Biography

KEITH FORREST

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Forrest guest lectures at the Indiana University School of Journalism about "When Fiction and Non-Fiction Collide" during April 2006.

Assistant Professor of Communication at Atlantic Cape Community College in NJ

Most people make a conscious choice to become a journalist. For Keith Forrest, it appears that his entry into the profession was sealed by his genes. Both his parents, Libby and Mark, were journalists so the news business was family business. Libby was a weekly columnist for the Cape May County Herald in NJ for 20 years. Her slice-of-life column titled, “Joyride” was beloved by Jersey Shore readers until her death in 1997. Forrest began reprising her column in 2001. Mark was a pioneering broadcast journalist, serving as the first political reporter for KYW-TV in Philadelphia in the 1960's and 1970's. Forrest's first journalism credit came in fourth grade when he wrote a column about school happenings for the Cape May Star & Wave in NJ. As a teenager, he won a national essay contest with the theme, “What My Vote Will Mean to Me.”

Forrest learned from an early age that one of the keys to being an effective journalist is having an insatiable appetite for learning about the world. “My parents instilled in me that you need to know more than writing and reporting to be a successful journalist,” says Forrest. “My background has been described as eclectic.” As an assistant professor of communication at Atlantic Cape Community College, he used his diverse experience to help create a communication program, which launched in September 2006.

Forrest is one of the rare journalists that has worked in almost every segment of the communication industry including television, public relations, newspapers, magazines, and radio. He was nominated for a National Emmy Award as part of the E! Entertainment Television news staff in Los Angeles. He worked as a news producer and writer at E! covering the entertainment industry. Forrest was also a news producer for NBC affiliates in Pittsburgh and Erie. He was the founder of the public relations department at Engel O'Neill Advertising in Erie, as well as media relations director at Arcadia University in suburban Philadelphia. He has also served as news director at a New Jersey radio station and researcher for a trade magazine.

Forrest has enhanced his varied background in recent years by adding the creative non-fiction field to his repertoire, writing nostalgic personal essays that focus on parenting and childhood. He has published nearly 100 essays and commentaries, which have appeared in a multitude of publications including The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Hartford Courant, and The Buffalo News. Since both his mother and father contributed to The Philadelphia Inquirer over the years, Forrest and his parents represent one of the rare examples of multi generations being published in the same major metropolitan daily newspaper. Forrest's younger brother Craig is also a published author with his memoir, Joyride: A Son's Unlikely Journey to His Mother's Heart.

Forrest's background as an academic and educator is equally diverse. Forrest holds three master's degrees: communication from Temple University as well as women's studies and political science degrees from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Forrest is the only male graduate of the UMass graduate program in feminist studies. His dissertation work in political science at UMass focuses on mentoring among political women. Forrest has taught courses in communication, English, journalism, political science, and women's studies at several colleges including: Penn State, UMass, Arcadia University, Peirce College and Delaware County Community College. He is a member of the Who's Who in American Education.

Forrest grew up in Cape May, and graduated from Lower Cape May Regional High School in 1984. His teaching philosophy can be summed up simply—as a combination of mentoring and collaborative learning. Forrest says, “I aim to serve as a good role model and encourage students to take an active role in their education. Students learn best when they are empowered.”

Forrest is married and has four young kids. His wife, Kris, is an adjunct business professor at Rowan University. Forrest is working hard to brainwash his kids into becoming Philadelphia Eagles, Flyers and Phillies fans. He is also an avid runner. Forrest lives in Collingswood, about 5 miles from Philadelphia in Camden County.