Ann Keller

I'd like to start with a shout-out to Michael, Terese, Lily, Rachel, Wendy, Amy, and Greg. You guys are the best. It's great to have friendships last so long.

So, here's what I've been up to since high school. After graduation, I went to Indiana University. I didn't really know what I wanted to do, but they had an excellent dance program, and I couldn't imagine myself not dancing. So, I went there and was struck dumb with how flat the Midwest is. I can't say I ever really fell in love with Indiana. This turned out to be fortuitous because it created in me an urge to be busy while in Bloomington and an equal desire to leave whenever possible. I decided to major in math and political science, took dance classes four days a week, and spent my junior year in France. The year in France was amazing. One recurring difficulty was trying to explain to people that "Los Alamos" was not "the Alamo." But what do you say? "No, not the town in Texas. I'm talking about the place where   'les Américains' built the first atomic bomb." A conversation stopper, I discovered.

When I got back for my senior year, my friend Jody convinced me to join her bike team. After training all year long, I raced in the Little 500 (of Breaking Away fame) and still have some scars to show for it. I now ride as often as I can with my handsome fiancè (see below). But I'm getting ahead of myself.

After college, I came back to Los Alamos for a year to save money for graduate school. I worked at the Lab in the building next to my dad's (we carpooled) and studied the science and politics of climate change. Luckily, Wendy Erickson was also home for the year and kept me company throughout. After that, I went to Berkeley and got a Ph.D. in political science. Graduate school in Berkeley had a number of highlights including learning to surf, getting involved in the Bay Area modern dance scene, and feasting on Zachary's pizza with Michael Northrup and Lily Hsu. Another highlight was doing my dissertation research in D.C. - really just an excuse to hang out with Amy Carroll.

No description of my grad school years would be complete without a mention of my cat, Benjamin, whom I got when I was 14. The Benner, as he came to be known, stayed with my dad and step mom when I went to college. After that, we were inseparable. He moved with me to Berkeley, then to DC, and back to Berkeley again. He lived to be 17 1/2 years old (the half is very important to me), and was alive during my last year of grad school. More than one boyfriend during my grad school years remarked, "You love your cat more than you love me," and they were so right.

After finishing my Ph.D., I got a job at the University of Colorado. While I wouldn't wish the first year of being an assistant professor on anyone, it was made much more bearable by the presence of my brother, John, and numerous friends - Rachel (Faires) Harrison, Terese (Maier) Rainwater, and Greg and Wendy (Erickson) Hirons. John looked after me by bringing me Odwalla shakes on days he knew I wouldn't get lunch and encouraging as much skiing and rock climbing as academically possible. Rachel also took care of me - I used to joke with her that she gained a second husband when I moved to Boulder. I would go to her house after a stressful day, eat her food, and fall asleep on her couch without helping with the dishes. I'm happy to report that she still loves me (I should also report that her actual husband, Rich, is more helpful around the house than I was). A job back at Berkeley brought all of that to an end. I'm now on the faculty of the UC Berkeley School of Public Health where I teach health policy and environmental health policy. I spend almost all of my time trying to publish enough to get tenure. While the pressure totally sucks, I love my research and get to do cool stuff like go to Botswana and South Africa for field work. I also have great students which makes the teaching and advising a lot of fun.

I guess after focusing so hard on my career, it was finally time to get serious about romance. I learned my dad was also anxious for me to settle down when he commented to a friend that I "had been dating for twenty years." Twenty years? I didn't realize the clock started ticking when I was 16. Definitely time to settle down.

As luck would have it, just after getting my job at Berkeley, I met David, the love of my life. David was designing computer chips in Silicon Valley and running marathons. We bonded over outdoor passions like biking, rock climbing, backpacking, and indoor passions like baking (him cookies, me chocolate cake and pie). As an added bonus, my devotion to dance seems to have unleashed his inner dancer. His love of running has unleashed a somewhat slow, but entirely devoted running partner (although my devotion is to him, not to running). When David got into graduate school at Berkeley, he had to relocate from the South to the East Bay. We decided that was a great excuse to go domestic, and we moved in together. Then, one morning over waffles, we agreed that this was the life and called our parents to announce our engagement. Our wedding will be in Santa Fe, only a few weeks after the reunion. We have high hopes that we'll do all right in the happily-ever-after.

Here are a few pictures - one of David and me, one of me with Rachel (Faires) Harrison and, of course, the Benner. I'd love to hear from everyone, so drop me a note if you get a chance.

Ann