UPDATED: Dec. 4, 2019 at 3:18 p.m.

Turning out the lights in her classroom, professor Johanna Keller reached into her basket of secret prizes. She told the student sitting across the table to reach out their hands. With a smile, Keller tossed a light-up toy to the student, who was nominated by their classmates as “Most Improved” on the recent writing assignment.

In Keller’s news writing class of about 15 students, it was some students’ goal to earn a prize and show off their hard work after each writing assignment. By recognizing each person’s specific strengths, Keller motivates her students to learn from their classmates’ writing and embrace their own writing style.

This month, Keller is giving out the last of her prizes and is retiring after 16 years of teaching at Syracuse University. As an associate professor in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, Keller has taught writing, criticism and arts journalism, among other courses.

“Watching them learn something, watching them expand, watching them grow is very exciting for me and very fulfilling,” Keller said.

Keller founded the Goldring Arts Journalism program at SU in2003 after being recruited by former Dean David Rubin to move to Syracuse.Over 200 students have completed the program and now work at places such as Google, National Geographic and The New York Times, she said. It was the first master’s program at an accredited journalism school that allows journalists and artists to learn about each other’s respective fields.

In anticipation of her future retirement, Keller stepped down as the director of the Goldring program in 2015. Keller said she is always eager to learn new things and keep moving forward to the next chapters of her life.

After receiving a Bachelor of Music at the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1977, she later earned a master’s degree in literature at Antioch University in Ohio in 1996.

Her curiosity has led her to different opportunities throughout her professional career.

“I’m a person who always says, ‘For better or worse, how hard can that be?’” Keller said.

She moved to New York City in 1978, where she worked at a public relations firm. This job served as a connection between Keller’s two passions: music and writing.

She opened a public relations company in 1981 for musicians like John Lewis, Ravi Shankar and the Emerson String Quartet. Closing the business in 1989, she was then hired by the Lincoln Center for the Mozart Bicentennial Project, where she worked for three years.

Without any prior magazine editing experience, she was hired as editor for Chamber Music magazine in 1997. Keller asked many questions and figured it out as she went along, with the mindset of “How hard can it be?” During her time there, the publication won six national awards in editorial content and design.

Keller moved to New York City in 1978, where she worked at a public relations firm that enabled her to combine her two passions: music and writing. Diana Riojas | Feature Editor

Janet Anthony, assistant director of the Goldring program, said Keller is a “natural born teacher.” Keller had her first teaching experience at 12 years old, helping her neighbors work through their dyslexia and enhance their reading skills. 

While a student at University of Colorado Boulder, she taught subjects such as music theory, ear-training and vocals.

“That just made me realize that teaching for me is a kind of calling,” Keller said. “It’s just the way I learn and the way I move in the world.”

Melissa Ward, an SU junior currently enrolled in Keller’s news writing and diversity classes, said she enjoys Keller’s constant positivity and how she engages with each class.

“She’s a lot more interactive with the students,” Ward said. “She really goes out of her way to engage the students and kind of make everyone work together in a way to learn.”

Keller’s experiences in journalism allow her to help all of her students with their various interests, said Ethan Garcia, an SU sophomore who took Keller’s news writing class last year. Her willingness to continually help and support students is Keller’s best quality, he said.

In a goodbye message to Keller, Garcia said he is grateful to Keller for helping him grow as both a writer and student during his first year at SU.

“Thank you for being maybe the sole reason that I am continuing to pursue a career in newspaper and online journalism at Newhouse,” he said.

During her retirement, Keller said she plans to garden and travel while continuing to work as a music critic for The Hopkins Review journal and write for publications like Opera Magazine.

Throughout her time at SU, Keller recalls her favorite memories have always been personally getting to know the students.

“I’ve looked up to so many of my professors in college and their ability to show me how to live, what living a meaningful life meant,” Keller said. “And I hope in my own little way, I’ve been able to pass that on.”

CORRECTION: In a previous version of this post, the location of a university Keller attended was misstated. The Daily Orange regrets this error.

Published on December 3, 2019 at 9:54 pm