Many Syracuse University students know about the university’s big-name alumni like Joe Biden, Bob Costas and Megyn Kelly. But there have been more than a few award-winning and nominated alumni who’ve walked through SU’s campus. In light of the upcoming Academy Awards, take a look at these alumni who have either been nominated or won awards in their respective categories.

Aaron Sorkin

• He graduated from SU in 1983 and gave the commencement speech in 2012.
• He’s an award-winning screenwriter, playwright and producer.
• He wrote the screenplay for “Molly’s Game,” which hit theaters in 2017.
• Sorkin received a Best Adapted Screenplay nomination when this year’s Academy Award nominations were announced in January.
• He also co-wrote the screenplay to the film “Moneyball” and wrote the screenplay for the film “The Social Network.”

Vera Farmiga

• She graduated from SU in 1995.
• She was nominated for an Academy Award, Golden Globe, BAFTA and a Screen Actors Guild Award for her role in the 2009 film “Up in the Air.”
• She was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for her role in the “Bates Motel” series.
• Farmiga played the role of Nina in “The Seagull” during her senior year at SU.
• Farmiga played Bruno’s mother in “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas.”

Craig Borten

• He graduated from SU in 1987.
• Borten got his degree in political science from SU and didn’t know if he wanted to go into film after he graduated.
• Borten was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay in 2014 for “Dallas Buyers Club,” along with fellow screenwriter Melisa Wallack.
• He wrote the screenplay for “Dallas Buyers Club” 20 years before Universal Studios picked it up.
• He also co-wrote the screenplay for the film “The 33” starring Antonio Banderas.

Meg LeFauve

• LeFauve graduated from SU in 1987 with a dual degree in television, radio and film and English.
• She started her career in film as the president and a producer at Jodie Foster’s production company, Egg Pictures.
• She was the producer for Golden Globe and Emmy-nominated film, “The Baby Dance” featuring Laura Dern, which also earned a Peabody Award.
• She taught master’s-level story and development classes at the University of California Los Angeles School of Theater, Film and Television and served on the Graduate Producers Program as co-chair.
• LeFauve co-wrote the Oscar-winning film “Inside Out” and wrote the screenplay for Golden Globe-nominated “The Good Dinosaur.”

Chris Renaud

• Renaud graduated from SU in 1989.
• He received two Academy Award nominations for his work on “Despicable Me 2” and short film “No Time for Nuts.”
• He started his career doing graphic design for the sports industry.
• Renaud directed the 2016 animated film “The Secret Life of Pets,” and his past projects include “Robots,” “Horton Hears a Who!” and “Ice Age: The Meltdown.”
• He now lives and works in Paris, France.

Published on February 28, 2018 at 10:22 pm