UTIA to Welcome New Assistant Dean of Extension

Oct 12, 2020


The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture (UTIA) welcomes Janet Fox as assistant dean of UT Extension and head of the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS). Fox is currently serving as head of the Louisiana 4-H Youth Development Program, which serves more than 200,000 youth annually with award-winning, experiential programs.

Fox has almost 15 years of experience as an administrator, supervising 16 professionals and co-supervising five regional administrators. She is a professor in the Department of Agricultural and Extension Education and Evaluation where she teaches, advises graduate students, and leads the undergraduate internship program.
Fox began her career as a middle school family consumer science teacher. Being an advocate for outreach, she started her Extension career as a 4-H youth development agent and as the 4-H volunteer and leadership specialist intern with the Mississippi Cooperative Extension Service. With more than 35 years of experience, Fox has served at the county, multi-county, district, and state levels in three different state Cooperative Extension systems, including Mississippi, Nebraska, and Louisiana. Now she adds Tennessee to her list.

Fox received a bachelor’s degree in home economics and a master’s degree in Extension education from Mississippi State University. She earned her Ph.D. in adult and vocational education with a concentration in human resource development from the University of Nebraska.

The new UTIA administrator will officially arrive on campus Feb. 1, 2021.

“We are fortunate to have someone of Dr. Fox’s stature join our UT Extension family,” says Scott Senseman, interim dean of UT Extension. “Janet will bring an exciting energy and great leadership to our family and consumer sciences programs.”

Fox says she is honored by the opportunity and is impressed with the reputation of the UT Extension Family and Consumer Sciences program.

“It’s my goal to build upon the strong foundation to guide FCS as a leading influence impacting families, communities, and individuals in the great state of Tennessee,” she says. “Our FCS team will continue to bring real-life solutions to Tennessee citizens to improve their quality of life.”
 

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