Illinois (2005–2008); first African-American president of the Harvard Law Review Vice presidents of the United States Daniel D. Tompkins—6th vice president of the United States, 4th governor of New York, declined appointment as United States Secretary of State by President James Madison Theodore Roosevelt—(Law) 25th vice president of the United States, organized and helped command the Rough Riders in the Spanish–American War, Medal of Honor Presidents and prime ministers (international) Notable alumni and attendees Notable faculty See also above at Nobel Laureates ("Alumni" and "Faculty") for separate listing of 41 notable faculty University professors Richard Axel, molecular biology and neuroscience, 1999 Jagdish Bhagwati, economics and law, 2001 Martin Chalfie, biology, 2013 Ruth DeFries, sustainable development, 2016 Michael W. Doyle, international affairs, law, and political science, 2015 Nabila El-Bassel, social work, and public health, 2019 Wafaa El-Sadr, public health, 2013 R. Kent Greenawalt, jurisprudence and constitutional law, 1991 Saidiya Hartman, English and comparative literature, 2020 Wayne Hendrickson, biochemistry and molecular biophysics Eric R. Kandel, neurobiology, behavior and learning, 1983 Rosalind E. Krauss, art history, 2005 Jeffrey Sachs, economics, 2016 Simon Schama, history and art history Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, English and comparative literature, 2007 Joseph Stiglitz, economics, 2001 Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic, biomedical engineering, 2017 University professors emeriti Caroline Bynum, history, 1999 Tsung-Dao Lee, theoretical physics Former university professors Jacques Barzun, cultural history Ronald Breslow, organic chemistry, 1992 Samuel Eilenberg, mathematics, 1974 Louis Henkin, international law, 1981 Donald Keene, Japanese Studies, 1988 Grayson L. Kirk, University President, 1953–68 Robert K. Merton, sociology, 1974 Robert A. Mundell, economics Ernest Nagel, philosophy Isidor Isaac Rabi, physics, 1964 Michael Riffaterre, semiotics, theory of literature and French literature, 1982 Edward Said, comparative literature, literary theory, and cultural studies, 1992 Meyer Schapiro, art history Sol Spiegelman, genetics and microbiology Fritz Stern, history, 1992 Lionel Trilling, literature, 1970 Jeremy Waldron, law, 2005, left Columbia in 2006 Others Seth Low Professor of the University Lee C. Bollinger, law John Mitchell Mason Professor of the University Jonathan R. Cole, sociology John Mitchell Mason Professor Emeritus of the University Wm. Theodore de Bary, East Asian studies, 1979 References External links Nobel Prize Winners associated with Columbia University Nobel Prize Winners in Physics associated with Columbia University Columbians Ahead of Their Time—list of notable Columbians created by Columbia University for their 250th anniversary. After Columbia "Notable Alumni & Former Students" published by the Columbia University Office of Admission Lists of people by university or