Celebrities with Doctorates Trivia Quiz

Answer: Mayim Bialik

Mayim Bialik first became famous as Blossom Russo on the sitcom "Blossom" (1987-1991). She took a break from acting to return to school, getting her BA at UCLA in 2000. She earned her Doctorate in 2007. Ironically, her next job was playing a neuroscientist on television, Doctor Amy Farrah Fowler on "The Big Bang Theory" (2010-2019). In 2021 Bialik began showing off her big brain as the host of "Jeopardy!"

Bialik's dissertation was on "Hypothalamic regulation in relation to maladaptive, obsessive-compulsive, affiliative, and satiety behaviors in Prader-Willi syndrome".

Prader-Willi syndrome is rare genetic disorder that affects child development. One of its symptoms is constant hunger, often leading to obesity. Bialik has helped raised money for the Prader-Willi foundation.

Answer: Harold Gould

Harold Gould was one of the more noted actors of the 20th century, appearing in hundreds of television shows, most notably "Rhoda" (1974-78) and "The Golden Girls" (1989-92). Gould also played a key role in "The Sting" (1973) as Kid Twist, helping to set up Doyle Lonegan (Robert Shaw) for his downfall ("PLACE it all on Lucky Dan."). Gould also appeared in numerous plays both on and off Broadway.

After serving in the Army during World War II, Gould returned to Albany Teachers College (today University at Albany SUNY), where he got his BA in 1947. He got his MA (1948) and Doctorate in Drama (1953) at Cornell University.

Answer: Greg Graffin

Greg Graffin is best known as the front man for the punk rock band Bad Religion, which he helped found in 1986. Bad Religion has been quite prolific, releasing 14 albums between 1987 and 2019. Graffin has also done several solo albums.

Academically, Graffin earned a BA in Biology and both a BA and MS in Geology from UCLA. He received his doctorate in Zoology from Cornell. The topic of his dissertation was "Evolution and Religion: Questioning the Beliefs of the World's Eminent Evolutionists".

Graffin is well known for his outspoken political views, especially on religion and evolution which, unlike many talking heads on television, he actually does happen to be an expert on.

Answer: Dexter Holland

Dexter Holland in another highly educated Southern Californian. He is most famous as the singer for The Offpsring, which formed in 1987. By 2015, the band had sold 40 million albums worldwide. And even though Holland has said he would prefer to be a professor after age 40, he was still performing as a musician at age 55.

Holland got a BS in biology and an MS in molecular biology, both at USC. He did his doctoral work at the Keck School of Medicine at USC. His original research was on "Identification of Human MicroRNA-Like Sequences Embedded within the Protein-Encoding Genes of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus". Holland received his PhD in May 2017.

Answer: Robert Leonard

While Robert Leonard is a well known professor of linguistics, the first line of his obituary will probably mention Sha Na Na. Leonard began singing as an undergraduate at Columbia and that evolved into his performing with Sha Na Na in 1969. The height of their fame was performing with Jimi Hendrix at the Woodstock music festival in August 1969. Leonard was with the band two years before leaving to pursue his doctoral degree.

Leonard got his BA in Sociology in 1970, his MA and MPhil in Lingustics in 1973 and his PhD in Linguistics in 1982, all at Columbia University in New York. He did his dissertation on Swahili, and teaches the language.

Leonard is one of the world's leading experts on forensic linguistics (using language to solve crimes) and has helped solve several high profile cases including JonBenet Ramsey and Charlene Hummert. He has trained FBI agents in forensic linguistics at Quantico. Leonard jokes that he is probably one of the few people alive to have worked with both the FBI and the Grateful Dead.

Answer: Rachel Maddow

Rachel Maddow has been the host of MSNBC's flagship evening news program since 2008. She is well known for her deep dive stories, often starting her show with 15 to 20 minute segments. Maddow got her start in radio, working on "Air America" from 2004 to 2010. Maddow got her start on MSNBC by guest hosting for Keith Olbermann. Maddow has won five Emmy Awards for her work on MSNBC. Openly gay, Maddow has also received numerous awards from gay rights organizations.

A native of northern California, Maddow got her training in public policy at Stanford University in 1994. She was a Rhodes Scholar and attended Lincoln College at Oxford. In 2001, she earned her PHD from Oxford. Her dissertation was on "HIV/AIDS and Health Care Reform in British and American Prisons".

Answer: Brian May

Brian May was studying for a degree in astrophysics when his friend Freddy Mercury convinced him they could make a lot more money as rock stars. May was the lead guitarist for Queen, one of the most successful rock bands in history. May wrote many of the group's songs, including "We Will Rock You" and "Who Wants to Live Forever". May is also widely regarded as one of the greatest guitarists in rock history.

Queen started in 1970 and was active through 1986, and their final tour. Singer Freddie Mercury died of AIDS in November 1991. In the decades since, royalties from recordings by Queen have raised millions for AIDS-related charities.

May was an exceptional mathematics student and graduated with his BSc degree in Physics (with honors) in 1968. May decided to return to academics in the early 2000s, and finally earned his doctorate in Astrophysics from Imperial College. His dissertation was mostly completed by 1974, so May updated it and submitted it in August 2007, He graduated (at the Albert Hall, no less) in May 2008. May has used his celebrity to promote science on television programs. He has also worked with NASA on the "New Horizons" probe.

Answer: Sterling Morrison

Sterling Morrison was the guitarist who made Lou Reed sound good in The Velvet Underground. He was with the band between 1965 and 1971, leaving to pursue his graduate studies.

Morrison completed his undergraduate degree at City College in New York in 1970, and then did his graduate work at the University of Texas. He received his PhD in 1986, 15 years after leaving the Velvet Underground. Morrison's dissertation was "Historiographical Perspectives in the Signed Poems of Cynewulf".

The third act of Morrison's life was as a tugboat captain. Although he would sometimes play with his old band mates, even putting together a tour in 1993. Morrison died of Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma the day after his 53rd birthday, August 30, 1995.

Answer: Robert Vaughn

Robert Vaughn was the epitome of cool in the 1960s (apologies to Paul Newman). His credits included Lee in "The Magnificent Seven" and Napoleon Solo in "The Man from UNCLE". In the 1970s, Vaughn did a lot of science fiction, including playing an evil computer in "Demon Seed" (1978). In the 1980s, he was General Hunt Stockwell on "The A-Team" (1987). And keeping active in his seventies, Vaughn played veteran con artist Albert Stoller on "Hustle" (2004-2012).
Vaughn died in November 2016.

When he wasn't acting, Vaughn decided to pursue a degree in Communications from the University of Southern California. He had earned a Masters in Theatre from Los Angeles State College of Applied Arts and Sciences. Vaughn received his doctorate from USC in 1970. The topic of his dissertation was "Only Victims: A Study of Show Business Blacklisting", which he published as book in 1972.

Answer: Peter Weller

Peter Weller is probably best known for his work in some of the quirkier science fiction films of the 1980s. He was the title character in "Robocop" (1987) and "The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai in the Eighth Dimension" (1984). He has been in dozens of films and television shows since his career began in the 1970s. Since 2006, Weller has also been working behind the camera, directing on a variety of TV programs.

A native of Wisconsin, Weller moved to Denton, Texas to do his undergraduate work in theatre at the University of North Texas. He got his BA in 1970. In 2004, Weller earned his Masters degree in Roman and Renaissance Art at Syracuse University. Between 2007 and 2013, he worked on his degree in Art History from UCLA. His dissertation was "Alberti Before Florence: Early Sources Informing Leon Battista Alberti's De pictura". Alberti was a 15th century polymath, gifted as a writer, artist and scientist. Weller earned his PhD in 2014.