Welsh ends run on Jeopardy
8 January 2008 Welsh ends run on Jeopardy
Assistant Professor of Russian Area Studies Kristen Welsh finished her two-day stand on Jeopardy with the episode was broadcast Thursday, Jan. 10. She leaves with the $24,800 that she won on the previous days episode.
Welsh started her second day with a correct response, and twice gave eight correct responses in a row. Heading into Final Jeopardy, her winning total was $13,400, and she wagered it all, with Cinema as the category, and lost.
The answer dealt with two one-word movie titles, both cities, that received the Best Picture Oscar 29 years apart.
None of the three contestants came up with both (Casablanca, 1943; and Chicago, 2002); challenger Eddie White of Greensboro, N.C., risked all $5,800 and Anna Rodriguez of Denver risked $13,001, to end the day with $799 and the champions crown.
Welsh did send home a message when she was unable to come up with the second city: Love You, Jeff, to Jeffrey Anderson, her partner.
Welsh has been a member of the HWS faculty since 2002; she holds a bachelors degree from Brown University, two masters and her Ph.D. from Yale University.
She has taught Russian language at all levels, Russian culture and film, and 19th- and 20th-century Russian literature in translation. Before joining the HWS faculty, she taught at Colby College, Williams College, and The College of William and Mary.
She led the last student trip to Siberia with Assistant Professor of Russian Area Studies David Galloway and Associate Professor of Economics Judith McKinney.
A story about her final appearance was printed on the front page of the Friday, Jan. 11 edition of the Finger Lakes Times. Read Local Jeopardy! winner defeated