Penn State Professor Advances to ‘Jeopardy!’ Tournament Semifinals

Penn State English professor Hester Blum has advanced to the semifinal round of the inaugural “Jeopardy!” Professors Tournament.

During her first appearance last week, Blum managed to collect a total of $12,000, which was good for a second-place finish. Blum’s performances through categories such as “Pope-Pourri,” “Lesser-Known Marsupials,” and “African-American Authors” were enough to keep her competitive through the end of the game.

Though she was unable to secure the individual victory, the Bellefonte resident’s high total earned her a wildcard slot in the tournament’s semifinals. Her wildcard spot may mark her as an underdog, but Blum was forced to overcome unfavorable odds when host Mayim Bialik revealed an unlucky draw of categories in the first round.

“When the first category in ‘Single Jeopardy’ came up — the movie ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’ — I almost died,” Blum said. “My friends know that I have zero interest in film as a medium, have seen zero old movies, and really only watch movies starring Will Ferrell or Seth Rogen.”

Citing her “Jeopardy!” appearance as 30 years in the making, Blum will have the opportunity to keep her tournament chances alive during her matchup on Tuesday.

If Blum wins, she will face the other two yet-to-be-determined semifinal winners in a two-night final round beginning on Thursday. “Jeopardy!” airs locally at 7 p.m. on WATM-TV ABC 23. Check local listings for times in other areas.