Marye Anne Fox facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Marye Anne Fox
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| Seventh Chancellor of the University of California San Diego |
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| In office 2004–2012 |
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| Preceded by | Robert C. Dynes |
| Succeeded by | Pradeep Khosla |
| Twelfth Chancellor of North Carolina State University |
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| In office August 1998 – June 2004 |
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| Preceded by | Larry K. Monteith |
| Succeeded by | Robert A. Barnhardt |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 9 December 1947 Canton, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | 9 May 2021 (aged 73) Austin, Texas, U.S. |
| Spouse | James K. Whitesell |
| Residences | San Diego, California |
| Alma mater | Notre Dame College Cleveland State University Dartmouth College |
| Profession | Chemist, administrator |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Chemistry |
| Institutions | University of Texas at Austin North Carolina State University University of Notre Dame University of California, San Diego |
| Thesis | Photorearrangements of aryl halides (1974) |
| Doctoral advisor | David M. Lemal |
Marye Anne Payne Fox (born December 9, 1947 – died May 9, 2021) was an American scientist and university leader. She was a physical organic chemist, which means she studied how chemicals react using physics. She was also the first woman to lead North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina. In 2004, Fox became the chancellor of the University of California, San Diego. In 2010, she received the National Medal of Science, a very important award for scientists in the United States.
Contents
Biography
Early Life and Education
Marye Anne Fox was born in Canton, Ohio. She loved chemistry and earned her first degree (B.S.) from Notre Dame College in 1969. She then went on to get her PhD in chemistry from Dartmouth College in 1974.
After finishing her studies, she worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Maryland from 1974 to 1976. In 1976, she joined the teaching staff at the University of Texas at Austin. She later became the vice president of research at that university in 1994.
Career Highlights
Marye Anne Fox was a member of the National Academy of Sciences, which is a group of top scientists. She also served as the president of Sigma Xi, a society for scientific research. Even while she was a university leader, she continued her own research. She studied how light affects chemical reactions (organic photochemistry) and how electricity can cause chemical changes (electrochemistry). In 1985, she was the first woman to give a main speech at the National Organic Symposium.
In August 1998, she became the twelfth chancellor of North Carolina State University. This made her the first woman to be the chief executive of that university. She served in this role until July 2004. During her time as chancellor, the university grew a lot, especially its buildings and facilities. A new building, the Marye Anne Fox Science Teaching Laboratory, was named after her.
In 2003, Fox was involved in a big decision about college sports. She cast an important vote about which universities would join the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). This decision caused a lot of discussion in college sports for several months.
In 2004, Fox moved to California to become the chancellor of the University of California, San Diego. On July 5, 2011, she announced that she would step down as chancellor in June 2012. She wanted to go back to doing more of her own research and teaching.
Fox also advised important leaders. She was a science advisor to George W. Bush when he was the governor of Texas. She also served on President Bush's United States President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. From 2011 to 2013, she was a trustee on the Board of Trustees of Dartmouth College.
Personal Life
Marye Anne Fox was married to James K. Whitesell, who was also a chemistry professor. Together, they had five sons from their previous marriages.
Marye Anne Fox passed away at her home on May 9, 2021, after being ill for a long time.
Awards and Honors
Marye Anne Fox received many awards for her important work in science and education:
- Agnes Fay Morgan Research Award (1984)
- Garvan–Olin Medal (1988)
- Havinga Medal (1991) – She was the first woman to receive this award.
- Myron L. Bender and Muriel S. Bender Summer Lectureship (1994)
- Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
- Elected to the American Philosophical Society
- Charles Lathrop Parsons Award (2005)
- National Medal of Science (2010)
- Othmer Gold Medal (2012)
- Revelle Medal (2018)
See also
In Spanish: Marye Anne Fox para niños
