If the answer "Norine Noonan" elicits the question, "who is the USF St. Petersburg professor of Biological Sciences who's on 'Jeopardy!' tonight?" you'd be correct.
Noonan, who taped at least one appearance in California a few months ago, has been a fan of the TV game show since its first incarnation in the 1960s when Art Fleming was the host.
"It's a once in a lifetime experience," Noonan, who also serves as director of the Advanced Placement Summer Institute at USFSP, said. "It was on my 'bucket list' of things to do and I have done it."
Noonan said her time playing was a blur.
"Truth be told, I don't remember the categories!" Noonan said, laughing. "I'll have to watch the show to remind myself."
"The taping was very intense," she added. "It is a much faster paced show than it appears on TV. It just really moves lightning fast."
And while she said she hasn't been making that big a deal out of it, some of her students know what's going on - even if they thought they were getting a substitute teacher out of the deal.
"I've had a few students come up and wish me luck, and I think they thought I was going to L.A. this week to do the show live," Noonan said. "I had to explain to them that it was already taped and it would be playing this week and that I for certain would be in class this week."
Noonan will watch the game with friends and colleagues on the USF St. Petersburg campus. Jeopardy! rules don't allow her to share the results in advance, so you'll have to find out if she won or lost by watching the show tonight at 7:30 on WTSP Channel 10.
