Photo of Marye Anne Fox

Marye Anne Fox

  • National Medal of Science
  • Chemistry

For her research contributions in the areas of organic photochemistry and electrochemistry and for enhancing our understanding of excited state and charge-transfer processes with interdisciplinary applications in material science, solar energy conversion, and environmental chemistry.

Marye Anne Fox on the importance of passionate teachers

Few scientists can claim as career as extraordinary as that of Marye Anne Fox. Accomplished not only in the world of science, but in managing large institutions, Fox’s hard work took her from the laboratory to the board room – and back again.

Fox, who holds a doctorate in chemistry from Dartmouth College and is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, is noted for her research and contributions in organic chemistry and electrochemistry. Her research has helped foster a better understanding of renewable sources of energy.

Fox has taught and held administrative positions at several university. At the University of Texas, where she joined the faculty in 1976, she went on to become vice president of research and was a science advisor to George W. Bush, while he was governor of Texas. She left Texas for North Carolina State University, where she eventually became chancellor in 1998.

Fox was named chancellor of the University of California, San Diego, in 2004, a post she held until 2012, when she returned to teaching and researching for the university. She has earned three patents and published more than 400 scientific articles, and written five books.

By Robert Warren