Kendall College of Arts & Sciences has a renowned alumni network. From S.E. Hinton, the author of “The Outsiders” – the best-selling young adult novel of all time – to Hollywood producers, corporate executives, lawyers and federal judges, our alumni lead their fields. Connect with the UTulsa alumni community.
Recent guests to campus and to our “Liberal Arts and Life” class include these prominent alumni:
Monroe Nichols
Monroe Nichols (BA ‘06) celebrated his historic win as the City of Tulsa’s first Black mayor in November 2024. Prior to becoming mayor, Monroe was the first African American elected to represent District 72 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. During his tenure in the state capitol, Monroe became one of the chairs of the Oklahoma Legislative Black Caucus and a leading voice for education, health care, criminal justice reform, and economic growth.
Taylor Chukwu
Taylor Chukwu (BA ‘18) is a Nigerian American writer residing in Los Angeles. She began her career as a production assistant before optioning her comedy pilot, “Second Coming” with BET. Recently, she has worked as a staff writer on season two of “The Mysterious Benedict Society” on Disney+ and is in the process of developing a feature adaptation of Meena Harris’ children’s book, “The Truth about Mrs. Clause,” for Phenomenal Media.
Kimberly Johnson
Kimberly Johnson (BA ‘96) found a way to merge her two passions, English and education, into the perfect career at the Tulsa City-County Library. Johnson has served the library for 26 years, beginning as the first coordinator for the African American Resource Center and working her way to chief executive officer in 2017, becoming the first Black woman to lead the library’s 24 branches and 430 employees.
Yolanda F. Johnson
Since graduating with her degree in vocal performance, Yolanda Johnson (BA ‘00) has had an incredible career as a performing artist, philanthropist, composer and educator. Johnson has performed nationally and internationally in opera, concert, oratorio, and sacred music venues. Johnson’s passion for philanthropy, the arts, and women’s equity led her to found Women of Color in Fundraising and Philanthropy and Allies in Action Membership Network. Additionally, Johnson created All the World’s A Stage, a workshop using performance practices to build confidence and public speaking skills.
Julius Tennon
Julius Tennon has a beautiful speaking voice. In seventh grade, his English teacher discovered this during a poetry unit. The following year, Tennon memorized and performed the “I Have a Dream” speech by Martin Luther King Jr. With King’s brave words instilled in him, Tennon successfully pursued his own dream of an acting career. Now, this 1978 university alumnus is president, alongside his wife, Viola Davis, at JuVee Productions, an artist-driven production company.