Interview with Hazel W. Forsythe, March 4, 1992

Interview Summary

Hazel Forsythe is a professor of nutrition and food sciences at the University of Kentucky. She was born in 1948 in the South American country of Guyana and attended the University of Bristol in England for her undergraduate degree. She worked as an assistant principal at the School of Home Economics in Salzburg. She then enrolled in the graduate program at Oklahoma State University where she concentrated in nutrition planning for community services and she eventually received her PhD. Forsythe describes her family background. Her mother was a teacher and her father was a communications specialist. She recalls the people who influenced her educational pursuits, including teachers and friends. After finishing her PhD, Forsythe worked with UNICEF in Asia for a year. She then worked as a substitute teacher in Maryland until she was able to secure a position at UK in January of 1989. She describes her day-to-day responsibilities which include research, teaching, and community services, along with working on university and college committees. She discusses how time-consuming her research is and states that it is difficult on her two young children. Forsythe is a member of the international student committee and the international committee at UK, along with being involved in three research projects. She describes these projects, which look at nutrition and pregnancy, teenage pregnancy, and preschool nutrition. She also discusses the skills needed for a person in her position and explains the need for university professors to be good at resolving conflicts.

Interview Keyword

Childhood Families. Nutrition United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Maternal care Nutrition in children Preschoolers Food choices Pregnancy

Interview LC Subject

Forsythe, Hazel W., 1948- Forsythe, Hazel W., 1948- --Interviews University of Kentucky University of Kentucky--History College environment College teachers--Job satisfaction College teachers--Social conditions College teachers--Workload Educators Universities and colleges--Research Education, Higher--Kentucky Universities and colleges--Faculty College teaching

Interview Rights

All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries.

Interview Usage

Interviews may be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, Special Collections, University of Kentucky Libraries.