Shelby Forbes, Ph.D.
Teaching Professor
The University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill
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Academic & Professional Practice
I am a communication scholar, teaching professor, and consultant specializing in high-stakes academic, institutional, and professional communication. I hold a Ph.D. in Communication and have more than 15 years of experience teaching and advising across elite academic and medical institutions, including the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill, Johns Hopkins University, and the Chicago School.
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My practice sits at the intersection of language, power, and decision-making. I work with students, scholars, and professionals at moments where clarity matters and consequences are real—helping them refine ideas, make strategic choices, and communicate with precision. Whether advising on admissions strategy, research development, or institutional messaging, I bring academic rigor together with practical judgment, translating theory into action without losing nuance or integrity.
Instructional Expertise
I have designed and taught undergraduate, graduate, and professional courses across the following areas:
Health, Medicine, and Society​
Health Communication · Communication, Power & Medicine · Social Health Systems
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Writing, Rhetoric, and Professional Communication
Written Communication · Writing & Reporting · Business Communication
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Organizational and Leadership Communication
Organizational Communication · Strategic Human Capital · Business Leadership & Values​
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Interpersonal and Intercultural Communication
​Interpersonal Communication · Intercultural Communication · Public Speaking
Work Experience Highlights
Teaching Professor
UNC- Chapel Hill
Consultant & Instructor
Johns Hopkins University
Continuing Education Instructor
The Chicago School ​
I hold dual appoints in the School of Medicine and the Hussman School of Journalism, where I instruct on written and oral communication for building trust within institutions and forging meaningful relationships with patients, policymakers, and the public at large.
At the Carey Business School and as an affiliated researcher with the Whiting School of Biomedical Engineering, I work with entrepreneurial and healthcare-focused teams on strategic communication, research translation, and funding narratives across public and private sectors.
I taught intercultural and health communication to clinicians and mental health professionals as part of continuing education and CME programming, supporting communication across clinical, organizational, and culturally diverse contexts.
