Though she recently concluded a 41-year career as a nutrition educator at West Virginia University, Betty J. Forbes, RD, LD, couldn’t say no to one more professional obligation.

She helped organize the annual meeting of the West Virginia Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, held in Morgantown in mid-May. The chance to help the Academy celebrate its 70th anniversary as an affiliate of the national Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics was too memorable an occasion to miss. And the West Virginia Academy made it more special for Forbes by naming her Outstanding Dietitian of the Year.

The award recognizes the efforts and abilities of dietitians who have made distinctive contributions during their careers. Recipients of this award serve as an additional resource to help Academy leadership develop at the district, state, and national level.

Honorees must have demonstrated concern for the promotion of optimal health and nutritional status of the population, and must have demonstrated leadership in legislation, research, education, and management in the Academy, community or employment.

Forbes began her career at WVU in 1971 as a clinical dietitian in the hospital system. She became a lecturer in human nutrition and foods in 1985, and concluded her WVU career as director of WVU’s undergraduate dietetics education program.

She came from a family of home economics educators and scientists. Her mother and great aunt taught home economics, and her sister is a dietitian. Other family members worked in fields of nuclear and biological sciences.

“Maybe this is why I was interested in a profession which joins pure science and people,” Forbes said. “Scientists determine how much calcium is necessary, and dietitians educate people on food sources and the necessity of having calcium in the diet.”

Her early experiences as a hospital dietitian prepared her for the classroom.

“Working with patients with all types of medical issues allowed me to have a wealth of real-life situations to share with WVU students,” she said.

Forbes marvels at the way teaching has changed over her tenure at WVU.

“When I started teaching, we used a mimeograph machine to duplicate tests and graded them by hand,” she said. New technology had its benefits for both educators and clinicians, but, Forbes joked, “answering email from 400 students a semester was time consuming to say the least.”

She traveled extensively during her career, joining a team of USDA scientists on a visit to Ireland and teaching nutrition in a nursing college in Mexico. She developed new courses and student experiences at WVU and helped craft public education programs, worked with professional organizations, and volunteered her time with disadvantaged communities.

One accomplishment she’s particularly proud of was subtler but not less important.

“Students in the introductory nutrition class I taught documented making positive lifestyle changes as a result of material I presented,” she said. “I have had many opportunities to have a positive impact upon the health of West Virginians.”

Forbes is devoting her retirement to five “F’s,” – “faith, family, friends, food for the less fortunate, and fun.”

-WVU-

CONTACT: David Welsh, Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design
304-293-2394, dwelsh@wvu.edu

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