The answer is: “Allen Goodman.” The question is: “Who is the Wayne State University professor of Economics who appeared on Jeopardy on Friday, June 13, 2008?”

Goodman, an avid fan of Jeopardy since the 1960s, was urged by his daughter to try-out for his favorite game show over a year ago. He took the 40 question, short-answer web-based quiz, and patiently waited to hear back from the show. “Sitting in a cyber-cafe in Paris, I checked my email and learned that I qualified for the next round of try-outs,” Dr. Goodman stated. “I went to Chicago last August to be interviewed and play a round of the game. I made it into the contestant pool and was told that I might be asked to appear sometime in the next two years.”

This past January, Dr. Goodman received a call to invite him for a show taping in February. “It was a lot like taking an oral exam on national TV,” Dr. Goodman said when asked about his appearance. “It was a great, once-in-a-lifetime experience, but I’ve kept my day job,” he remarked jovially.

Dr. Goodman conducts research in urban and health economics. His most recent publication includes a joint paper with Dr. Thomas Thibodeau of the University of Colorado, “Where the Bubbles are in the US Housing Markets,” that appears in the June 2008 Journal of Housing Economics.