‘Jeopardy!’ champ Amy Schneider, Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman to highlight UB Distinguished Speakers Series

Also included in the series lineup are Nicholas Thompson, journalist and CEO of the Atlantic, and legal scholar Nita Farahany, an expert on the implications emerging technologies, who on Nov. 16 will share in a provocative discussion on artificial intelligence; New York Times bestselling author Heather McGhee, who will speak on Feb. 28 as UB’s 48th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration keynote speaker; and Amanda Gorman, first National Youth Poet Laureate of the United States, who will conclude the series March 26.

“Since its inception more than three decades ago, UB’s Distinguished Speakers Series has hosted innovators and influencers who have shaped the cultural landscape, tackled grand challenges and probed our shared humanity,” UB President Satish K. Tripathi said in a statement. “This year’s speakers – through the transcendence of poetry, the rigor of scholarship, the purpose of journalism and the courage of conviction – build on this proud tradition, and we are delighted to welcome them to UB.”

Following an impressive 40-game winning streak, Schneider became the most successful woman to compete on “Jeopardy!” She ranks second in the show’s history for consecutive games won – trailing only Ken Jennings – and is the 11th highest-earning contestant of all time across all American game shows. Schneider won the Tournament of Champions in 2022.

Her upcoming book, “In the Form of a Question,” serves as an inspirational memoir and an exploration of what it means to ask questions of the world and of yourself.

Thompson previously worked as editor-in-chief of Wired magazine, for which he broke significant stories about cyber warfare…