UC Classics professor returns to 'Jeopardy!'

Kelly Shannon-Henderson finished second for the second time

A University of Cincinnati Classics professor returned to the quiz show “Jeopardy!” this month where she finished in second place for the second time.

UC College of Arts and Sciences Associate Professor Kelly Shannon-Henderson first appeared on “Jeopardy!” in 2022. She was invited back as part of the show's Second Chance Tournament.

At UC, Shannon-Henderson studies Greek and Latin prose literature, among other research topics. She received the 2020 Goodwin Award of Merit from the Society for Classical Studies.

Shannon-Henderson is a longtime fan of the show. She played a strong game but came up just short despite correctly answering the Final Jeopardy question in the category Historic Americans: They went their separate ways in 1806 and both became territorial governors: one of Upper Louisiana and the other of Missouri.

The answer: Who are Lewis and Clark?

Shannon-Henderson beat Max Davison, a writer from Studio City, Calif., but finished second to Matt Harvey, a health care administrator from Rhode Island.

Shannon-Henderson gave credit to Harvey for beating her to the buzzer on several questions, particularly in the category of mythology.

“I would like everyone to know that I knew all the answers in that category,” she said laughing.

Shannon-Henderson said the show should consider a couples tournament. Together, she and her husband, UC Associate Professor of Physics Conor Henderson, would make a formidable team, she joked.

“He knows sports and movies. I know classical music,” she said. 

The show was taped during UC's finals week in December.

“I left my stressful professor life and all the papers I had to grade to fly out to Los Angeles and be a TV star for a day,” she said. “I had fun, but I think my 'Jeopardy!' career essentially is over.”

UC Classics Associate Professor Kelly Shannon-Henderson competed on “Jeopardy!” this month for the second time. Photo/Jeopardy!

Related Stories

5920 Results
1

How to keep birds from flying into your windows

July 3, 2024

UC College of Arts and Sciences professor Ron Canterbury tells the Indianapolis Star that simple steps can prevent birds from strike windows around your home or business. Yahoo! News shares the story.

3

UC study: Brain organ plays key role in adult neurogenesis

July 2, 2024

The University of Cincinnati has published research in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that found the choroid plexus and cerebrospinal fluid play a key role in maintaining a pool of newly born neurons to repair the adult brain after injury.

4

University-wide Qualtrics license coming soon

July 2, 2024

The new university-wide Qualtrics license will provide current UC students, faculty, and staff members access to Qualtrics software, support, and technical assistance under a centralized license.

6

Put down that beer; it's not a tanning lotion

July 1, 2024

The University of Cincinnati's Kelly Dobos joined WVXU's Cincinnati Edition to discuss what's fact and what's myth when it comes to sunscreen use, different kinds of sunscreen and a social media recommendation to use beer on your skin to help get a tan.

7

Meet UC’s Miss Ohio

July 1, 2024

UC biomedical science student Stephanie Finoti credits UC for helping to prepare her for the Miss Ohio Scholarship Pageant. She will represent Ohio in the national competition in January.

10

UC alum credits journalism program with early success

June 26, 2024

Zachary Jarrell came to the University of Cincinnati in 2019 to pursue a degree in statistics. In 2023, he graduated with a Bachelor’s in Journalism. For many undergraduates, the journey through college rarely takes the expected track. Detours happen, and majors change. When plans switch up, it can be helpful to a student’s success to find support. For Jarrell, it was the people he worked alongside in the journalism department who helped him on his journey. It has left a lasting impression on his life so far, guiding him to multiple internships as an undergraduate, real-world experience in prominent news outlets, and eventually a successful career in the highly competitive field of journalism.