Local professor advances to final round of ‘JEOPARDY!’ tournament

Dr. Alisa Hove to represent Warren Wilson College while competing for $100,000 grand prize

The Valley Echo
December 16, 2021

Warren Wilson College professor of botany and biology department chair, Dr. Alisa Hove, will compete in the final round of the “JEOPARDY!” professors tournament, Dec. 16 and 17. Courtesy photo

When the final round of the first “JEOPARDY!” professors tournament unfolds, Thursday, Dec. 16 and Friday, Dec. 17, Warren Wilson College will be among the higher learning institutions represented. 

Dr. Alisa Hove, professor of botany and chair of the Swannanoa college’s biology department, is among the three contestants competing for the $100,000 grand prize. 

Hove is one of 15 professors who participated in the tournament, which began Dec. 6. She advanced to the semifinal round to face Dr. Marti Canipe, an elementary science education professor at Northern Arizona University and Dr. Hester Blum, an English professor at Penn State University. Hove ended the game with $10,200 to secure the win.

The winner of the tournament will be decided based on the combined scores of the two-day final round. 

While Hove finds herself in position to compete for the grand prize, it’s the bonding with other professors that has been the most rewarding part of the tournament.

 “My favorite part of this experience has been getting to know other professors from all over the country, and from all kinds of institutions from large public universities to community colleges and including small liberal arts colleges like ours,” she said. “Although we teach in different environments, we had so much in common when it came to talking about our craft of teaching, research and scholarship.”

The tournament is hosted by Mayim Bialik, and includes professors from around the country. The final round will air locally at 7:30 p.m., Thursday and Friday.