--- title: "If ‘Survivor’ is a Head Game, This Terp Should Win" date: 2026-09-22T05:30:00-04:00 author: University of Maryland canonical_url: "https://today.umd.edu/if-survivor-is-a-head-game-this-terp-should-win" section: Articles --- # If ‘Survivor’ is a Head Game, This Terp Should Win *September 22, 2026* — by [Karen Shih ’09](/author/karen-shih) > Sociologist Ph.D. alumna competes on season 51 of the iconic reality show. *3197255 SRVR S51 Angelica Jelly Loblack 00835b 1920x1080 — When 'Survivor' season 51 kicks off this week, Angelica “Jelly” Loblack Ph.D. ’25 will be one of 21 castaways ready to “outwit, outplay, outlast” her competitors. (Photo by Robert Voets/CBS)* Researching and writing a 200-page dissertation is an endurance contest of sorts, but it doesn’t seem like great preparation for a weekslong competition with little food, brutal physical challenges and emotional backstabbing on a far-flung Pacific island. It was, however, for Angelica “Jelly” Loblack Ph.D. ’25, one of 21 castaways on the 51st season of CBS’s “Survivor" that premieres Sept. 23. The sociologist and longtime fan of the show drew on the confidence and belief she gained from earning her doctorate, and years of studying human behavior and social dynamics, to “outwit, outplay, outlast” her competitors in Fiji for a chance to win $1 million. *Jelly Loblack in UMD doctoral regalia sitting on steps — Loblack graduated with her doctorate in sociology from UMD in 2025. (Courtesy of Jelly Loblack)* **Topics:** [People](https://today.umd.edu/tags/people) **Tags:** [Sociology](https://today.umd.edu/topic/sociology) **Units:** [College of Behavioral and Social Sciences](https://today.umd.edu/topic/college-behavioral-and-social-sciences)