Alum Buzzes In on ‘Jeopardy!’

Can a University of Maryland alum from Montville, New Jersey, out-buzz the competition on one of television’s most popular game shows? Nikhil Joshi ’07 had the opportunity to do just that as a contestant on “Jeopardy!” in a new episode airing Thursday.

“I’m a little nervous,” he said of watching himself on TV. “I have no idea how I’ll come across on camera. But I’m also excited!”

Joshi grew up watching the show with his brother “pretty much every night,” then earned his bachelor’s degree in biological sciences at UMD. He completed an MBA from Boston University and doctorate in veterinary medicine from the University of Pennsylvania and now lives in Anne Arundel County and works as a senior professional services veterinarian at Merck Animal Health.

Two years ago, after multiple attempts, Joshi passed the online “Jeopardy!” Anytime Test for prospective contestants. Then, in February, after acing a second round of questions and passing an on-camera Zoom audition, Joshi was chosen to be a contestant.

“I was extremely nervous when I got the call and even considered dropping out. I was that stressed, maybe it was impostor syndrome,” Joshi recalled. “I thought maybe they made a mistake, or they flipped my test scores with somebody else. I went through all those emotions.”

Soon Joshi stopped stressing and started studying—cramming his brain with as much information as he could—from Shakespeare and English monarchs to world capitals and everything in between—grateful that he would be able to tap into everything he learned at Maryland.

“I knew that with my background in science, I would have an advantage there, knowing the basics of chemistry and biology and physics, and I was pretty sure those things would come up during the game,” he said. “I was hoping I would be strong in some non-science categories like sports and geography, too.”

To prepare for the intensity of the game itself, Joshi watched—and played—“Jeopardy!” again and again. He stood while watching host Ken Jennings read the questions and answers, pretending to buzz in and making wagers. By April, when Joshi travelled to Los Angeles for the show taping, he felt ready.

“That morning in the Uber ride, I realized whatever happens, happens. Doesn't matter,” he said. “I'm lucky to be here, I'm happy to be here.”

The show taping was an all-day experience Joshi could only describe as surreal and nerve-wracking.

“I didn't think I would match up to all the smart people who have been on before me,” he recalled. “But I was definitely in the zone. I was locked in on the board during gameplay. I never looked at Ken or my fellow contestants and ignored the audience. It was great.”

Joshi joins a long list of UMD alums who have competed—and sometimes won big—on the show over the years. As for how his own “Jeopardy!” adventure went, Joshi says you’ll just have to tune in and find out.