Alumni of Distinction
Young, talented students from around the world come to Pacific to experience a vibrant, student-centered learning environment. Once they graduate, they leave prepared to practice their professions at the highest level, engage in international affairs, and lead global businesses and organizations. Here are a few alumni who have left indelible marks throughout their careers.
Khushwinder Gill '06, Principal
In a time when low test scores and a lack of physical activity are major issues for school children across the country, 2006 Pacific graduate Khushwinder Gill implemented successful afterschool programs to combat both. The school principal was awarded "Principal of the Year" by Gov. Jerry Brown on Sept. 14., 2011, which included $10,000 to help support the programs that she helped to establish at the school.
Yoshiaki Onishi '04, Composer
From Emmys to a Grammy for Lifetime Achievement, musicians from University of the Pacific's Conservatory of Music have won some of the most prestigious awards in the music industry. Following in that tradition, celebrated composer Yoshiaki Onishi was named a Guggenheim Fellow in April 2018. A conductor deeply engaged in promoting the music of today, he is one of the founding members of Ensemble Exophonie Tokyo and currently its Artistic Director/Conductor/Composer Associate. In 2011, he received the Gaudeamus Prize, one of the most prestigious awards given to young composers, for his composition "Départ dans..." at Gaudeamus Music Week in Utrecht, The Netherlands, on Sept. 11, 2011. The work was selected from nearly 400 compositions.
José Hernández '85, Astronaut
The son of migrant farm workers, José Hernández went from dreaming under the stars to actually reaching them. The 1985 Pacific graduate and former NASA astronaut was one of seven crew members aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery on Aug. 28, 2009, when it launched into space. Hernández served as a flight engineer and operated the shuttle's robotic arm. As a child, he helped pick strawberries and cucumbers alongside his family in fields throughout the Central Valley. Born in French Camp and raised in Stockton, Hernández attended Pacific through the Community Involvement Program, a scholarship program for first-generation, underrepresented students, and earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering. He later received a master's degree in electrical engineering from University of California, Santa Barbara.
Dr. Arif Alvi '84, President of Pakistan
Dr. Arif Alvi was elected Pakistan's 13th president on Sept. 4, 2018. One of the founding members of the ruling party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and an ally of Prime Minister Imran Khan, Dr. Alvi is also a dentist and orthodontist who graduated from the Dugoni School of Dentistry's Orthodontics program in 1984. In addition to his involvement in politics, Dr. Alvi has served the profession of oral health care in numerous ways. He became a diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics in 1997. He is a past president of the Pakistan Dental Association and was the primary author of the association's constitution.
Scott Boras '77, '82, Sports Agent
In 2018, Scott Boras was named the No. 1 World's Most Powerful Sports Agent for the sixth year running by Forbes magazine and is one of the most powerful people in Major League Baseball. The former minor league outfielder has negotiated some of the game's biggest contracts, including a 10-year, $252 million contract for Yankees' infielder Alex Rodriguez. At Pacific, Boras was known as "Scotty B" and was an outfielder and captain of Pacific's baseball team. After knee injuries ended his career while playing in the minor leagues, Boras went on to earn a pharmacy degree in 1977 from Pacific's Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy and a law degree from Pacific McGeorge School of Law in 1982. Shortly after working as a lawyer in the pharmaceutical defense department of a Chicago law firm, he negotiated his first multimillion-dollar contract. As of 2018, he has negotiated contracts totaling nearly $2 billion.
Larry Groupé '79, Composer
Larry Groupé has composed music for countless films, earning awards and praise for his work. Among his accolades, the 1979 Pacific graduate has received two Emmys for the documentary scores for "Jonas Salk: Personally Speaking," and "Residue." He also was nominated for an Emmy for the score to the television series "Mind of a Married Man." His work has also appeared in feature films, including "Straw Dogs," which was released in September 2011. Other films featuring Groupé's music include "Nothing but the Truth," "Resurrecting the Champ" and "The Contender." Over his career, the San Diego resident has composed, conducted and produced more than 80 CD recordings. Groupé's music has also been performed by a number of symphony orchestras.
Alex G. Spanos '48, Real Estate Developer (1923-2018)
Stockton native and self-made billionaire, Alex Spanos was the founder of A.G. Spanos Companies and the owner of the Los Angeles Chargers NFL Franchise. Starting from humble beginnings, Spanos built A.G. Spanos Companies, a builder of multifamily residences, commercial buildings and communities, to become one of the biggest apartment developers in the nation. While at Pacific, Spanos studied engineering and earned varsity letters in swimming and diving. During those formative years, he developed a rich love for the university, which he later demonstrated through numerous and substantial financial gifts, partnerships and service as a long-time member of the Pacific Board of Regents. Read more>>
Dave Brubeck '42, Pianist and Composer (1920-2012)
The late Jazz icon Dave Brubeck was a world-renowned pianist and composer of jazz and classical music whose experimentation with unexplored time signatures introduced millions of listeners to jazz. A 1942 graduate of Pacific, Brubeck achieved extraordinary success throughout his music career, including the Dave Brubeck Quartet's highly acclaimed album "Time Out" (1959), which sold more than one million copies. He was designated a Living Legend by the Library of Congress, inducted into the California Hall of Fame, and received Kennedy Center Honors and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award among his many accolades. While attending Pacific, he met his future wife, Iola Whitlock, who would later become his business manager and his primary lyricist. A plaque can be found inside the Faye Spanos Concert Hall marking the spot where Dave first met Iola when they were both students at Pacific.
Pacific alumni continue to make an impact in their communities and careers in every walk of life.
Business
 John C. Beyer , '62 |
former Chair and CEO of Nathan Associates |
| Scott Boras '77, '82 |
Sports agent; founder, Scott Boras Corp. |
| Jaclyn Rann Cohen '91 |
Senior Vice President of programming and acquisitions for TV Land and Nick at Nite |
| Rebecca Jacoby '83 |
Senior Vice President of Operations, Cisco, retired |
| Constance X. Rishwain '79 |
President of Vionic Group LLC |
| Alex G. Spanos ‘48 (1923-2018) |
Owner, Los Angeles Chargers; developer. founder A.G. Spanos Companies, philanthropist |
| Allan Zaremberg ’78 |
President and CEO, California Chamber of Commerce (1998-present) |
| Steven D. Strauss '92 |
Small business expert: President and founder of The SelfEmployed; author of 17 books, including "Small Business Bible"; syndicated columnist for USA Today's weekly "Ask an Expert." |
Education
| John G. Red Horse '62 |
former dean of Liberal Arts and Co-Principal Investigator of Indian Child Welfare Certificate Program, University of Minnesota Duluth |
| Lawrence Scadden ‘66 |
Senior Program Director, National Science Foundation Program for Persons with Disabilities, retired |
| Chauncey Veatch ‘70 |
2002 National Teacher of the Year |
| Frederick A. Wentworth '77 |
San Joaquin County Superintendent of Schools, 1991-2010; former President of the California County Superintendents Educational Services Association |
| Robert M. Widney 1862 (1838-1929) |
Founding father and first President of the Board of Directors of the University of Southern California, also founded Los Angeles's first Chamber of Commerce. |
Engineering and Technology
Entertainment and the Arts
| Dean Butler '79 |
Actor, documentary film producer |
| Robert Culp ’49 (1930-2010) |
Actor |
| Jamie Lee Curtis '80 |
Golden Globe award-winning actress |
| Jeff Franklin '76 |
Award-winning producer, writer and director |
| David Gerber ‘50 (1923-2010) |
Emmy and Peabody Award-winning television executive and film producer |
| Ken Kercheval ‘57 (1935-2019) |
Actor: stage, film, TV |
| Janet Leigh ‘47 (1927-2004) |
Golden Glob award-winning actress |
| Darren McGavin ‘48 (1922-2006) |
Actor |
| Robert Ulrich '76 |
Award-winning casting director, Owner, Ulrich-Dawson Casting-Casting for Glee, The Mentalist, CSI |
| Jo Van Fleet '40 (1915-1996) |
Tony and Academy Award-winning actress |
Government and Public Service
| Dr. Arif Alvi '84 |
13th president of Pakistan and accomplished orthodontist |
| John Doolittle '78 |
Congressman, U.S. House of Representatives (1991-2009) |
| Peter Knudsen ‘66 |
Utah State Senator, Dist. 17 (1999-present) |
| Bill Lockyer '86 |
32 nd Calif. State Treasurer, former Calif. Attorney General |
| George Moscone ‘53 (1929-1978) |
California State Senator (1967-76), 37th mayor of San Francisco |
Health Sciences
| Lawrence "L.B." Brown, PharmD '99 |
President-Elect, American Pharmacists Association (2014-15); Associate Dean, Chapman University School of Pharmacy |
| Jannet Carmichael PharmD '81 |
Pharmacy Executive, Veteran's Affairs Sierra Pacific Network; former President, American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (1992-3) |
| Derric DesMarteau DDS ’80 (1951-2009) |
former Team Dentist to the Oakland Raiders and Golden State Warriors |
| William Dorfman DDS ‘83 |
ABC-TV’s Extreme Makeover Dentist, Founder, Discus Dental |
| Arthur Dugoni DDS '48 |
Dean Emeritus, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, Past President: ADA, ADA Foundation, AADS, CDA. |
| Brig. Gen. Gerald Dieter Griffin '71 |
Chair of the U.S. delegation of the Interallied Confederation of Medical Reserve Officers, which advises NATO on the development of military medicine, pharmacy and security policy, an expert in emergency and military medicine |
| Captain Boyd Robinson DDS ‘76 |
Dentist to U.S. Presidents, former Chairman of Presidential Support Team |
Humanitarian and Religion
| Martín Burt '80 |
founder and CEO of Fundación Paraguaya, has served as Chief of Staff to the President of Paraguay, Vice Minister of Commerce and Mayor of Asunción |
| Dolores Huerta '10 (Honorary Degree) |
Labor Leader/Civil Rights Activist, co-founded the National Farmworkers Association with César Chávez |
| Tom Mohr '86 |
Deputy Chief of Party for Project HOPE, Kazakhstan |
| Sakena Yacoobi '77 |
founder Afghan Institute of Learning, Nobel Peace Prize nominee (2005), National Endowment for Democracy Award for Democracy (2005), Opus Foundation Unsung Heroes Award (2014) |
Law
| Robert Buccola ’83 |
Personal Injury attorney, Rated by SuperLawyers.com (2004-14) |
| Connie Callahan ’75 |
Judge, U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals |
| Morrison England '77, '83 |
Chief Judge, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Calif. |
| John Gerrard ’81 |
Judge, U.S. District Court for the State of Nebraska |
| James W. Hardesty ’75 |
Nevada Supreme Court Justice |
| Theodore B. Olson ‘62 |
Attorney, 42nd Solicitor General of the United States |
| Johnnie Rawlinson ’79 |
Judge, U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals |
| Ronald B. Robie '67 |
Associate Justice, California Third District Court of Appeals |
| Arthur G. Scotland '74 |
Presiding Justice, Calif. Third District Court of Appeals, retired |
Music
Natural Sciences
| Terry Maple '68 |
Former President/CEO of Zoo Atlanta, behavioral research scientist, educator and author |
Olympians
Sports
| Pete Carroll ‘73, ‘78 |
NFL head coach, Seattle Seahawks |
| Dell Demps '92, '98 |
General Manager, New Orleans Pelicans |
| Tom Flores ‘59 |
Former NFL head coach and general manager |
| Malia Kamisugi ‘98 |
Nationally-ranked open ocean outrigger canoe racer |
| Eddie LeBaron ‘50 (1930-2015) |
former All-American football player and sports executive |
| Gary Nelson ‘68 |
USF Golf Coach/Player, U.S. Senior Open |
| Michael Olowokandi ‘98 |
First Overall Pick, 1998 NBA Draft, played for LA Clippers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Boston Celtics |
Writing and Journalism
| Heather Cox '92 |
Sportscaster and sports reporter for NBC |
| Matt de la Peña '96 |
Best-selling author of young adult novels and children's books; first Latino author to receive the prestigious Newbery Medal |
| Sharon Ito '82 |
Former Television anchor, newscaster, KXTV and KCAL |
| George Knapp '77 |
Investigative journalist, won two Peabody awards, 19 Emmy Awards and the AP Mark Twain Award for best news writing |
| Steve Martini ’74E |
Attorney and best-selling Novelist |
| Patrick McDowell '81 |
Southeast Asia Bureau Chief, Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones Newswire |
| Kate Moses ’84 |
Co-founder Salon.com, novelist |
| Carla Norton ’76 |
Award-winning novelist and best-selling true crime writer |
