Dr. Gary Hollis, a professor of chemistry, competed with professors across the country on the first-ever Jeopardy! Professors Tournament. Hosted by Mayim Bialik, the tournament began on Monday, Dec. 6 and will continue through Friday, Dec. 17.
Hollis realizes a lifelong dream with the appearance on the JEOPARDY! stage.
“I have been trying out for Jeopardy! since my undergrad days,” Hollis said.
The process of trying out involved taking a test to qualify for in-person audition, then taking a verification test and playing several rounds of Jeopardy! with others in the audition. The contestants were then told they would be in the pool of potential contestants for 18 months.
“That has happened to me five or six times over the years,” Hollis said, but he was never called to appear on the real Jeopardy! stage, until now.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Jeopardy! announced a college professor tournament and encouraged professors to apply. So once again, Hollis took the test. Then he took a monitored test via ZOOM and was soon invited for a ZOOM interview. With 15 others, he joined the ZOOM and played Jeopardy! in groups of three.
“They wanted to see that candidates know the information but also see if they could keep the momentum going, handle the buzzer, and perform on the show,” Hollis said.
At the end of the ZOOM interview, they said “we may or may not call you but you’re in our pool now.”
“I was in Quiz Bowl practice,” Hollis said, “and noticed an email from a show producer. He asked if I could call and talk. So, I stepped outside and called him and he said, ‘We’d like to invite you to be on the first-ever Professors Tournament.’”
Hollis had already planned to go to Disney World in Orlando, Florida for fall break. At the end of that trip, instead of flying home, he flew to Los Angeles for the Jeopardy! filming.
When the 15 professors, they met at the studios for makeup and wardrobe, did some interviews and played partial games as practice on the stage and with the buzzers.
They also met with Jeopardy! host Mayim Bialik who is fairly new to the role. Bialik starred in the NBC sitcom Blossom and was one of the stars in CBS’ The Big Bang Theory where she played Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler.
“She is charming,” Hollis said. “On TV, she is positive and upbeat and she’s like that in person too.”
“It was an unbelievable thrill to see so many brilliant professors from all kinds of schools and backgrounds come together on the Jeopardy! stage,” said Bialik. “There was a sense of kinship and academic camaraderie among the group, along with a healthy dose of competitiveness. That energy made this inaugural Professors Tournament incredibly special.”
The entire tournament was filmed over 48 hours, five episodes each day. Monday was the quarterfinals and on Tuesday, they filmed the semifinals and finals. Hollis appeared in the first episode where he took on Hester Blum from Penn State and Gautam Hans from Vanderbilt Law School. By winning the quarterfinal round, Hollins advanced to the next round.
- Submitted by Roanoke College News
