This Week on ‘Jeopardy!’... RIT’s Sean Hansen

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Sean Hansen

On the website of Jeopardy!—“America’s Favorite Quiz Show”—is the lineup of this week’s 11 contestants, which includes Rochester Institute of Technology professor Sean Hansen.

In his brief video online introduction, he says, “Tune in to see if I can rock and roll on Jeopardy!” Local viewers can watch his “What is” or “Who is” answers to questions at 7:30 p.m. April 11 on WROC-TV (channel 8).

Hansen, who hails from Cleveland, moved to Rochester two years ago and is an assistant professor in management information systems at the E. Philip Saunders College of Business at RIT.

He says he didn’t study ahead on the familiar Jeopardy! topics of history, literature, the arts, pop culture, science, sports, geography and wordplay.

“Either I figure I know it or I don’t,” says Hansen, who remembers taking the shuttle to the Sony Pictures Studios’ Stage 10 in Culver City, Calif., with contestants who were “saying how much they studied in preparation to compete.”

Hansen has always wanted to be selected as a Jeopardy! contestant and tried out at age 16 in the junior category—but didn’t make the cut. Last year he took the online entrance exam, received a call back and met with success during his audition in New York City.

“In December I flew out to Los Angeles to tape the show, but I can’t tell you what the results are,” Hansen says with a laugh. “It’s been difficult to keep the secret and not tell anyone at RIT. You’ll just have to watch.”

And what was Hansen’s impression of the show’s celebrated host, Alex Trebek? “It was pretty cool meeting him,” he says. “He’s a sharp guy with a dry sense of humor who works well with getting the audience involved.

“This is a dream; I’ve wanted to be on Jeopardy! for a very long time.”