Keith McKeown

Title: Vice President for Communications and Public Relations.

Duties: Overseeing the institution's public relations, outreach programs, and publications, and acting as the primary contact for the media.

Started at TSRI: August 12, 2002.

Previous Position: Assistant Vice President, Communications and Marketing, Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

Also Worked For Nonprofit Institutions Including: The Pew Charitable Trusts, The Aspen Institute, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the National Jail Reform Coalition, the Regional Employment and Training Consortium, and the National League of Cities and U.S. Conference of Mayors. "I wanted to use my professional skills for social betterment and social change."

Other Experience: Work as a newspaper reporter and bureau chief for a daily newspaper in Middletown, New York; writer and assistant editor for two national weekly news magazines for children; public information specialist with the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War.

Education: B.S., Georgetown University School of Foreign Service; M.S., London School of Economics and Political Science.

What Attracted Him to TSRI: The world-class science, the interdisciplinary approach, and the challenge of applying his skills to a different field.

Surprises So Far: "The breadth and depth of the science here is even greater than I anticipated. In addition, there seems to be a culture not only of professional responsibility, but also of real friendliness and openness."

Thoughts on San Diego: "Since I last lived here 20 years ago, the demand for a richer intellectual life in San Diego has grown tremendously. Today, the variety of cultural activities—theater, music, art—is amazing."

Extracurriculars: Reading biography and history, especially of the French Revolution and the American Revolution, which he finds "fascinating epics of social change." Enjoying film—from action flicks to productions from developing countries—and listening to music—from chamber music to the blues. He looks forward to riding his bike again after limited opportunities to do so in L.A. He is a baseball fan and is working to develop an allegiance to the Padres.

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Keith McKeown was attracted to TSRI by the institute's world-class science, its interdisciplinary approach, and the challenge of applying his skills to a different field. Photo by Jason S. Bardi.