Who is Assistant Professor Matt Harvey?

After falling short in his first show appearance, this Brown professor made it all the way to the Jeopardy Wildcard Tournament.

Adjunct Assistant Professor of Health Services, Policy and Practice Matt Harvey always wanted to be on Jeopardy. Like many fans, he was sure he could outwit other contestants if he were on the stage. So one day, without telling anyone, Harvey took the gameshow’s online test to try his skills. A few months went by with no word from the show. Then out of the blue, an email: He was invited to a Zoom audition with several other Jeopardy hopefuls.

Harvey, who is also executive director of Integra Community Care, a Rhode Island ACO, performed well, and a few weeks later was asked to travel to Los Angeles for a taping. He was excited for the opportunity, but Harvey admits he found himself a little starstruck. “It’s very surreal to see [the set] in person,” he says. The game passed in the blink of an eye. “I ended up losing to a guy who won 22 games in a row, so I can’t feel that bad,” Harvey jokes. He assumed that would be the end of his Jeopardy run, but the game show gods had other plans.

“ For some reason when I’m playing Jeopardy, there’s no anxiousness. I felt loose, I felt comfortable. ”

Matt Harvey Adjunct Assistant Professor of Health Services, Policy and Practice

In December 2023, more than a year after his first appearance on the show, Harvey was invited back for Jeopardy’s “Second Chance” tournament. He seized the opportunity. “I had two thoughts after I got the invitation,” he says. “First, what an incredible opportunity to do this again. Just to play more Jeopardy. That’s a win. Second, I went in thinking I want to crush these people,” he said. “I knew they would be hungry, and I went against some very good players.” But Harvey didn’t let the occasion phase him. “For some reason when I’m playing Jeopardy, there’s no anxiousness. I felt loose, I felt comfortable.”  

Harvey won his game in the Second Chance tournament, earning a spot in the Champions Wildcard Tournament where he was grouped with eight other competitors for a multi-game stretch. Harvey says the group was thrown into the experience together, sharing meals and downtime. “It felt like summer camp,” he says. “That was a really fun bonding experience, it’s a great community.”

After three tough games in the Wildcard tournament, Harvey’s luck ran out and it was time to go home. Still, Harvey says he’s glad to have experienced the magic of the Alex Trebek Stage and that he got to met show legend Ken Jennings. “Ken is so cool. He’s someone who makes it fun; who has stood where you stand,” he said. “It was a really powerful experience to go through; the ups and the downs.” Harvey says he still keeps up with his fellow Wildcard contestants over a shared group chat. Asked if he would go back to do the show again: “If they would let me, I’d be back in a heartbeat.”