Who is Robyn Masella from Jeopardy? Meet the Oregon Victim Advocate Dedicated to Supporting Crime Survivors

Robyn Masella is an American victim services professional from Corvallis, Oregon, who has devoted her career to supporting victims of crime and helping them navigate some of the most difficult moments in the criminal justice system. As a Victims’ Specialist with the Oregon Board of Parole and Post-Prison Supervision, she works with victims across the state, ensuring they understand their rights, receive critical information about offenders’ cases, and have a voice during parole and post-conviction proceedings.

With more than a decade of experience in victim advocacy, crisis intervention, and criminal justice, Masella has become one of Oregon’s leading professionals in post-conviction victim services. Her dedication to protecting victims’ rights earned statewide recognition in 2026 when she received the prestigious Hardy Myers Victim Advocacy Award. That same year, she also fulfilled a personal ambition by appearing as a contestant on Jeopardy!.

A Career Dedicated to Victim Advocacy

Robyn Masella has built her professional life around helping victims navigate the criminal justice system with compassion, knowledge, and professionalism.

Since August 2015, she has served as a Victims’ Specialist for the Oregon Board of Parole and Post-Prison Supervision, a statewide agency responsible for parole decisions and post-prison supervision. Based primarily in Salem, her work supports victims throughout Oregon rather than within a single community.

Her responsibilities include coordinating victim notification programs, helping victims prepare for parole hearings, assisting with release-related proceedings, providing crisis intervention, making referrals to support services, and explaining the constitutional rights afforded to crime victims under Oregon law.

One of the most important aspects of her role is ensuring that victims understand how parole proceedings work and helping them exercise their legal rights throughout the post-conviction process. She also assists individuals who may be navigating complex legal procedures years after the original crime occurred.

Through this work, Masella serves as both an advocate and educator, helping victims understand a justice system that can often seem overwhelming.

Supporting Children and Families Earlier in Her Career

Before joining the Oregon Board of Parole and Post-Prison Supervision, Masella worked with Kids’ FIRST in Eugene, Oregon.

From February 2012 until June 2015, she served as both Domestic Violence Witness Coordinator and Victim Advocate. In that role, she supported children and families involved in abuse investigations while coordinating the Domestic Violence Witness Project.

Her responsibilities included providing direct assistance to victims, coordinating services for families, training volunteer advocates, and delivering presentations to law enforcement agencies and community organizations. She also worked closely with multidisciplinary teams responding to domestic violence and child abuse cases.

The experience provided a strong foundation in crisis intervention, victim advocacy, and trauma-informed care that would later shape her statewide work within Oregon’s parole system.

Her early career demonstrated a consistent commitment to helping vulnerable individuals navigate difficult legal and personal circumstances.

Helping Victims Through the Post-Conviction Process

Much of Masella’s current work focuses on post-conviction victim advocacy, a highly specialized area of the criminal justice system.

Unlike victim advocates who primarily assist individuals during investigations or criminal trials, Masella works with victims after convictions have already occurred. This includes helping victims understand parole hearings, offender release notifications, supervision decisions, and other developments that may occur years after sentencing.

She coordinates victim notification programs, assists individuals participating in parole board proceedings, provides referrals to support services, and ensures that victims understand their constitutional rights throughout every stage of the process.

Her work also includes participation in the Oregon Post-Conviction Advocacy Network (PCAN), where professionals collaborate to improve services and support for crime victims throughout the state.

By helping victims remain informed and involved, Masella contributes to a justice system that recognizes victims as important participants rather than passive observers.

Leadership Across Oregon’s Victim Services Community

Beyond her daily responsibilities, Robyn Masella has become an active leader within Oregon’s victim advocacy community.

She serves as Chair of the Post-Conviction Subcommittee for the Oregon Attorney General’s Task Force on Victims’ Rights Enforcement, helping improve policies and practices affecting victims throughout the state.

Masella is also a member of the Interstate Compact State Council Board, the Oregon Attorney General’s Sexual Assault Task Force Victim Response Subcommittee, and the Oregon Post-Conviction Advocacy Network. Through these organizations, she collaborates with legal professionals, victim advocates, and policymakers to strengthen victim services and improve statewide coordination.

She has also shared her expertise as a presenter at professional conferences, including the Oregon District Attorney’s Association Summer Conference and Oregon Department of Justice multidisciplinary training events.

These leadership roles reflect her commitment not only to serving individual victims but also to improving Oregon’s broader victim services system.

Recognized for Excellence in Victim Services

In 2026, Robyn Masella received one of Oregon’s highest honors for victim advocates when she was named the recipient of the Hardy Myers Victim Advocacy Award by the Oregon Crime Victims Law Center.

The award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated exceptional advocacy, courage, empathy, integrity, innovation, and commitment while supporting victims of crime.

Masella was honored for her outstanding work assisting victims navigating parole hearings and other post-conviction proceedings—an area of victim advocacy that often receives less public attention despite its importance.

The recognition highlighted years of professional dedication and reinforced her reputation as one of Oregon’s most respected victim services professionals.

Throughout her career, she has become known for combining compassion with extensive knowledge of the criminal justice system while ensuring that victims understand and can exercise their legal rights.

Education, Skills and Professional Development

Masella attended Boston University between 2007 and 2011, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in American History, Political Science, and Spanish.

During her time at Boston University, she participated in numerous student organizations, including the Undergraduate History Association, the Boston University Terrier Pep Band, Phi Alpha Theta, and the College of Arts & Sciences College Scholars program.

She has continued expanding her professional expertise through numerous specialized training programs, including the Oregon State Victim Assistance Academy, Oregon Crime Victims Assistance Network, Civil Justice for Victims of Crime training, the FBI Active Shooter Seminar, and the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers Domestic Violence Instructor Training Program.

Professionally, she possesses expertise in victim services, crisis intervention, client advocacy, legislative research, public presentations, referrals, meeting facilitation, and program coordination. She is fluent in both English and Spanish, allowing her to communicate with a broader range of victims and community members throughout Oregon.

A Lifelong Learner on Jeopardy!

Robyn Masella brought her love of learning to the Jeopardy! stage when she appeared as a contestant in 2026.

Her career requires extensive knowledge of law, public policy, communication, psychology, and the criminal justice system, making her well suited for the wide-ranging intellectual challenges presented by America’s longest-running quiz show.

Representing Corvallis, Oregon, Masella added another memorable accomplishment to an already distinguished public service career dedicated to helping others through compassion, professionalism, and lifelong learning.

Robyn Masella Quick Facts