Who is Rebecca Thompson from Jeopardy? French Teacher & Researcher’s Age, Job, Family & More

Rebecca L. Thompson, PhD, has established herself as a leading voice in translation studies and Francophone literature. She earned her Doctor of Philosophy in Literature from the University of Texas at Dallas, specializing in Translation Studies, and also completed a graduate certificate in Holocaust Studies. Her path through higher education also included a Master’s degree in Literature with a concentration in Translation Studies and a Bachelor of Arts in French Language and Literature from the State University of New York College at Fredonia.

Throughout her academic journey, Dr. Thompson participated in multiple honor societies and contributed to translation editorial work, showing a sustained commitment to both scholarship and mentorship. Her training in French language and literature, alongside Holocaust Studies, positioned her to analyze texts not only linguistically but also in their cultural and historical contexts.

Teaching and Professional Career

Since 2020, Dr. Thompson has been a faculty member at St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute in Buffalo, New York, where she serves as Chair of the Modern Languages Department. In this role, she teaches French and English, leads curriculum development, and provides administrative leadership within the fine arts and humanities. Her dedication to language instruction reflects her broader mission of preparing students to understand and engage with global perspectives.

Her teaching experience also extends to higher education. She has served as an adjunct professor at SUNY Fredonia, instructing students in courses that span beginner through advanced French literature and language. Earlier in her career, she worked as an instructor of record at the University of Texas at Dallas. Beyond her teaching roles, she has developed a freelance translation practice since 2019, producing translations of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, memoirs, and historical documents. She has a particular interest in “ego writings” and paleographic projects, highlighting her interdisciplinary expertise.

Research and Publications

Dr. Thompson’s scholarly interests lie at the intersection of Francophone Studies, literature, and historical oppression. Her work has examined collaboration and resistance in Vichy and Occupied France, semiotics, and politically oppositional translation theories. She has also published studies on forced labor in Nazi Germany, socialist realism in literature, and the complexities of French works in translation.

Her multilingualism—spanning English, French, Russian, and Yiddish—allows her to access primary sources and approach translation with a nuanced perspective. By combining literary analysis with historical inquiry, her publications reflect both a dedication to academic rigor and a sensitivity to the voices preserved through literature.

Professional Involvement and Community Engagement

Beyond teaching and scholarship, Dr. Thompson has maintained a strong presence in professional organizations, including the American Association of Teachers of French and the Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies. These affiliations demonstrate her commitment to advancing both language education and interdisciplinary research.

Her career also includes experiences beyond academia, from working as a background investigator and bookstore manager to tutoring and serving as a graduate assistant. These diverse roles showcase her adaptability and broad skill set, underscoring the range of her professional expertise.

Jeopardy! Appearance

In September 2025, Dr. Thompson brought her intellectual pursuits to a national audience by competing on Jeopardy!. Her appearance on the iconic quiz show highlighted her deep knowledge across disciplines, particularly in literature, history, and cultural studies. By sharing her experience on professional platforms like LinkedIn, she connected her academic achievements with her passion for lifelong learning and public scholarship.

Her participation in Jeopardy! is a natural extension of her career—an opportunity to showcase the same curiosity and rigor that define her work as an educator, translator, and researcher. For Dr. Thompson, the experience symbolized not only personal accomplishment but also the value of intellectual engagement beyond the classroom.

Personal Life and Outlook

Residing in Buffalo, New York, Dr. Thompson’s life reflects a balance of academic dedication, professional service, and personal curiosity. While much of her career centers on education and translation, she also contributes to community-facing projects that bring scholarship into the public sphere.

Her combination of multilingual ability, research on historical resistance, and commitment to inclusive teaching mark her as a scholar whose influence reaches well beyond academia. Whether in the classroom, through her publications, or on the Jeopardy! stage, Rebecca L. Thompson continues to demonstrate how intellectual work can inform, inspire, and engage broader audiences.