List of Famous Professors

Barack Obama, born in Honolulu, Hawaii on August 4, 1961, has been a significant figure in American politics. He made history as the first African American to hold the office of President of the United States. Before his presidency, he served as a senator for Illinois from 2005 to 2008. Obama's early life was marked by diverse experiences that shaped his worldview. His mother Stanley Ann Dunham - an anthropologist - and father Barack Obama Sr. - an economist from Kenya - divorced when he was young. He spent part of his childhood living with his grandparents in Hawaii and four years in Indonesi

Born on August 19, 1946, in Hope, Arkansas, William Jefferson Clinton, better known as Bill Clinton, emerged from humble beginnings to become a prominent figure in American politics. Despite facing numerous challenges and controversies during his lifetime, Clinton's tenacity and charisma have cemented his legacy as one of America's most influential leaders. Clinton's political career began with his election as the Attorney General of Arkansas in 1976, followed by his tenure as Governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and 1983 to 1992. His ability to connect with people from all walks of life, co

Albert Einstein ( EYEN-styne; German: [ˈalbɛɐ̯t ˈʔaɪnʃtaɪn] (listen); 14 March 1879 – 18 April 1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the theory of relativity, one of the two pillars of modern physics (alongside quantum mechanics). His work is also known for its influence on the philosophy of science. He is best known to the general public for his mass–energy equivalence formula E = m c 2 {\displaystyle E=mc^{2}} , which has been dubbed "the world's most famous equation". He received the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics "for his services to theoretical physics, and especially f

Alexander Graham Bell ('Graham' pronounced ) (March 3, 1847 – August 2, 1922) was a Scottish-born American inventor, scientist, and engineer who is credited with inventing and patenting the first practical telephone. He also founded the American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T) in 1885.Bell's father, grandfather, and brother had all been associated with work on elocution and speech and both his mother and wife were deaf, profoundly influencing Bell's life's work. His research on hearing and speech further led him to experiment with hearing devices which eventually culminated in Bell bein

Ben Shalom Bernanke ( bər-NANG-kee; born December 13, 1953) is an American economist at the Brookings Institution who served two terms as Chair of the Federal Reserve, the central bank of the United States, from 2006 to 2014. During his tenure as chair, Bernanke oversaw the Federal Reserve's response to the late-2000s financial crisis. Before becoming Federal Reserve chair, Bernanke was a tenured professor at Princeton University and chaired the department of economics there from 1996 to September 2002, when he went on public service leave. From August 5, 2002 until June 21, 2005, he was a mem

Ben Stein was born November 25, 1944, in Washington D.C. He has a multifaceted career spanning law, politics, and entertainment. After graduating valedictorian from Yale Law School in 1970, Stein served as a poverty lawyer in New Haven and Washington D.C., and as a trial lawyer at the Federal Trade Commission. He became a speechwriter for U.S. Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. Stein entered the entertainment industry as the monoton

Carl Sagan was an American astronomer, astrophysicist, and author. He was born November 9, 1934, in Brooklyn, New York. Sagan studied physics and astronomy early in life. He earned bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Chicago. In 1960, he obtained his Ph.D. in Astronomy and Astrophysics. Sagan held academic positions at Harvard University and Cornell University, where he taught his knowledge to students. Sagan made contributions to space science.

Originally the MTV generation's version of Dr. Ruth, Dr. Drew Pinsky later specialized in dramatic, televised treatment programs featuring substance abusing ex-rockers, former stars and fading models. Early on, "Dr. Drew," as he was affectionately known, dished helpful advice to millions of teens through his nationally syndicated radio show "Loveline," alongside comedic co-host Adam Carolla. Eventually he branched out into television with the series "Strictly Sex with Dr. Drew" (Discovery Health Channel, 2005) and the reality program "Celebrity Rehab" (VH1, 2008- ), where he spent 21 days with

Elizabeth Warren, a name profoundly associated with American politics, is renowned for her prodigious intellect and unwavering commitment to public service. Born in Oklahoma in the year 1949, she faced financial hardships during her early years that shaped her perspective on economic inequality - a theme that would later become central to her political career. She started her professional journey as an elementary school teacher but with her irrepressible thirst for knowledge, she soon embarked on her academic pursuits, earning a law degree from Rutgers Law School. Warren's impressive career tr

Alfred Charles Kinsey (; June 23, 1894 – August 25, 1956) was an American biologist, professor of entomology and zoology, and sexologist who in 1947 founded the Institute for Sex Research at Indiana University, previously known as the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction. He is best known for writing Sexual Behavior in the Human Male (1948) and Sexual Behavior in the Human Female (1953), also known as the Kinsey Reports, as well as the Kinsey scale. Kinsey's research on human sexuality, foundational to the field of sexology, provoked controversy in the 1940s and 1950s

Cornel West acted in many Hollywood films. He appeared in several television specials, including "The Issue Is Race" (1992-93), "Firing Line Special Debate (09/19/93)" (PBS, 1993-94), and "Firing Line Special Debate (12/17/93)" (PBS, 1993-94). He also appeared in "Violence: An American Tradition" (HBO, 1995-96). In various film roles, he appeared in "A Darker Side of Black" (1995) and the documentary "Black Is... Black Ain't" (1995) with Angela Davis. He then focused his entertainment career on film, appearing in

Adam Smith (16 June [O.S. 5 June] 1723 – 17 July 1790) was a Scottish economist, philosopher and author as well as a moral philosopher, a pioneer of political economy and a key figure during the Scottish Enlightenment, also known as ''The Father of Economics'' or ''The Father of Capitalism''. Smith wrote two classic works, The Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759) and An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (1776). The latter, often abbreviated as The Wealth of Nations, is considered his magnum opus and the first modern work of economics. In his work, Adam Smith introduced h

Cass Robert Sunstein FBA (born September 21, 1954) is an American legal scholar, particularly in the fields of constitutional law, administrative law, environmental law, and law and behavioral economics, who was the Administrator of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs in the Obama administration from 2009 to 2012. Earlier, as a professor at the University of Chicago Law School for 27 years, he wrote influential works on among other topics, regulatory and constitutional law. Since leaving the White House, Sunstein is the Robert Walmsley University Professor at Harvard L

Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam ( (listen); 15 October 1931 – 27 July 2015) was an aerospace scientist who served as the 11th President of India from 2002 to 2007. He was born and raised in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu and studied physics and aerospace engineering. He spent the next four decades as a scientist and science administrator, mainly at the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and was intimately involved in India's civilian space programme and military missile development efforts. He thus came to be known as the Missile Man

Erich Segal was an American writer and actor who was best known for writing "Love Story" and "Yellow Submarine." Segal was nominated for an Academy Award in 1971 for the first project.

Dmitri Shostakovich, a luminary in the sphere of 20th-century classical music, was born on September 25, 1906, in Saint Petersburg, Russia. An only child in his family, Shostakovich displayed an early affinity for music, with his mother introducing him to piano lessons at the tender age of nine. His exceptional aptitude for music paved the way for his admission into Petrograd Conservatory in 1919, where he honed his craft under the tutelage of esteemed musicians like Alexander Glazunov and Maximilian Steinberg. Shostakovich first garnered international acclaim following the premiere of his Sym

William Charles Ayers (; born December 26, 1944) is a former leader of the Weather Underground and American elementary education theorist. During the 1960s, Ayers participated in the counterculture movement that opposed US involvement in the Vietnam War. He is known for his 1960s radical activism and his current work in education reform, curriculum and instruction. In 1969, Ayers co-founded the Weather Underground, a self-described Communist revolutionary group with the intent to overthrow imperialism, that conducted a campaign of bombing public buildings (including police stations, the US Cap

Barbara Harbach is a composer, harpsichordist, organist and teacher. Since 2004, she has been Professor of Music at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. She founded Women in the Arts-St. Louis to highlight women's work and gain more performances for musicians and composers. A number of her pieces have been recorded by the Slovak Symphony Orchestra; its recording of a collection of her music released in 2008 received three major classical music awards. In 1989 Harbach founded the small Vivace Press, to publish music by underrepresented composers. In 1993 she was a co-founder of the journal, Wo

Daniel Clement Dennett III (born March 28, 1942) is an American philosopher, writer, and cognitive scientist whose research centers on the philosophy of mind, philosophy of science, and philosophy of biology, particularly as those fields relate to evolutionary biology and cognitive science.As of 2017, he is the co-director of the Center for Cognitive Studies and the Austin B. Fletcher Professor of Philosophy at Tufts University. Dennett is an atheist and secularist, a member of the Secular Coalition for America advisory board, and a member of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, as well as an

Angela Davis, a name synonymous with political activism and academia, was born on January 26, 1944, in Birmingham, Alabama. Known primarily as a radical African American educator and activist for civil rights, Davis's early life was marked by racial segregation and societal turmoil. Her involvement in the Civil Rights Movement started at an early age, with the influences of her mother, Sallye Davis - an active member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Davis pursued her desire for knowledge and equality beyond the confines of her hometown, earning her Bac

Avery Robert Dulles, S.J. (; August 24, 1918 – December 12, 2008) was a Jesuit priest, theologian and cardinal of the Catholic Church. Dulles served on the faculty of Woodstock College from 1960 to 1974, of the Catholic University of America from 1974 to 1988, and as the Laurence J. McGinley Professor of Religion and Society at Fordham University from 1988 to 2008. He was an internationally-known author and lecturer.

Elena Kagan (; born April 28, 1960) is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. She was nominated by President Barack Obama in May 2010, and confirmed by the Senate in August of the same year. She is the fourth woman to serve as a Justice of the Supreme Court. Kagan was born and raised in New York City. After graduating from Princeton University, the University of Oxford, and Harvard Law School, she clerked for a federal Court of Appeals judge and for Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. She began her career as a professor at the University of Chicago Law School, lea

Brian Randolph Greene (born February 9, 1963) is an American theoretical physicist, mathematician, and string theorist. He has been a professor at Columbia University since 1996 and chairman of the World Science Festival since co-founding it in 2008. Greene has worked on mirror symmetry, relating two different Calabi–Yau manifolds (concretely, relating the conifold to one of its orbifolds). He also described the flop transition, a mild form of topology change, showing that topology in string theory can change at the conifold point. Greene has become known to a wider audience through his books

Albert Macovski is an American Professor (Emeritus) at Stanford University, known for his many innovations in the area of imaging, particularly in the medical field. He has over 150 patents and has authored over 200 technical articles. His innovations include the single-tube color camera and real-time phased array imaging for ultrasound. He has also made significant contributions to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computerized axial tomography (CAT scans), and digital radiography. His honors include Founding Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, the IEEE Zw

Andreas Georgios Papandreou (Greek: Ανδρέας Γεώργιος Παπανδρέου, pronounced [anˈðreas papanˈðreu]; 5 February 1919 – 23 June 1996) was a Greek economist, politician and a dominant figure in Greek politics, known for founding the political party PASOK, which he led from 1974 to 1996. He served three terms as prime minister of Greece, and is frequently regarded as one of the greatest modern Prime Ministers of the country. Papandreou's party win in the 1981 election was a milestone in the political history of Greece, since it was the first time that the elected government had a predominantly soci

Benoit B. Mandelbrot (20 November 1924 – 14 October 2010) was a Polish-born, French and American mathematician and polymath with broad interests in the practical sciences, especially regarding what he labeled as "the art of roughness" of physical phenomena and "the uncontrolled element in life". He referred to himself as a "fractalist" and is recognized for his contribution to the field of fractal geometry, which included coining the word "fractal", as well as developing a theory of "roughness and self-similarity" in nature.In 1936, while he was a child, Mandelbrot's family emigrated to France

Germaine Greer is an actress and writer who appeared in "Town Bloody Hall," "Mother of Rock: Lillian Roxon," and "Absolutely Fabulous."

Gary Lawrence Francione (born May 1954) is an American legal scholar. He is the Distinguished Professor of Law and Nicholas deB. Katzenbach Scholar of Law & Philosophy at Rutgers School of Law–Newark.Francione is known for his work on animal rights theory, and in 1989, was the first academic to teach it in an American law school. His work has focused on three issues: the property status of animals, the differences between animal rights and animal welfare, and a theory of animal rights based on sentience alone, rather than on any other cognitive characteristics.He is a pioneer of the abolitioni

Camille Anna Paglia (; born April 2, 1947) is an American feminist academic and social critic. Paglia has been a professor at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, since 1984. She is critical of many aspects of modern culture, and is the author of Sexual Personae: Art and Decadence from Nefertiti to Emily Dickinson (1990) and other books. She is also a critic of contemporary American feminism and of post-structuralism as well as a commentator on multiple aspects of American culture such as its visual art, music, and film history.

Bjørn Lomborg was born on 6 January 1965. He is a Danish author and the President of his think tank, the Copenhagen Consensus Center. Lomborg previously directed the Danish government's Environmental Assessment Institute (EAI) in Copenhagen. He gained international fame for his controversial book, The Skeptical Environmentalist (2001). In the book, he argues that many costly actions taken by scientists and policymakers to address global warming will have minimal effect on rising world temperatures. In 2002, Lomborg

David Foster Wallace (February 21, 1962 – September 12, 2008) was an American writer and university professor in the disciplines of English and creative writing. His novel Infinite Jest (1996) was listed by Time magazine as one of the 100 best English-language novels published between 1923 and 2005. His last novel, The Pale King (2011), was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2012. The Los Angeles Times' David Ulin called Wallace "one of the most influential and innovative writers of the last twenty years". Among the writers who cite Wallace as an influence are Dave Eggers, Zadie

Allan David Bloom lived from September 14, 1930, to October 7, 1992. He was an American philosopher, classicist, and academician. Bloom studied under David Grene, Leo Strauss, Richard McKeon, and Alexandre Kojève. He taught at several institutions: Cornell University, the University of Toronto, Tel Aviv University, Yale University, École Normale Supérieure of Paris, and the University of Chicago. Bloom championed Great Books education. He became famous for criticizing contemporary American higher education. He expressed these views in his 1987 book, The Closing of the American Mind.

Edward Witten, born August 26, 1951, is an American theoretical physicist. He is a professor of mathematical physics at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey. Witten researches string theory, quantum gravity, and supersymmetric quantum field theories. His work also significantly impacted pure mathematics. In 1990, he received the Fields Medal from the International Mathematical Union for his 1981 proof of the positive energy theorem in general relativity.

Arthur Coleman Danto lived from January 1, 1924, to October 25, 2013. He was an American art critic and philosopher. Danto became known for his influential work as an art critic for The Nation. He focused on philosophical aesthetics and the philosophy of history. His interests included thought, feeling, philosophy of art, theories of representation, philosophical psychology, Hegel’s aesthetics, and philosophers Friedrich Nietzsche and Arthur Schopenhauer.

Fraser Barry Cooper is a Canadian political scientist at the University of Calgary. He teaches political philosophy courses. Before moving to Calgary, he taught at Bishop's University, McGill University, and York University. Cooper won a Killam Research Fellowship and is a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. He was also knighted of the Sovereign Order of Saint John of Jerusalem. In 1991, Cooper co-authored Deconfederation: Canada without Quebec, arguing that Canada would benefit from Quebec separation. He wrote a book titled Eric Voegelin an

George Church refers to several individuals: George Church (sport shooter), who lived from 1889 to 1951; South African sports shooter George Church (tennis), 1891–1946; American tennis player George Church (priest); Archdeacon of Malta, 1971–1975; George Earl Church, 1835–1910; American civil engineer and geographer George M. Church (born 1954); American molecular geneticist George W. Church Sr. (1903–1956); and American businessman, founder of Church's Chicken.

Daniel Pipes was born September 9, 1949. He is an American historian, writer, and commentator. Pipes serves as the president of the Middle East Forum and publishes its Middle East Quarterly journal. His writing focuses on American foreign policy and the Middle East. After earning his PhD from Harvard in 1978, Pipes taught at several universities. He worked on a short-term basis at Harvard, Chicago, Pepperdine, and the U.S. Naval War College but never held a permanent position. He later directed the Foreign Policy Research Institute before founding the Middl

Catharine Drew Gilpin Faust was born September 18, 1947. She is an American historian and the 28th President of Harvard University. She was the first woman to hold that position. Faust served as the former dean of the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study. She is Harvard's first president since 1672 without a degree from Harvard, and she is the first person raised in the South. In 2014, Forbes ranked her as the 33rd most powerful woman in the world. Lawrence Bacow succeeded her on July 1, 2018, following an announcement on February 11, 2018.

David Leavitt, born June 23, 1961, is an American novelist, short story writer, and biographer.

Alister Edgar McGrath was born in 1953. He is a Northern Irish theologian, priest, intellectual historian, scientist, Christian apologist, and public intellectual. McGrath currently holds the Andreas Idreos Professorship in Science and Religion at the University of Oxford. He is also Professor of Divinity at Gresham College. Previously, he was Professor of Theology, Ministry, and Education at King's College London. He headed the Centre for Theology, Religion and Culture, served as Professor of Historical Theology at the University of Oxford, and was principal of Wycliffe Hall, Oxford.

Carl Phillips was born in 1959. He is an American writer and poet. Phillips is a Professor of English and African and Afro-American Studies at Washington University in St. Louis.

Amy Lynn Chua was born October 26, 1962. She is an American lawyer, academic, and writer. Chua graduated from Harvard College and Harvard Law School. She holds the post of John M. Duff Jr. Professor of Law at Yale Law School. Her expertise covers international business transactions, law and development, ethnic conflict, and globalization and the law. She joined the Yale faculty in 2001 after teaching at Duke Law School for seven years. Before teaching, she was a corporate law associate at Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton. She wrote the parenting memoir, Battle Hymn of the Tiger.

Barbara Jean Hammer lived from May 15, 1939, to March 16, 2019. She was an American feminist filmmaker. Hammer pioneered lesbian film and her career lasted over 50 years. She created experimental films addressing women's issues, including gender roles, lesbian relationships, and coping with aging and family. Hammer lived in New York City and Kerhonkson, New York. She taught each summer at the European Graduate School.

Edward Wadie Said (Arabic: إدوارد وديع سعيد [wædiːʕ sæʕiːd]; November 1, 1935 – September 24, 2003) taught literature at Columbia University. He was a public intellectual and founded the field of postcolonial studies. Born in Mandatory Palestine, he was Palestinian American and a U.S. Army veteran. Said used his education and bi-cultural view to illuminate cultural and political gaps between the Western world.

Eliezer Wiesel (Hebrew: אֱלִיעֶזֶר וִיזֶל‎ ʾĔlîʿezer Vîzel; September 30, 1928 – July 2, 2016) was a Romanian-born American writer, professor, political activist, and Nobel Laureate. He wrote 57 books in French and English, including Night, which documented his experiences as a Jewish prisoner in the Auschwitz and Buchenwald concentration camps. Wiesel taught humanities at Boston University, establishing the Elie Wiesel Center for Jewish Studies.

George Saunders is a writer known for 'Spiderhead'.

Edward Osborne Wilson (born June 10, 1929), usually cited as E. O. Wilson, is an American biologist, theorist, naturalist, and author. He specialized in myrmecology, the study of ants, earning him the title world's leading expert. Wilson received titles like 'father of sociobiology' and 'father of biodiversity' for his environmental work. He developed the theory of island biogeography with the mathematica.

Dick Armey is an actor who appeared in 'Hating Breitbart' and 'Hillary: The Movie'.

Austan Dean Goolsbee (born August 18, 1969) is an American economist. He currently holds the Robert P. Gwinn Professor of Economics position at the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business. Goolsbee was previously Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers and served on the cabinet of President Barack Obama. He advised President Obama during the 2004 Senate race and the 2008 Presidential Campaign.

Dennis Patkin Altman (born August 16, 1943) is an Australian academic and gay rights activist. Born in Sydney, New South Wales to Jewish immigrant parents, he spent childhood in Hobart, Tasmania. In 1964, he won a Fulbright scholarship to Cornell University. Returning to Australia in 1969, he taught politics at the University of Sydney. He published his first book, 'Homosexual: Oppression and Liberation,' in 1971.