CU Boulder has produced a host of famous alum across all fields, most notably the arts, business, journalism, and athletics. Here are 7 you may not have known originated from CU Boulder.

1. Heather Hach

Heather Hach is a screenwriter, librettist, and novelist who graduated from CU Boulder with a journalism major. She began her career as a research assistant at The New York Times and went on to write the screenplay for the 2003 adaptation of Freaky Friday and the 2007 musical Legally Blonde.

2. Steve Ells

Steve Ells is the founder, chairman, and CEO of Chipotle Mexican Grill. He graduated from CU Boulder with a degree in art history and later enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America. Ells was named the 2007 CEO of the year.

3. Kalpana Chawla

Kalpana Chawla received her masters and PhD in aerospace engineering at CU Boulder and went on to become an astronaut. She first flew on Space Shuttle Columbia in 1997 as a mission specialist and primary robotic arm operator. In 2003, Chawla was one of the seven crew members who died in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster when the spacecraft disintegrated during its re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere.

4. Ron Gordon

Ron Gordon is the former president of Atari and graduated from CU Boulder with a degree in philosophy. About his degree he said, , “I think engineering is important and we must have engineers but that new products come from new ideas and new ideas come from one’s philosophy and not from engineering laws which often define what you cannot do instead of what you can do.”

5. Kara Goucher

Kara Goucher is a long-distance runner who was the 10,000 meters silver medalist at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics and represented her country at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2012 London Olympics. Goucher also ran for CU Boulder during her time there and was a three-time NCAA champion (twice in track and once in cross country.

6. Dave Briggs

Dave Briggs is a television journalist best known for his work on Fox and Friends. Briggs graduated from CU Boulder with a degree in broadcast news.

7. Bobby Anderson

Bobby Anderson is a former NFL halfback who played for the  Denver Broncos, New England Patriots and Washington Redskins. Anderson played for the CU Buffs, and following his senior season, Anderson was recognized as a consensus first-team All-American.

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