Physics professor Tina Keller to retire this summer

A longtime USD faculty member won’t be returning to teach next fall.

Tina Keller, a physics professor, associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and director of the physics department, said she learned last fall that she was eligible to retire, and decided this spring she would do so at the end of the 2017 summer term.

“I’ve been doing a lot of stuff,” Keller said. “I’ve been running a department, I’ve been being associate dean, I’ve been the faculty athletics rep, it’s been a lot of stuff to do. So I figured I needed a break.”

Keller has decided to stay through the summer to the new College of Arts and Sciences dean some overlap to pick her replacement, which will come from within the department, she said.

In retirement, Keller said she’s looking forward to being able to do what she wants, including leisurely reading.

“I’m going to golf a lot more,” she said.

Keller’s husband, media and journalism lecturer Gary Larson, will continue to work for the foreseeable future, she said.

Her favorite part of teaching over the years has been the students, she said.

“The student government (SGA) did a resolution for me, a month ago, just thanking me for this… that was great,” Keller said. “I mean, that was really nice. You know, you guys are the best part of it.”

Josh Sorbe, the SGA senator who introduced the resolution that passed in the middle of last month, said Keller deserved to be thanked by the students for her work.

“I thought that someone with such a distinguished background and a distinguished contribution to USD should definitely be recognized in front of the student body,” Sorbe said.

Keller said she won’t continue in her role as faculty athletics representative in retirement, though she will continue to attend games.

“I’ve told the student-athletes I’m going to continue to cheer for the Yotes,” she said.