In Remembrance of
Professor Joseph Beck
Family - Father - Friend - Teacher - Scholar - Mentor - Humble Servant - Leader
Words cannot replace the stories, the feelings, or support provided by this man. Professor Beck served Eastern Kentucky University and many others up unto his last day. His contributions to the university, alumni, friends, family, the EHS profession, and many others will not be missed and will be greatly appreciated well into the future. Professor Joe Beck, passed away on Saturday, Aug. 9, after suffering a heart attack. He was 66.
Professor Beck will be fondly remembered for his love of teaching and for his devotion to students. He joined the EHS faculty in 1995 and played a key role in the rapid growth and lofty national reputation of the program. A gifted storyteller in the classroom, he was always available outside of class to help his students in any way possible. They never forgot Professor Beck's advocacy and acts of kindness, typically staying in touch with him long after graduation.
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Professor Joseph "Joe" Beck
The Educator & Mentor
Professor Beck will be fondly remembered for his love of teaching and for his devotion to students. He joined the EHS faculty in 1995 and played a key role in the rapid growth and lofty national reputation of the program. A gifted storyteller in the classroom, he was always available outside of class to help his students in any way possible. They never forgot Professor Beck's advocacy and acts of kindness, typically staying in touch with him long after graduation.
The Professional
Professor Beck generously gave his time to numerous Environmental Health Organizations including serving numerous terms on the National Council on Accreditation of Environmental Health Sciences Curricula and several as its past Chair. Professor Beck has been a member of the Academy of Sanitarians since 1982 and has also served as its Chair. He has served as a subject matter expert to NEHA on development of their REHS exams since the early 1980's. Professor Beck served as an associate editor for the Illinois environmental health journal and the Kentucky Journal and on the editorial board of Occupational Health and Safety Magazine. He was a chair for the Institutional Environmental Health Section for NEHA for nearly a decade and served as an advisor to the Student National Environmental Health organization. He has written parts of five books and authored over two hundred and fifty articles and papers presented both nationally and internationally.
The Humble Public Servant
From 1984 to 1988, Professor Beck served as co-chair with then-Vice President George H.W. Bush on his Task Force on Environment and Health. He also worked extensively with Native American tribes as a consultant on public policy and environmental issues while also playing a major role in the creation of the National Council on Diversity in Environmental Health.
Prior to coming to EKU he held past positions as a Senior Research Staff Scientist and project manager with the Pacific Northwest Laboratory, Batelle (National Laboratory), and other past positions as academic Department Head of Environmental Sciences and field practice positions with the Illinois Department of Public Health and the McCracken County Health Department in Kentucky.
The Scholar
Professor Beck's talents were highly regarded well beyond the Richmond campus, too. He was a prolific writer and co-authored with EKU colleagues several textbooks as well as the CDC housing manual. Because of his expertise, Professor Beck was a frequently sought speaker, invited annually to address dozens of meetings across the U.S. and in many foreign countries - often teaching them how to "Walk Backwards".
