Schoeb Joins Nokia Leadership Team
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Aaron Rodgers and Erin Merrill shared the Jeopardy! set during a show that aired in April.
’04 Grad Shows Broad Knowledge in Exciting Jeopardy! Appearance Melissa Schoeb In April, Melissa E. Schoeb ’90 became Nokia’s chief corporate affairs officer and a member of its leadership team. She oversees communications, government relations, brand, and sustainability. The international relations and Spanish graduate joined Nokia from Occidental, one of the world’s largest independent oil and gas companies, where she was vice president of corporate affairs. Schoeb serves on the UMW College of Business Executive Advisory Board. She is based in Espoo, Finland, and reports to Nokia’s president and CEO.
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Jeopardy! watchers may have noticed Erin J. Merrill ’04 blazing through the categories during the April 5 episode of the game show. Merrill beat fellow contestants to the buzzer with correct responses about knives (oyster, Bowie, Ginsu), French phrases, geographic locations, and more. In the clever category of “Before and BAFTA” – looking for a mashup of a pop culture staple and the name of a BAFTAawarded movie – Merrill deduced that a comic strip about a redhaired adoptee plus a movie starring Diane Keaton was Little Orphan Annie Hall. And she netted a Daily Double by figuring out that a TV show about zombies plus a film starring Robin Williams as a teacher was The Walking Dead Poets Society. Merrill had an easy rapport with fellow contestants and the show’s guest host, Green Bay Packers
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quarterback Aaron Rodgers. She racked up 14 correct responses and missed just one, but didn’t dislodge the episode’s returning champion. Merrill, who lives in Woodbridge, Virginia, majored in American studies with concentrations in theater, education, and history. She has taught middle school social studies for 16 years and was among three winners Erin Merrill nationwide of the American Civic Education Teacher Award in 2020. This year, she won the Virginia Education Association’s Award for Teaching Excellence – the “teacher of the year” award – and will advance to consideration for the national title.
