The following list includes notable people who were born or have lived in Urbana, Illinois. For a similar list, see the category page People from Urbana, Illinois.
Academics and writing
Philip W. Anderson, earned the Nobel Prize in Physics (1977) John Bardeen, inventor of the transistor; awarded Nobel Prize in Physics (1956 & 1972); winner of IEEE Medal of Honor (1971) Iris Chang, author (The Rape of Nanking) Ward Churchill, author and political activist David Forsyth, computer scientist; co-author of Computer Vision: A Modern Approach Eugie Foster, science-fiction writer Theodore Gray, co-founder of Wolfram Research and winner of the Ig Nobel Prize in Chemistry (2002) José Graziano, Brazilian agronomist; secretary general of the FAO Robert W. Holley, earned the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (1968); graduate of Urbana High School (1939) Braj Kachru, linguist; created the "circle model" of world English varieties Edwin G. Krebs, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (1994); graduate of Urbana High School (1937) Paul Christian Lauterbur, earned the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (2003) Sir Anthony James Leggett, earned the Nobel Prize in Physics (2003) Hamilton O. Smith, earned the Nobel Prize in Medicine (1978) Thelma Strabel, novelist, grew up in Urbana James Tobin, earned the Nobel Prize in Economics (1981) David Foster Wallace, author (Infinite Jest); graduate of Urbana High School Brian Wansink, author (Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think); professor at Cornell University Gregorio Weber, Argentinian spectroscopist and protein chemist, worked in Urbana from 1962 Carl Woese, microbiologist; identified Archaea as a domain of life
Fine arts
Christopher Brown, painter, printmaker, and professor.
Media and music
Ken Baumann, actor (The Secret Life of the American Teenager) Jay Bennett, founding member of Wilco; solo musician; died in May 2009 Emily Blue, singer-songwriter, Chicago Reader Award winner Deborah Blum, journalist, Pulitzer Prize winner, author of The Poisoner's Handbook Roger Ebert, movie critic; Pulitzer Prize winner Jennie Garth, actress (What I Like About You, Beverly Hills, 90210 and 90210) Erika Harold, 2002 Miss Illinois and 2003 Miss America; graduate of Urbana High School Michael S. Hart, author, inventor of the electronic book; founder of Project Gutenberg, first project to make ebooks freely available via the Internet William Slavens McNutt, screenwriter (Huckleberry Finn) Nina Paley, cartoonist, animator, and free culture activist Mark Roberts, actor, comedian, writer, creator of the TV series Mike and Molly Chic Sale, author, actor, and vaudevillian Virginia Sale, actress Gil Shaham, violinist David Ogden Stiers, actor (Major Charles Emerson Winchester III on the TV series M*A*S*H) Sasha Velour, drag queen, artist, fashion forward winner of Season 9 of RuPaul's Drag Race American Football (band), midwestern emo and math rock band Jeff Austin, Founding member and frontman of the bluegrass band Yonder Mountain String Band until his departure in 2014.
Fictional
HAL 9000, character in the film 2001: A Space Odyssey; upon "dying" claims he was made operational in Urbana
Business
Brady Dougan, CEO of Credit Suisse Group
Tony Hsieh, former CEO of Zappos
Shahid Khan, CEO of Flex-N-Gate; owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars
Military
Larry Allen Abshier, U.S. soldier who defected to North Korea after the Korean War in 1962 Charles Carpenter (Lt. Col.), U.S. Army officer and army observation pilot (Second World War); taught history at Urbana High School Reginald C. Harmon, first US Air Force Judge Advocate General; Mayor of Urbana
Politics and law
Thomas B. Berns, Illinois state legislator, civil engineer, and surveyor
Bird Sim Coler, Comptroller of Greater New York
George W. Dilling, mayor of Seattle from 1911 to 1912
Stanley B. Weaver, Illinois state legislator, funeral director, and Mayor of Urbana William B. Webber, Illinois state legislator, lawyer, and mayor of Urbana Dennis Yao, member of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
Sports
LaToya Bond, guard for the Indiana Fever (WNBA) Scott Garrelts, pitcher for the San Francisco Giants Jonathan Kuck, Olympic speed skater; silver medalist Ella Masar, forward for the Chicago Red Stars Spencer Patton, pitcher for the Chicago Cubs