Primary Responsibilities
Beth Forbes is Director of Science Communication for the College of Agriculture. In her role she helps Purdue Agriculture faculty, staff, and students better communicate science information to the public. She is also an instructor in the Agricultural Communication program and is part of the leadership team for Issues 360, a transformational learning experience that helps agriculture students learn how to engage with the public on controversial issues. She has had a long career in communications including media relations and strategic communications.
Education
Anderson University, B.A. Mass Communications, 1982
Purdue University, M.S. Organizational Leadership/Technology, 2007
Service
College of Agriculture
ISSUES 360 Advisor, 2013-present
Head of the Department of Agricultural Communication Services, 2009-2016
Department of Agricultural Sciences Education and Communication
ASEC Leadership Council, 2017-present
Courses Taught
ASEC 10100 (Agriculture, Science and Social Issues), fall 2019 to present
ASEC 59100 (Communicating Science to the Public), summer 2017 to present
YDAE 15200 (Agricultural Communication Seminar), fall 2017
YDAE 39800 (Agricultural Communication Capstone Seminar), fall 2004
Selected Publications
Merzdorf, J., Pfeiffer, L., and Forbes, B. “Heated Discussion: Strategies for Communicating Climate Change in a Polarized Era” Journal of Applied Communication, Vol. 103, Issue 3 (2019).
Forbes, B., Wasburn, M., Crispo, A., Vandeveer, R. "Teaching Service Learning: What's in it for Faculty at Research Universities?" Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement, Volume 12, Number 4, p. 29, (2008).