Monica Cox facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Monica F. Cox
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Alma mater | Spelman College University of Alabama Peabody College, Vanderbilt University |
| Spouse(s) | Ishbah Cox |
| Awards | Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | Ohio State University Purdue University |
| Thesis | An examination of the validity of the VaNTH Observation System (2005) |
Monica Farmer Cox is a professor who teaches about engineering at Ohio State University. She made history at Purdue University as the first African-American woman to become a tenured engineering professor. In 2008, she received a special award from the President for young scientists and engineers.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Monica Cox was born in Fort Gaines, Georgia. She grew up in small towns in Alabama. When she was a kid, she took a computer science class at a community college.
College Years and NASA Work
She earned a full scholarship to attend Spelman College. She graduated with honors, studying mathematics. While there, she joined a NASA program for women in science and engineering. She also worked at the Marshall Space Flight Center.
After college, NASA sponsored her research. She worked with the team that controls the International Space Station from the ground. She later earned her master's degree from the University of Alabama. Then, she got her PhD from Peabody College at Vanderbilt University.
Career in Engineering Education
In 2011, Dr. Cox became the first African-American woman to earn tenure in the College of Engineering at Purdue University. This means she earned a permanent teaching position. She was even invited to the White House by Michelle Obama. There, she discussed how workplaces can be more flexible.
Leadership and Awards at Purdue
At Purdue, she led the International Institute of Engineering Education Assessment. In 2013, she started her own company, STEMinent LLC. This company helps make sure that professors are evaluated fairly. While at Purdue, she won several awards. These included a leadership award and a National Science Foundation Career Award.
Ohio State University Role
In 2015, Dr. Cox became the Chair of the Department of Engineering Education at Ohio State University. She is the first African-American woman to be a full professor in the College of Engineering there. She leads a big project funded by the National Science Foundation. This project studies why women, especially women of color, continue to work as engineering professors. It looks at their experiences and challenges.
In 2018, she wrote a book called Excellence: Why Being Average is Never an Option.
Awards and Special Recognition
Dr. Monica Cox received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers in 2008. This award is given to outstanding young scientists. Her research focuses on helping women of color succeed in engineering. She also creates tools to help evaluate engineering education programs. In 2018, she was honored by Mathematically Gifted & Black during Black History Month.
See also
In Spanish: Monica Cox para niños
