The Levy family’s commitment to the Buck includes the next generation

Ann and Jeff Rhoads support the popular Levy Family Seminar

“My dad and stepmother were very passionate about the Buck Institute,” says Ann Rhoads, daughter of the late Dr. S. William Levy, a local dermatologist and UCSF research scientist who provided crucial guidance and support when the Buck’s research program was being developed in the late 90’s and early 2000’s. “We got our introduction to the Buck when my stepmother, Elisabeth Levy, started funding the annual community seminar. We benefited from that by being able to participate in and enjoy the events. We are thrilled to continue that support.”

Dr. Levy died in 2005.  There was an event and reception in his honor in 2006. Elisabeth passed away in 2022.  Many of her gifts to the Buck supported general education like t the seminars as well as students and teachers.  She also sponsored research on eye aging. Our first Levy Family Seminar happened in 2016 and has continued annually with one break during the Covid-19 pandemic.   

In addition to supporting the annual seminar Ann and her husband Jeff Rhoads, an architect/town planner involved in sea level rise adaptation and transportation projects, joined the Buck’s Impact Circle, our popular donor group that supports innovative projects that need seed money to get off of the ground.  “We are very proud to be associated with the Buck,” says Jeff. “The fact that there is such cutting-edge science happening in our own backyard is truly remarkable.”  The couple lives in central San Rafael after returning to the area in 2010 following professional sojourns in Los Angeles and Las Vegas.  “We were living elsewhere when Bill was so deeply involved in the Buck, so we missed that part of the story,” he says. “But we are grateful that our family history led us back to the Buck.”

Ann, who has an extensive background working in high-end retail, has become a great ambassador for the Buck. “I love telling my friends about the Institute.  We’ve had neighbors and friends come to the Community Seminar and we’ve brought colleagues to the Impact Circle,” she says.  “The knowledge and information are so valuable, and the opportunity to meet the scientists and visit the labs is so exciting.”

The couple also acknowledges the Buck’s philanthropy team.  “Their outreach is excellent,” says Jeff. “We feel welcomed and respected and appreciate their ability to make the science so accessible to non-scientists.”

“Participating in the Buck contributes to both of us being active mentally which is a good thing for healthy aging,” says Jeff.  “We are able to come home after events and have a discussion about what we've learned,” says Ann. “We’re eating dinner earlier and not eating anything afterwards. We’re eating less and moving more. Living better longer has become one of our mantras.”

The next Levy Family Seminar will happen on April 2^nd.  The speaker will be Professor Nathan Price, who will talk about “Decoding Aging: AI, Digital Twins, and the Future of Precision Health”. Get more information and register here.  Those interested in the Impact Circle can contact Lisa Palma, Director of Philanthropy at lpalma@buckinstitute.org