president, Colby College Beniah Longley Whitman (A.B. 1887, A.M. 1890) – 11th president, Colby College; 7th President, George Washington University Mary Emma Woolley (A.B. 1894, A.M 1895) – 10th president, Mount Holyoke College
Applied sciences
Lallit Anand (Sc.M. 1972, Ph.D. 1975) – Warren and Towneley Rohsenow Professor of Mechanical Engineering, MIT Panos Antsaklis (Sc.M., Ph.D. 1977) – H. Clifford and Evelyn A. Brosey Professor of Electrical Engineering, University of Notre Dame Ravi V. Bellamkonda (Ph.D. 1994) – dean, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University (2016–2021); provost and executive vice president of Academic Affairs, Emory University (2021–)