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Nobel Laureates – Alumni
Edward Doisy
(1982-1986)
Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine in 1943
Doisy discovered the chemical nature of vitamin K. His work involved synthesis, isolation and characterization of the K vitamins. Doisy received two Illinois degrees: a Bachelor of Arts (1914) and a Master of Science (1916).
Vincent Du Vigneaud
(1901-1978)
Nobel Prize in chemistry in 1943
Du Vigneaud was awarded the prize for his work on “biochemically important sulfur compounds, especially for achieving the first synthesis of a polypeptide hormone.” He received a Bachelor of Science (1923) and a Master of Science (1924) from Illinois.
Robert Holley
(1922-1993)
Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine in 1968
Holley received the Nobel Prize for his work determining the precise structure of nucleic acids. He received a Bachelor of Arts in chemistry from Illinois in 1942.
Jack S. Kilby
(1923-2005)
Shared the 2000 Nobel Prize in physics
Kilby was awarded the Nobel for his part in the invention and development of the integrated circuit, also known as the microchip. Kilby received a Bachelor of Science from Illinois in 1947.
Edwin Krebs
(1918-2009)
Shared the 1992 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine
Holley received the Nobel Prize for his work determining the precise structure of nucleic acids. He received a Bachelor of Arts in chemistry from Illinois in 1942.
Polykarp Kusch
(1911-1993)
Shared the 1955 Nobel Prize in physics
Kusch’s work toward precise measurement of the magnetic moment of the electron was awarded the Nobel Prize. Kusch received a Master of Science (1933) and a doctorate (1936) from Illinois.
John Robert Schrieffer
(1931-2019)
Shared the 1972 Nobel Prize in physics with faculty member John Bardeen and postdoctoral fellow Leon Cooper
The prize was awarded for their work on the theory of superconductivity. Schrieffer received a Master of Science in 1954 and a doctorate in 1957 from Illinois.
Phillip A. Sharp
(1944- )
Shared the 1993 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine
Sharp shared the prize for the discovery of split genes, which proved that genes can be composed of several separate segments. Sharp received a doctorate in chemistry from Illinois in 1969.
Hamilton Smith
(1931- )
Shared the 1978 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine
The Nobel Prize was awarded for “the discovery of restriction enzymes and their application to problems of molecular genetics.” Smith attended Illinois from 1948 to 1950.
Wendell Stanley
(1944-1971)
Shared the 1946 Nobel Prize in chemistry
Stanley shared the prize for contributions to the preparation of enzymes and virus proteins in pure form. Stanley received two Illinois degrees: a Master of Science (1927) and a doctorate (1929).
Rosalyn Sussman Yalow
(1921-2011)
Shared the 1977 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine
Yalow was the second woman to win the Nobel Prize in medicine for the discovery and development of radioimmunoassay, a technique that employs radioactive isotopes to detect and measure the levels of insulin and hormones in the blood and in body tissues. Yalow holds two Illinois degrees: a Master of Science (1942) and a doctorate (1945).
Nobel Laureates – Faculty
John Bardeen
(1908-1991)
Nobel Prize in physics twice: in 1956 and 1972
He shared the 1956 prize with W. H. Brattain and W. Shockley for research on semiconductors and the invention of the transistor at Bell Labs, and the 1972 prize with L. N. Cooper and J. R. Schrieffer for the theory of superconductivity, developed at Illinois. Bardeen served on the faculty from 1951 until his death in 1991.
Leon N. Cooper
(1930-2024)
Shared the 1972 Nobel Prize in physics with faculty member John Bardeen and alumnus John R. Schreiffer
They developed the theory of superconductivity, usually called the BCS-theory. He was a research associate from 1955 to 1957.
Elias Corey
(1928- )
Nobel Prize in chemistry in 1990
He shared the 1956 prize with W. H. Brattain and W. Shockley for research on semiconductors and the invention of the transistor at Bell Labs, and the 1972 prize with L. N. Cooper and J. R. Schrieffer for the theory of superconductivity, developed at Illinois. Bardeen served on the faculty from 1951 until his death in 1991.
Vincent Du Vigneaud
(1901-1978)
Nobel Prize in chemistry in 1955
Du Vigneaud was awarded the prize for his work on “biochemically important sulfur compounds, especially for achieving the first synthesis of a polypeptide hormone.” An alumnus of Illinois, Du Vigneaud served on the faculty from 1929 to 1932.
Murray Gell-Mann
(1929-2019)
Nobel Prize in physics in 1969
Gell-Mann received the prize for “his contributions and discoveries concerning the classification of elementary particles and their interactions.” Gell-Mann was a postdoctoral research associate in 1951 and a visiting research professor from 1952-1953.
Leonid Hurwicz
(1917-2008)
Nobel Prize in economics in 2007 with Eric S. Maskin and Roger B. Myerson
Hurwicz shared the prize for “having laid the foundations of mechanism design theory.” He served as a faculty member in economics from 1949-1951.
Paul C. Lauterbur
(1929-2007)
Shared the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine in 2003 with Sir Peter Mansfield
Lauterbur and Mansfield received the award for “seminal discoveries concerning the use of magnetic resonance to visualize different structures.” Lauterbur was among the first scientists to use nuclear magnetic resonance in the studies of molecules, solutions and solids. Lauterbur joined the faculty in 1985.
Anthony J. Leggett
(1938- )
Shared the 2003 Nobel Prize in physics with Alexei A. Abrikosov and Vitaly L. Ginzburg
The Nobel Prize was awarded for “pioneering contributions to the theory of superconductors and superfluids.” Leggett formulated the decisive theory explaining how atoms interact and are ordered in the superfluid state. Leggett joined the faculty in 1983.
Salvador Luria
(1912-1991)
Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine in 1969 with Max Delbruck and Alfred Hershey
The Nobel Prize was awarded for discoveries concerning the replication mechanism and the genetic structure of viruses. He served as a professor of bacteriology from 1950 to 1959.
Sir Peter Mansfield
(1933-2017)
Shared the 2003 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine with faculty member Paul C. Lauterbur
Lauterbur and Mansfield received the award for “seminal discoveries concerning the use of magnetic resonance to visualize different structures.” Mansfield was a research associate in physics from 1962 to 1964.
Rudolph Marcus
(1923- )
Nobel Prize in chemistry in 1992
Marcus was awarded the prize for contributions to the theory of how electrons are transferred between molecules — work that helps explain such phenomena as rust and how plants draw nourishment from light. He served as a faculty member in chemistry from 1964 to 1978 and completed much of his prize-winning research at the university.
Franco Modigliani
(1918-2003)
Nobel Prize in economics in 1985
The Nobel Prize was awarded for two major theories: one on personal finance and one on corporate finance. He served as a faculty member in economics from 1948 to 1952.
Alvin Roth
(1951- )
Shared the 2012 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Science
Roth received the prize for his work in market design and matching theory, which relate to how people and companies find and select one another in everything from marriage to school choice to jobs to organ donations. Roth was a member of the business faculty at Illinois from 1975-1982.
John Robert Schrieffer
(1931-2019)
Shared the 1972 Nobel Prize in physics with faculty member John Bardeen and postdoctoral fellow Leon Cooper
The prize was awarded for their work on the theory of superconductivity. An alumnus of the university, Schrieffer served on the physics faculty from 1959 to 1962.
2007 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
The 2007 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded jointly to Al Gore and to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change for their efforts in building and disseminating greater knowledge about human-made climate change, and to lay the foundations for the measures needed to counteract that change. Eight faculty members and research scientists on the Illinois faculty served on the IPCC and were acknowledged by the organization for their contributions to the Nobel-earning work.
Donald Wuebbles and Michael Schlesinger were recognized by special certificate by the IPCC for their leadership roles in the work.
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Team
Natalia Andronova
Adjunct research scientist, Department of Atmospheric Sciences
William Chapman
Research scientist, Department of Atmospheric Sciences
Katharine Hayhoe
Adjunct research scientist, Department of Atmospheric Sciences
Atul Jain
Professor, Department of Atmospheric Sciences
Stephen Long
Professor, Department of Crop Sciences
Ken Patten
Research scientist, Department of Atmospheric Sciences
Michael Schlesinger
Professor, Department of Atmospheric Sciences
John Walsh
Professor emeritus, Department of Atmospheric Sciences
Donald Wuebbles
Professor, Department of Atmospheric Sciences
Nobel Laureates – University Laboratory High School alumni
Philip Anderson
(1923-2020)
Nobel Prize in physics in 1977
He shared the prize with John Van Vleck and Nevill Mott for their “fundamental theoretic investigation of the electronic structure of magnetic and disordered systems.” Anderson graduated from University High School in 1940.
Hamilton Smith
(1931- )
Shared the 1978 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine
The prize was awarded for “the discovery of restriction enzymes and their application to problems of molecular genetics.” Smith graduated in 1948 and attended the university.
James Tobin
(1928-2002)
Nobel Prize in economics in 1981
Tobin’s work provided “a basis for understanding how subjects actually behave when they acquire different assets and incur debts” by his statement of the “portfolio selection theory” of investment. Tobin graduated from University High School in 1935.
Pulitzer Prize Winners – Alumni
Leonora LaPeter Anton
(1964- )
2016 Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting
Anton was part of a team with the Tampa Bay Times that reported on conditions in Florida’s state-funded mental hospitals. Anton earned a 1986 degree in journalism.
Barry Bearak
(1949- )
2002 Pulitzer Prize in international reporting
Bearak’s coverage of daily life in war-ravaged Afghanistan received a Pulitzer. Bearak pursued graduate studies in journalism at Illinois and earned his Master of Science in 1974.
Michael Colgrass
(1932-2019)
1978 Pulitzer Prize in music
Colgrass received a Pulitzer for his piece, “Deja Vu for Percussion Quartet and Orchestra,” which was commissioned and premiered by the New York Philharmonic. He received his Bachelor of Music degree in 1956.
George Crumb
(1929-2022)
1968 Pulitzer Prize in music
Crumb received a Pulitzer for “Echoes of Time and the River,” commissioned to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the University of Chicago. Crumb received his Master of Music degree in 1952.
David Herbert Donald
(1920-2009)
Pulitzer Prize in biography: in 1961 and 1988
In 1961, Donald received the prize for “Charles Sumner and the Coming of the Civil War” and in 1988 for “Look Homeward: A Life of Thomas Wolfe.” Donald pursued graduate studies in history at the Illinois, receiving a Master of Arts in 1942 and a Ph.D. in 1946.
Marla Dickerson
(1963- )
2025 Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting
Dickerson won the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting as part of a team at Reuters that produced a series of articles that uncovered the international trade in the chemicals used to manufacture fentanyl. Marla earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance in 1984.
Roger Ebert
(1942-2013)
First-ever Pulitzer Prize in criticism in 1975
Ebert received a Pulitzer for his work as film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times. Ebert graduated from Illinois with a Bachelor of Science in 1964.
Roy J. Harris
(1902-1980)
Shared the 1950 Pulitzer Prize in public service with fellow U. of I. alumnus George Thiem
Their work exposed the presence of 37 Illinois newspapermen on an Illinois state payroll. Harris received a Bachelor of Arts from Illinois in 1925.
Beth Henley
(1952- )
1981 Pulitzer Prize in drama
Her play “Crimes of the Heart” received a Pulitzer in 1981. Henley pursued graduate studies in theatre at Illinois in the 1970s.
Hugh F. Hough
(1924-1986)
Shared the 1974 Pulitzer Prize for local general spot news reporting with fellow Illinois alumnus Arthur M. Petacque
Hough and Petacque received the prize for uncovering new evidence that led to the reopening of efforts to solve the 1966 murder case of U.S. Sen. Charles Percy’s daughter. Hough received a Bachelor of Science in 1951.
Glenn Howatt
(1957- )
Shared in the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for local reporting
The prize was awarded for a series of reports on a spike in infant deaths in Minneapolis daycares that led to legislative action strengthening regulations. He earned two master’s degrees from Illinois. One in geography in 1982 and the second in journalism in 1986.
Paul Ingrassia
(1950-2019)
Shared the 1993 Pulitzer Prize for beat reporting
Ingrassia received the Pulitzer for coverage of management turmoil at General Motors Corp. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Illinois in 1972.
Monroe Karmin
(1929-1999)
Shared the 1967 Pulitzer Prize for national reporting
The prize was awarded to Karmin for his part in exposing the connection between U.S. crime and gambling in the Bahamas. Karmin received a Bachelor of Science in 1950.
John J. Kim
(1974- )
Shared the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for local reporting
His photography at the Chicago-Sun Times received the prize for an immersive documentation of violence in Chicago neighborhoods, probing the lives of victims, criminals and detectives as a widespread code of silence impedes solutions. He earned a Bachelor of Science in advertising in 1997.
Nathaniel Lash
(1992- )
2014 Pulitzer Prize for local reporting
Lash was the data reporter with the Tampa Bay Times team that received a Pulitzer for its series on the Pinellas County Schools. Lash earned a Bachelor of Science in 2014.
Eli Murray
(1993- )
Shared the Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting in 2022
Murray received the Pulitzer for his work with the Tampa Bay Times in investigating toxic hazards at a Florida battery recycling plant. Murray earned a Bachelor of Science degree in 2015. As a student, he received the Glenn Hanson Scholarship in Visual Communications from the College of Media.
Allan Nevins
(1890-1971)
Pulitzer Prize in biography twice: in 1933 and 1937
Nevins received the Pulitzer Prize in 1933 for “Grover Cleveland: A Study in Courage” and in 1937 for “Hamilton Fish: The Inner History of the Grant Administration.” Nevins earned his Bachelor of Arts in 1912 and his Master of Arts in 1913.
Arthur M. Petacque
(1924-2001)
Shared the 1974 Pulitzer Prize for local general spot news reporting with fellow Illinois alumnus Hugh Hough
Their work in uncovering new evidence led to a reopening the 1966 murder case of Valerie Percy, daughter of a U.S. senator. Petacque attended Illinois in the 1940s.
Richard Powers
(1957- )
2019 Pulitzer Prize in fiction
Powers received a Pulitzer for his novel “The Overstory.” He earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1978 and a Master of Arts in 1980.
James B. Reston
(1909-1995)
Pulitzer Prize for national reporting in 1945 and 1957
Reston was awarded for his work as a reporter for The New York Times. He earned a Bachelor of Science in 1932.
Robert Lewis Taylor
(1910-1998)
1959 Pulitzer Prize in fiction
Taylor received the prize for his book “The Travails of Jaimie McPheeters.” He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1933.
George Thiem
(1897-1987)
Shared the 1950 Pulitzer Prize for public service with fellow U. of I. alumnus Roy J. Harris
Their work exposed the presence of 37 Illinois newspapermen on an Illinois state payroll. Thiem earned a Bachelor of Science in 1921.
Carl Van Doren
(1885-1950)
1939 Pulitzer Prize in biography
Van Doren received the Pulitzer for his book “Benjamin Franklin.” He graduated from in 1907 with a Bachelor of Arts.
Mark Van Doren
(1894-1972)
1940 Pulitzer Prize in poetry
Van Doren’s “Collected Poems, 1922-1938” received the Pulitzer Prize. He received a Bachelor of Arts in 1914.
Julie Westfall
(1980- )
Shared in 2016 Pulitzer Prize for breaking news reporting
As part of the Los Angeles Times staff, Westfall covered the San Bernadino terrorist attack. Westfall graduated in 2002 with a Bachelor of Science.
Abe Zaidan
(1931-2021)
Shared the 1971 Pulitzer Prize for local reporting
As a member of the staff of the Akron (Ohio) Beacon Journal, Zaidan covered the Kent State University tragedy on May 4, 1970. He received a Bachelor of Science in 1953.
Pulitzer Prize Winners – Faculty
Bill Gaines
(1933-2016)
Shared in two Pulitzer Prizes in investigative reporting (1976 and 1988)
Gaines joined the U. of I. faculty in 2001 and was the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation Chair in Investigative and Enterprise Journalism until his retirement in 2007.
Leon Dash
(1944- )
Shared the 1995 Pulitzer Prize in explanatory journalism
Dash received a Pulitzer for his work on a family’s struggle with poverty, illiteracy, crime and drug abuse in Washington, D.C. Dash became an Illinois faculty member in 1998 and is a Swanlund Chair and professor of journalism and African American Studies.
Richard Powers
(1957- )
2019 Pulitzer Prize in fiction
An Illinois alumnus, Powers received the prize for his novel “The Overstory.” Powers joined the Illinois faculty in 1992 and retired in 2012.
Pulitzer Prize Winners – University Laboratory High School alumni
George F. Will
(1941- )
1977 Pulitzer Prize for commentary
Will received a Pulitzer for his work as a syndicated columnist. He graduated from University High School in 1958.