Celebrities Who Hold STEM Degrees

Here are 31 stars from music and film who also hold degrees in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

Rob Spiegel

November 24, 2024

31 Slides
Ashton Kutcher – Biochemical Engineer

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Kimberly White for Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

At a Glance

  • Queen lead guitarist, Brian May, is an astrophysicist.
  • Lisa Kudrow from Friends is a biologist.
  • Mr. Bean is an electrical engineer.

This collection of musicians, actors, and comedians have also racked up accomplishments in STEM studies. A number of these multi-talents earned their technology bars before hitting the big time, while others continued with technical careers while famous in the arts.

Some on the list are quite surprising. Tom Scholz, founder of the rock band Boston, is a mechanical engineer who actually holds a handful of patents. Lisa Kudrow from Friends is a biologist. And my favorite story comes from soap star Ally Walker. She was working as a molecular biologist in preparation for medical school when she was discovered by a Hollywood producer in a restaurant.

About the Author

Rob Spiegel

Rob Spiegel serves as a senior editor for Design News. He started with Design News in 2002 as a freelancer covering sustainability issues, including the transistion in electronic components to RoHS compliance. Rob was hired by Design News as senior editor in 2011 to cover automation, manufacturing, 3D printing, robotics, AI, and more.

Prior to his work with Design News, Rob worked as a senior editor for Electronic News and Ecommerce Business. He served as contributing editolr to Automation World for eight years, and he has contributed to Supply Chain Management Review, Logistics Management, Ecommerce Times, and many other trade publications. He is the author of six books on small business and internet commerce, inclluding Net Strategy: Charting the Digital Course for Your Company's Growth.

He has been published in magazines that range from Rolling Stone to True Confessions.

Rob has won a number of awards for his technolloghy coverage, including a Maggy Award for a Design News article on the Jeep Cherokee hacking, and a Launch Team award for Ecommerce Business. Rob has also won awards for his leadership postions in the American Marketing Association and SouthWest Writers.

Before covering technology, Rob spent 10 years as publisher and owner of Chile Pepper Magazine, a national consumer food publication. He has published hundreds of poems and scores of short stories in national publications.

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