Christie
Fox takes over USU Honors Program
August 31, 2005 | Christie L. Fox has been named director
of Honors at Utah State University following an internal
search.
"In the past 18 months, Dr. Fox has served as program
coordinator of Honors and has done tremendous work there,
mentoring undergraduates on preparing applications for
prestigious fellowships, chairing the first-year literature
experience committee and recruiting and retaining students,"
said Interim Provost Noelle Cockett .
Fox has a doctorate in folklore from Indiana University,
and her scholarly work focuses on Irish folklore and
literature. She has just completed a book-length manuscript
on contemporary Irish avant-garde theatre.
David Lancy, who served as director of Honors for the
past eight years, said Fox's contact with faculty members
is important.
"She is remarkably well networked among our faculty
colleagues, and she did this in a very short time,"
Lancy said. "I'm constantly amazed at the number
of people she knows on campus, which speaks well for
recruiting faculty to teach in Honors."
Fox brings a blend of administrative and teaching experience,
including working as an admissions counselor at Loyola
University in New Orleans. That experience has helped
her network among Utah State personnel in advising,
admissions and financial aid.
"People at Utah State have been wonderfully warm
and welcome to me in the past year and a half,"
Fox said. Utah State has a real family atmosphere, a
feeling of Aggie pride.
"Through teaching, advising and my own experience
as an undergraduate in an Honors program, I have developed
a philosophy of Honors education," Fox said. "Honors
should simultaneously push students to higher achievement
and also provide a safety net. One of the aspects of
Utah State 's Honors program that I particularly like
is that it is open to anyone who wants to try it. It's
an elite program, but not elitist."
Lancy returns to the faculty of anthropology this fall,
although he has consistently taught classes while Honors
director. Lancy is the recipient of the 2001 Carnegie
Professor the Year Award for the state of Utah.
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