Computer Science Alumni Uses University Skills to Win Big on Jeopardy

School of Computer Science alumni Grant McSheffrey has rose to game show stardom after a weeklong appearance on Jeopardy, winning a total of $70,000 U.S.

In an interview with journalist Elizabeth Howell for the Carleton Newsroom, McSheffrey explained how his years studying computer science came to his aid on the famous game show.

“Programming is a lot about looking at a jumble of stuff, trying to pull out the important bits and putting them back together in a way that makes sense…In a lot of ways Jeopardy is the same”, Howell quotes McSheffery.

McSheffrey also opened up to Howell about his time at Carleton and what he’d gained from studying in the School of Computer Science program.

“It didn’t seem to be as structured or rigid as some of the other university programs. Carleton, they did new things – such as object-oriented programming – before anybody else. ”

McSheffrey also told Howell his time at Carleton gave him valuable connections in the industry that lead to him finding out about an open position at IMB from a fellow student who encouraged him to apply for it.

Read more about McSheffrey’s big win, what he gained from his 10 years studying at Carleton and where he is working now, in the article on Carleton Newsroom (March 2017).

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