Faculty & Staff

• Family Resource Management
• Consumer Education

Dr. Joanne Bankston is a State Specialist for Family Economics and Management for the Cooperative Extension Program at Kentucky State University in Frankfort, KY.  Dr. Bankston provides statewide leadership to programs in Family Financial Management and Consumer Education.  She served as Director of the Cooperative Extension System National Center for Diversity located at KSU from 1992-1999.

Dr. Bankston holds the following degrees: a BS in Vocational Home Economics from Morehead State University (KY); a MS in Family Economics and Management from Southern Illinois University; and a Ph.D. from The Ohio State University in Extension Education with minors in Family Resource Management and Research.

Dr. Bankston has developed numerous programs and publications on topics related to Family Resource Management, some of which were developed for limited resource families.  She provides educational programs on:  financial management, resource management, and consumer education to general audiences, youth groups, 4-H, college students, and other groups and organizations.  Dr. Bankston has recently authored "Get More Bang for Your Buck," a curriculum for limited resource audiences; "Money Power," a publication for college students; and co-authored with a team of Extension Specialists from 7 universities, "Legally Secure Your Financial Future (LSYFF)," an online curriculum and a learning lesson on eXtension, an Extension website for consumers.  Dr. Bankston and other team members received the 2010 Outstanding Program Award for LSYFF from the Association of Financial Counseling and Planning Education (AFCPE).  Dr. Bankston is a member of numerous professional organizations, and is past president of the KY chapter of Epsilon Sigma Phi, the Extension professional organization, and is chairperson on the Joint Council of Extension Professionals (JCEP).  She is also president of the Association of Home Equipment Educators and serves on the Kentucky Attorney General's Consumer Advisory Council.  She was recently invited to the Federal Reserve to discuss the Research and Evaluation Priorities for the Financial Literacy and Education Commission.