when exoplanetologist geoffrey marcy resigned from the uc berkeley faculty over charges that he had sexually harassed female undergraduate students, ballard came out publicly as one of his victims in order to help bring attention to sexual harassment in academia. in an interview published by "wired", she said that "in the parking lot outside her apartment [...] he gave her advice about her current relationship. she opened the door and stuck her legs out, eager to leave. [...] he put his hand on the back of her neck and told her to relax, that everything would work out with that boy".