Meet Lauren Forbes | Assistant Professor of Public Administration

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lauren Forbes and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lauren, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?

My work life balance seems to ebb and flow depending on the season of life that I am in. I try to maintain a Sabbath day, which really helps me prepare for the week ahead. But generally during the weekdays and on Saturdays I often work well into the night. Thankfully, my life arrangement right now makes that possible with minimal consequences, but that is something that I expect would change considerably if I had a family. However, I have noticed a lot of improvement in my work life balance since last year. I have a better grasp of time management, work expectations, and of navigating the administrative and physical infrastructure of the campus. I also have a clearer sense of who I am and who I am becoming professionally, which helps me to refine my focus and corresponding time allocation.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?

The things that keep me busy professionally have to do with impact and legacy.  I care a lot about the impact of my research, the people that I partner with, and the students in my classes. I value the individual relationships that I’m cultivating with my students who are becoming outstanding social-justice centered public administrators. In the same way, as a community-engaged researcher, I am very intentional about the relationships that I build with community partners.  For good reason, trust in researchers does not come naturally for many of the people that I work with, and so when people do make the choice to trust me with their time, insights, or whatever it may be, I make it my priority to ensure that their trust is well placed.  These are some of things that keep me busy professionally, but in meaningful and mutually rewarding ways.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?

Good question. I am still relatively new to the city so I’m taking notes whenever people give recommendations. This summer I hope to explore more of the parks and biking trails around the city. I enjoy the “Jazz in the Park” series that the Cincinnati Art Museum offers. I also REALLY love the fall leaves here, so any trip would have to spotlight those if the season was right. I also like the fruit foraging scene in Northside; some friends and I did that last summer and we really enjoyed it. For food places, I really like Abigail Street for small plates, Che’s empanadas, Taglio’s pizza, Oak Tavern wings, and Genki’s ramen.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to shout out my incredible family and friends who mean the world to me, my students who constantly inspire and challenge me (in the best possible ways), and my community partners in Cincinnati and around the country who do outstanding work to advance the wellbeing of some of the most vulnerable families and children. I am honored to know you and to partner with you all in the ongoing struggle for social and racial justice.

Twitter: @WForbesla