The list of Northern Illinois University people includes notable alumni, non-graduates, faculty and staff, chief executives, and affiliates of the Northern Illinois University.
Presidents of Northern Illinois University
The following persons have led Northern Illinois University as president since 1899:
Table notes:
Notable alumni
Academe
- Ross Alexander (Ph.D. 2002), 5th president of Texas A&M University-Texarkana
- Jerry M. Anderson (M.S. 1959), 9th president of Ball State University
- Gregg Andrews (Ph.D. 1988), labor historian and Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Texas State University
- Judith Curry (B.S. 1974, Ph.D. 1982), climatologist
- Jose Manuel "Chel" Diokno (J.D. 1986), founding dean of the De La Salle University College of Law in Malate, Manila, Philippines
- John Dunn (B.A. 1967, M.A. 1969), president of Western Michigan University
- Kevin Folta, professor and chairman of the horticultural science department at the University of Florida
- Michael Honey, Guggenheim Fellow and Haley Professor of Humanities at the University of Washington Tacoma
- Louise Huffman (M.S. 1979), teacher and educator on US Antarctic programs
- Thomas Lindsay (B.A. 1977, M.A. 1983), president of Shimer College
- Timothy P. Marshall (B.S. 1978), meteorologist and civil engineer, damage analysis expert
- Professor Thomas J. Near (B.A., B.S., 1993; M.S. 1995), evolutionary biologist, professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 18th head of Saybrook College at Yale University
- Vice Admiral Ann Rondeau USN, Retired (Ed.D.), past president of College of DuPage, past President of National Defense University
- Gregg Schlanger (MFA 1989), professor of Art and chair of the Department of Art at Central Washington University
- Dr. Christopher J. Schneider (M.A. 2004), professor at Wilfrid Laurier University
- Paul Sereno, paleontologist, University of Chicago, B.S., Biology, 1979
- Bharath Sriraman, academic editor, professor of mathematics at The University of Montana (M.S. 1999, Ph.D. 2002)
Arts and entertainment
- Joan Allen, 1980, actress, Academy Award nominee and Tony Award winner, The Contender, The Bourne Supremacy, Nixon, Face/Off, The Upside of Anger
- Dan Castellaneta, 1979, Emmy Award-winning actor, voice of "Homer Simpson" and others on The Simpsons
- Mike Disa, film director, screenwriter, animator (Pocahontas, Hercules, Tarzan and ')
- Charlotte Kate Fox, actress and first non-Japanese heroine of an NHK Asadora: the series Massan broadcast on Japanese television; earned her Master of Fine Arts at NIU
- Brian Godawa, screenwriter and author
- Steve Harris, 1989, actor, Emmy Award nominee, The Practice
- Wood Harris, actor, Remember the Titans and The Wire
- E. E. Knight, 1987, author of Vampire Earth series, Age of Fire series
- Sebastian Maniscalco, stand-up comedian (The Late Late Show, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee)
- Justin Mentell, 2005, actor, Boston Legal
- Joe Minoso, actor, Boss and Chicago Fire
- Nicole Mitchell, musician and composer
- Cindy Morgan, actress, Lacy Underall in Caddyshack, Lora and Yori in TRON
- Matthew Prozialeck, blues musician, harmonica player
- Brian Simpson, smooth jazz pianist and composer
- Jason Matthew Smith, actor who portrays Ensign Hendorff in Star Trek, Star Trek Into Darkness and Star Trek Beyond
- Carrie Snodgress, Oscar-nominated actress (Diary of a Mad Housewife, Pale Rider, The Forsaken, Phantom 2040)
- Peter Sotos, writer, musician, and child pornography publisher, best known as a member of the band Whitehouse
- Kurt Sutter, actor, writer, producer, Sons of Anarchy and The Shield
- Doug Walker, YouTube personality known for web show Nostalgia Critic
- Matt Walsh, comedian and actor (Old School, Role Models, The Hangover); portrays Mike McLintock on Veep
- Patricia Wood, author of Lottery; attended NIU
- Barbara Alyn Woods, actress, One Tree Hill
- Robert Zemeckis, director, Back to the Future, Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Forrest Gump; attended NIU before enrolling in film study at University of Southern California
Media
Business
Athletics
American football
- Chad Beebe, wide receiver for Minnesota Vikings
- Ken Bishop, defensive tackle for Dallas Cowboys
- Christian Blake, wide receiver for Atlanta Falcons
- George Bork, quarterback for NIU 1962-63, first NCAA player to pass for more than 3,000 yards, College Football Hall of Fame
- Joel Bouagnon, running back for Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers
- Larry Brink, NFL defensive lineman, two-time Pro Bowler
- Da'Ron Brown, wide receiver for Kansas City Chiefs
- Brad Cieslak, NFL tight end for Buffalo Bills and Cleveland Browns
- Ryan Diem, NFL offensive tackle for Indianapolis Colts
- Larry English, NFL defensive end/linebacker for San Diego Chargers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers; #16 pick in NFL Draft, highest ever by a NIU player
- P. J. Fleck, head football coach at the University of Minnesota, former NFL wide receiver for San Francisco 49ers
- Doug Free, NFL offensive tackle for Dallas Cowboys
- Kenny Golladay, wide receiver for New York Giants
- Thomas Hammock, head football coach at NIU; former assistant coach for Baltimore Ravens (NFL) and Wisconsin Badgers
- Chandler Harnish, NFL quarterback for Indianapolis Colts, MVP of 2010 Humanitarian Bowl victory
- Duane Hawthorne, NFL cornerback for Dallas Cowboys
- Jack Heflin, defensive end for Green Bay Packers
- Darrell Hill, NFL wide receiver for Kansas City Chiefs, Tennessee Titans
- Sam Hurd, NFL wide receiver for Dallas Cowboys and Chicago Bears
- LeShon Johnson, NFL running back, 1994
- Scott Kellar, nose tackle for Indianapolis Colts, Green Bay Packers, and Minnesota Vikings
- Jerry Kurz, president of Arena Football League
- Tommylee Lewis, wide receiver for New Orleans Saints and Detroit Lions
- Jordan Lynch, quarterback for Chicago Bears, Edmonton Elks of CFL, 2015 Grey Cup champion, 2015; third in 2013 Heisman Trophy voting (highest ever by NIU player)
- Justin McCareins, NFL wide receiver for Tennessee Titans and New York Jets
- Rashaan Melvin, cornerback for Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Baltimore Ravens, New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts, Oakland Raiders and Detroit Lions
- Jake Nordin, NFL tight end/fullback for Baltimore Ravens and Detroit Lions
- Patricia Palinkas, first woman to play professional football, placekick holder in Atlantic Coast Football League for Orlando Panthers, attended NIU but did not play football
- Nathan Palmer, NFL wide receiver for Indianapolis Colts, Denver Broncos, Miami Dolphins, Chicago Bears, San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos
- Todd Peat, NFL guard for St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Raiders
- David Petway, NFL defensive back for Green Bay Packers
- Max Scharping, NFL offensive tackle for Houston Texans
- Chad Spann, NFL running back for Pittsburgh Steelers and Houston Texans
- John Spilis, NFL wide receiver for Green Bay Packers
- Sutton Smith, NFL linebacker for Pittsburgh Steelers
- Hollis Thomas, NFL defensive tackle for Philadelphia Eagles, New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers
- Michael Turner, NFL running back for Atlanta Falcons
- Tim Tyrrell, NFL running back for Atlanta Falcons, St. Louis Rams and Pittsburgh Steelers
- Clarence Vaughn, defensive back for Washington Redskins, two-time Super Bowl champion, NIU Hall of Famer
- Jimmie Ward, safety for San Francisco 49ers
- Scott Wedige, NFL center for Arizona Cardinals
- Tom Wittum, NFL punter for San Francisco 49ers
- Garrett Wolfe, NFL running back for Chicago Bears, for Omaha Nighthawks of United Football League and Montreal Alouettes of Canadian Football League
Baseball
Basketball
- Kenny Battle, former NBA player
- Jim Bradley, former ABA player
- Paul Dawkins, former NBA player
- Billy Harris, former ABA player
- Richard Oruche, player for Nigerian national team, 2012 Olympic Games and for NIU until transfer to University of Illinois Springfield
- Xavier Silas, NBA player for Washington Wizards, Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics
- Donald Whiteside, former NBA player
- Bob Wood, former NBA player
Professional wrestling
Other
- Curtis Blaydes (attended), professional mixed martial artist, UFC heavyweight contender
- Aimee Boorman, head coach of U.S. women gymnastics team at 2016 Summer Olympics, attended NIU for a year before leaving to coach
- Farell Duclair, Canadian football player, transferred from Vanier College to play for Northern Illinois Huskies
- Tim Gullikson, professional tennis player
- Tom Gullikson, professional tennis player
- Ken Henry, speed skater and gold medalist at the 1952 Winter Olympics
- Steven Kazmierczak, perpetrator of the shooting at NIU in February 2008
- Terry Martin, professional MMA fighter; B.A., Psychology, 2004
Politics and government
Federal government
- Don Bacon, Republican congressman from Nebraska's 2nd congressional district and retired United States Air Force Brigadier General
- Tammy Duckworth, U.S. senator from Illinois; previously served as a congresswoman, representing Illinois's 8th congressional district, 2013âÂÂ2017; was a Ph.D. candidate at NIU
- Dennis Hastert, Republican U.S. congressman 1987âÂÂ2008; longest-serving Republican Speaker of the House; M.S., Education, 1967
- Robin Kelly, Democratic congresswoman from Illinois's 2nd congressional district, earned Ph.D. at NIU
- Andrew L. Traver, civilian director of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service
- W. Willard Wirtz, United States secretary of labor during Kennedy administration and Johnson administration, took classes at NIU (then Northern Illinois State Teachers College), member of Alpha Phi Omega chapter; graduated from Beloit College
State legislators
Colorado
Florida
- Bill Heller, Democratic member of the Florida House of Representatives, representing the 52nd district 2007âÂÂ2011
Illinois
- Steven Andersson, Republican member of the Illinois House of Representatives since 2015
- Ralph C. Capparelli, Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives, 1971âÂÂ2004
- Cristina Castro, Democratic member of the Illinois since 2017; earned her Bachelor of Science and master of business administration at NIU
- Annazette Collins, Democratic member of the Illinois State Senate, representing the 5th district, 2011âÂÂ2013; served in the Illinois House of Representatives, representing the 10th District, 2001âÂÂ2011
- Michael Crawford, Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives since 2025; earned his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Education at NIU
- John Curran, Republican member of the Illinois Senate since 2017
- Joe Dunn, Republican member of the Illinois House of Representatives, 2003âÂÂ2009
- Roger L. Eddy, Republican member of the Illinois House of Representatives, 2003âÂÂ2012
- Beverly Fawell, Republican member of the Illinois House of Representatives (1981âÂÂ1983) and the Illinois Senate (1983âÂÂ1999)
- Gene L. Hoffman, Republican member of the Illinois House of Representatives, 1967âÂÂ1991; earned his master's and doctorate degrees from NIU
- Joyce Holmberg, Democratic member of the Illinois Senate, 1983âÂÂ1993
- Toi Hutchinson, Democratic member of the Illinois Senate since 2009
- Christine J. Johnson, Republican member of the Illinois Senate, 2011âÂÂ2013
- Wendell E. Jones, Republican member of the Illinois Senate, 1998âÂÂ2007
- Jeremiah E. Joyce, Democratic member of the Illinois Senate, 1979âÂÂ1993; served as a member of the NIU Board of Trustees
- Doris Karpiel, Republican member of the Illinois Senate, 1984âÂÂ2003; served in the Illinois House of Representatives, 1979âÂÂ1984; earned her B.A. in political science from NIU
- Nancy Kaszak, Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives, 1993âÂÂ1997
- Stephanie Kifowit, Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives, representing the 84th district since 2013
- Anna Moeller, Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives representing the 43rd district since 2014
- Bob Morgan, Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives representing the 58th district as of 2019
- Ruth Munson, Republican member of the Illinois House of Representatives, 2002âÂÂ2009
- Vincent Persico, Republican member of the Illinois House of Representatives, 1991âÂÂ2002; earned his master's of education at NIU in 1986
- Tom Rooney, Republican member of the Illinois Senate appointed in 2016; earned his M.P.A. from NIU in 2011
- Michael V. Rotello, Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives 1991âÂÂ1995; earned his Bachelor of Arts and did public administration graduate work at NIU
- Kathleen A. Ryg, Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives, 2003âÂÂ2009
- Jack Schaffer, Republican member of the Illinois Senate, 1973âÂÂ1999
- George Scully, Jr., Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives, 1997âÂÂ2009
- Joe Sosnowski, Republican member of the Illinois House of Representatives since 2011
- Litesa Wallace, Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives since 2014
- Pennie Von Bergen Wessels, Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives, 1993âÂÂ1995
- Lance Yednock, Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives, 2019âÂÂpresent
Indiana
Iowa
- Cindy Golding, Republican member of the Iowa House of Representatives, representing the 83rd district, 2023âÂÂpresent
- David Hartsuch, Republican member of the Iowa Senate, representing the 41st District, 2007âÂÂ2011
Maryland
Michigan
Montana
- Tim Furey, Democratic member of the Montana House of Representatives, representing the 91st district, 2007âÂÂ2011
New Hampshire
New York
Oregon
Virginia
Wisconsin
Local officeholders
- John Arena, alderman for Chicago's 45th ward since 2011
- Howard Brookins Jr., alderman for Chicago's 21st ward since 2003
- Franco Coladipietro, mayor of Bloomingdale, Illinois; member of the Illinois House of Representatives, 2005âÂÂ2013
- Robert Fioretti, former alderman for the 2nd Ward; candidate for mayor of Chicago in 2015
- Terry Gabinski, member of the Chicago City Council from the 32nd ward, 1969âÂÂ1998
- James Laski, former city clerk of Chicago, controversial talk radio host, and author of Fall From Grace â From City Hall to Prison Walls; graduated from Northern Illinois University College of Law in 1978
- Bill Morris, mayor of Waukegan, Illinois, 1977âÂÂ1985
- Ricardo Muñoz, Chicago 22nd Ward alderman since 1993
- William E. Peterson, Vernon Township Supervisor, 1977âÂÂ2017; served in the Illinois General Assembly, 1983âÂÂ2009
Judiciary
Activists
- Markos Moulitsas, founder of the Daily Kos blog; B.A., Journalism, Political Science, B.A. Philosophy 1996
- James F. Phillips, teacher and environmentalist who led a campaign against water pollution caused by Armour and Company
- Steven Schafersman, president of Texas Citizens for Science (B.S., 1971, Geology and Biology; M.S., 1973, Geology)
International figures
- Anies Baswedan, former Minister of Education and Culture of Indonesia and former Governor of Jakarta Indonesia; earned his Ph.D. in political science from NIU
- Chel Diokno (J.D), former dean of the De La Salle University College of Law, former Philippines senatorial candidate in 2019, 2022 elections
- Andi Mallarangeng, former Minister of Youth and Sports of Indonesia
- Audley Shaw, Minister of Finance and the Public Service of Jamaica and Member of Parliament for Manchester North Eastern
- Panitan Wattanayagorn, former deputy secretary-general to the prime minister of Thailand, and acting spokesman of the Royal Thai Government
- Wu Jun, vice mayor of Guiyang, the provincial capital of Guizhou, April 2013 to September 2014; studied at NIU
Notable faculty and staff
Academics
- Michael Bakalis, served as assistant professor of History and assistant dean prior to his election as Illinois superintendent of Public Instruction
- Josephine Thorndike Berry (1871-1945), professor of Domestic Science, Northern Illinois State Normal School
- John W. Darrah, judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois; served as an adjunct at the Northern Illinois University College of Law
- P. Allan Dionisopoulos, professor of political science; political scientist and legal scholar quoted in multiple Supreme Court of the United States decisions
- Mark Emmert, president of the National Collegiate Athletic Association; professor of political science at NIU, 1983âÂÂ1985
- Mike Fortner, Republican member of the Illinois House of Representatives from the 49th district, 2007âÂÂ2019; currently teaches physics at NIU
- Fareed Haque, professor of Jazz and Classical Guitar Studies
- Han Kuo-Huang, former professor of music
- Romualdas Kasuba (Ph.D. 1962), engineer, academician, co-founder of the College of Engineering and Engineering Technology
- Michael J. Kolb, associate professor of anthropology
- Vernon Lattin (born 1938), president of Brooklyn College
- Lynne M. Thomas, three-time Hugo Award-winning editor; head of rare books and special collections
- George L. Trager, linguist
- Thomas C. Wiegele, professor of political science; founder of Association for Politics and the Life Sciences
Athletics
References