Dr. Cox received a BS in Chemistry from the University of Tennessee-Martin, a MS in Chemistry from Murray State University, and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville.  He came to Murray State in 1999 and currently serves as the Anna S. Brown and Ruth B. Logan Endowed Chair in Pre-Medicine.

While at Murray State University (MSU), he has won numerous awards related to teaching, research, and service.  These include the MSU Board of Regents Teaching Award for JCSET (2005), Kentucky Academy of Science Outstanding University Teacher (2007), Dr. Karl Hussung Professorship in Chemistry (2008 and 2014), Kentucky Professor of the Year presented by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (2008), MSU Max Carman Outstanding Teacher Award (2011), MSU Distinguished Professor (2011), and the MSU Omicron Delta Kappa Faculty Advisor of the Year (2023).

Dr. Cox had a strong affiliation with the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Technology while it was in existence at MSU.  In 2005, he was the Teaching Scholar in Residence and he served as the Interim Director of the Center in 2008-2009.   He was the Chair of the National Advisory Board for the 2010 Teaching Professor Conference (Boston, MA) and the 2013 Teaching Professor Technology Conference (Atlanta, GA). For over a decade, he served on the Editorial Review Board for the journal Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education.