Justin Robbins ’23 MS is clued in as a "Jeopardy!" Champion

Answer: This Villanova University College of Liberal Arts and Sciences graduate alumnus is a two-time Jeopardy! champion.

If you’ve correctly phrased your response in the form of the question, “Who is Justin Robbins ’23 MS?”, then perhaps you belong on the buzzer alongside Robbins and in front of host Ken Jennings.

After years of loving trivia, studying thousands of clues and waiting 20 months in the long running gameshow’s contestant pool, Robbins—who earned his master’s degree in Biology at Villanova—finally got his chance and won Jeopardy! on consecutive nights.

“It was a magical experience,” Robbins said. “Everyone is so nice, including the other contestants. It's a very supportive environment, a bonding similar to freshman orientation. The crew is also so kind and supportive of all of us and very good at making the show happen.”

Robbins provided a behind-the-scenes peek into what it’s like on set. He said they film a week’s worth of episodes in one day. It sounds intense, but he said, “All my anxiety melted away, and I felt incredible, then confident, then in disbelief when I won. I also remember the noise while in the green room. Everyone is using pens to practice buzzing in, everyone gets applause when they’re picked for the day’s episode, and everyone gets a hero’s welcome when they return.”

He credits his training as a scientist, one nurtured at Villanova, as being helpful on his road to Jeopardy!

“I learned how to do the nitty gritty work of figuring out what questions to ask, how to acquire the relevant data (from the literature or from the field) and how to navigate and analyze the results,” Robbins said. “I took that attitude to preparing for Jeopardy! and it helped me not only learn more things but also get my buzzer discipline down and realize how important staying calm, cool and collected would be.”

Robbins, who is currently a PhD student at Clemson University, called his master’s thesis work at Villanova under the guidance of professors Samantha Chapman, PhD, and Adam Langley, PhD, “a formative experience.” His thesis was even mentioned during the second telecast.

He said he first took Jeopardy!’s annual online, 50-question “anytime test” while a student at Villanova in 2022 and was invited to audition in 2024.

“I studied extensively, bit by bit, over the time I was in the pool. I knew I had large subject gaps (namely literature, music and art) that I would need more time to study than the month and a half between the call and filming. I slowly assembled study guides that I used once I got the call, learning along the way, of course.”

“It really paid off … Along the way, I gave myself a lifelong reading list and a new appreciation for art and music I never had before,” he said.