Melanie E. Fox, PhD
mefox@purdue.edu | melaniefoxphd.com
403 Mitch Daniels Blvd | Ste 345 | West Lafayette, IN 47907 | (o) 765-494-7211
Updated May 19, 2025
Clinical Asst. Professor, Purdue University 2022 - Present
Director of Undergraduate Studies (2025 - Present)
Director of the Purdue Center for Economic Education, Purdue University (2022 - 2025)
Collegiate Asst. Professor & Director of Undergraduate Studies, Virginia Tech 2019 - 2022
Content Fellow, Khan Academy 2017 - 2019
Associate Professor, Thomas More College 2016 - 2018
Visiting Instructor, University of Louisville 2014 - 2016
Chair, Department of Economics & Business Administration and 2013 - 2014
Jack B. Morris Professorship of Economic Policy, Austin College
Associate Professor (with tenure), Austin College 2011 - 2014
Assistant Professor, Austin College 2005 - 2011
PhD Economics University of Houston, Houston, TX May 2005
MA Economics University of Houston, Houston, TX May 2002
BA Economics University of Houston, Houston, TX May 2000
Graduate Certificate Public Health University of Texas May 2012
“Child Death in the United States: Productivity and the Economic Burden of Parental Grief” [first author, with J. Cacciatore and J. Lacasse]. Death Studies, 38(9): 597-602, 2014.
“Patent Citations and the Geography of Knowledge Spillovers: A Reassessment” [with Peter Thompson], American Economic Review, 95(1): 450-460, March 2005.
Reprinted in Zoltan J. Acs (ed.), The Knowledge Spillover Theory of Entrepreneurship, Edward Elgar.
“Patent Citations and the Geography of Knowledge Spillovers: A Reassessment: Reply” [with Peter Thompson], American Economic Review, 95(1): 465-466, March 2005.
“The Effects of Maternal Education versus Cognitive Test Scores on Child Nutrition in Kenya”, [with Alok Bhargava], Economics and Human Biology, December 2003.
“A Guide to the U.S. Academic Economics Job Market for Teaching-Focused Jobs” co-authored with Ben Harrell, Nakul Kamur, Dan Lee, Allison Luedtke, and Gina Pieters. Under review.
Economics Demystified (co-authored with Eric Dodge), 2012, McGraw-Hill Professional
500 Questions to Know by Exam Day - Microeconomics (co-authored with Eric Dodge), 2012, McGraw-Hill Professional
500 Questions to Know by Exam Day - Macroeconomics (co-authored with Eric Dodge) , 2012 McGraw-Hill Professional
Strive for a Five - Microeconomics, Worth Publishing Strive for a Five - Macroeconomics (co-authored with Margaret Ray), Worth Publishing
Cases on Economics Education and Tools for Educators (co-editor with Brad Scott), IGI Press, 2023.
“Sarah C. Dunstan: Race, Rights, and Reform: Black Activism in the French Empire and the United States from World War I to the Cold War”, Journal of Economics, Race, and Policy, Forthcoming, Published Online September 23, 2022.
Test Bank Contributor - Foundations of Economics by David Anderson
Supplementary Materials (Online quizzes and full-length AP exams) for Krugman’s Macroeconomics for AP* by Margaret Ray and David Anderson
Reviewer: Contemporary Labor Economics 7th ed., McConnell, Brue, and MacPherson
AP Macroeconomics, Khan Academy
Macroeconomics, Khan Academy
AP Microeconomics, Khan Academy Microeconomics, Khan Academy
FELLOWSHIPS, AWARDS, AND NOMINATIONS
Excellence in Teaching Award, Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, Virginia Tech 2021
Jack B. Morris Professorship of Economic Policy – endowed chair – installed April 2013
Nominee: Minnie Piper Stevens Foundation Piper Professor for 2010
Teacher of the Month – Student Assembly, Austin College April 2009
Teaching Award – Division of Social Sciences, Austin College – 2008
Participant in Fulbright-Hays Group Project Abroad P021A070068(SA) – Globalization and Societal Change in South India – July/August 2007
Participant in the Teaching Innovations Program (TIP) - 2007 Graduate Assistant Tuition Fellowship, Fall 2000 - Spring 2005
Dr. J. Walter Primeaux and Natalie Primeaux Scholarship, Spring 2004
Shell Foundation Scholarship, Fall 2001-Spring 2002
Stella Erhardt Fellowship, Fall 2000-Spring 2001
University Scholars Research Scholarship, Spring 2000
AP Visiting Fellow in Assessment, College Board, 2025 - Present
Judge, Web-Based Standard Setting for CLEP-Macroeconomics & Microeconomics, Educational Test Service (ETS), 2020 and 2021
Exam question writer for Educational Testing Services - AP economics exams (Microeconomics and Macroeconomics) , 20102018
Exam question writer for Educational Testing Services - TeXes Social Studies Grades 8-12 Exam, 2009 – 2010
AP Macroeconomics: Exam Leader 2020-2022; Question Leader 2014, 2015, and 2019; Table Leader 2013, 2016, 2017, and 2018; Reader, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, and 2012
Educational Policy Improvement Center - Consultant NAEP College Course Content Analysis - 2013 Gates Foundation - Course Content Analysis - 2014
Economics Teaching Fellows
Principles of microeconomics
Principles of macroeconomics
Managerial Economics
Health Economics (undergraduate and graduate level)
First Year Experience - Economics
Graduate Seminar: Teaching Economics
Research Methods in Economics and Business
Economic Development (undergraduate and graduate level)
Labor Economics
Freshman Seminar (Communication and Inquiry- subjects have included Behavioral Economics and The Culture of Food)
Senior Seminar (topic: Game Theory)
Economic Development and Poverty in Film
Directed studies in Health Policy and the Affordable Care Act
Introduction to Public Health
Investment analysis
Personal finance
2024 Southern Economics Association (Panelist)
2024 American Economics Association Annual Meeting
2023 Southern Economics Association (Panelist)
Conference on Teaching and Research in Economic Education (Panelist)
2022 Southern Economics Association (Panelist)
CTaLE EconTEAching Webinar Series (panelist)
2021 Southern Economics Association, University of Houston
2013 Conference on Teaching and Research in Economic Education
2012 MISS Foundation Annual Conference
2010 Western Economics Association Annual Meeting (Session Organizer)
Missouri Valley Economics Association
2009 Southern Economics Association Annual Meeting, Baylor University
2008 Missouri Valley Economics Association 2003 Texas Econometrics Camp
Exploring the Perspectives of Non-Tenure Track Faculty in Economics: Insights into Career Experiences and a Sense of Belonging, Panelist, SOuthern Economics Association Annual Meeting, November 2024
Unequal Peers: Experiences of Non-Tenure Track Presidential Faculty in Economics, Panelist, Southern Economics Association Annual Meeting, November 2023 and Conference on Teaching and Research in Economics Education (CTREE) May 2023
"Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Among Us: How We are Making a Difference", Panelist, Southern Economics Association Presidential Economic Education Sessions, Southern Economics Association Annual Meeting, November 2022. ”
How mobile is an education-focused career in economics: what do institutions look for?”, Panelist, CTaLE EconTEAching Webinar Series, October 26, 2022.
"Director of Undergraduate Studies: The Role, the People, and Its Purpose”, Southern Economics Association Annual Meeting 2021
"Career Paths in Teaching Oriented Positions”, Brown Bag Graduate Series, University of Houston, November 2020
“Research Outlets: The Economics Scholars Program”, The Conference on Teaching and Research in Economic Education, May 2013
“The Economics Consequences of Grief”, MISS Foundation Annual Conference, Tempe, AZ October 2012
“The Effects of Maternal Education versus Cognitive Test Scores on Child Nutrition in Kenya”, Texas Camp Econometrics VII, Fredericksburg, TX February 2003
“Literacy Structure of Households and the Formation of Child Health”, Missouri Valley Economics Association November 2008.
“A Model for Fostering Undergraduate Research at Every Level: The Economics Scholars’ Program”. - Missouri Valley Economics Association, November 2010
- Western Economics Association International Annual Meeting June/July 2010
- Southern Economics Association Annual Meeting November 2009
- Baylor University, Invited Brown Bag Speaker, November 2009
“Beginning and End of Semester Letters as a Method of Obtaining Student Feedback”. Southern Economics Association Annual Meeting November 2009.
Preparing for the Classroom: Approaches to Training Graduate Students for Teaching (co-organized with Emily Marshall) Southern Economics Association Annual Meeting
“Building Undergraduate Research and Field Experiences”, Western Economics Association International Meeting (coorganized with Eric Dodge).
Creator and Co-Organizer of the Economics Scholars Program for Undergraduate Economic Research 2007 – 2014 Director, Snider Social Science Lab – Fall 2012 to present
Mellon Course Partnership Grant – 2010 to present – Course Exchange between Health Economics (offered within the Department of Economics and Business Administration) and Public Policy (course offered by the Political Science Department)
Conference Committee: Journal of Economics Teaching Symposium August 2024 - Present
Advisory Board: Journal of Economics Teaching August 2024 - Present
Discussant: American Economics Association Annual Meeting, 2024
Committee for the Status of Women in the Economics Profession (CSWEP) Mentoring Breakfast, AEA Annual Meeting, 2024
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advisory Board, Pearson Publishing (Dec 2022 - Present)
Secretary: Kentucky Economics Association (2016 – 2019)
Referee: American Economic Review, AEA Papers and Proceedings, Oxford Economic Papers, Review of
Economics and Statistics, Research Policy, Perspectives in Economic Education, The American Economist, Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, Journal of Economics Teaching
Purdue University:
Director of Undergraduate Studies 2025 - Present
Director of the Purdue Center for Economic Education 2022 - 2025
Promotion Review Committee for Senior Lecturer Position August 2024 - December 2024
Faculty Compensation and Benefits Committee January 2024 - Present
Search Committee: Clinical Assistant Professor Search 2 positions, 2023 - 2024; 4 positions, 2024
Reviewer: Economic Scholars Program Applications, 2023
Undergraduate Yield Event Spring 2023
Application Review: Search for instructor, Fall 2022
Application Review: Search for instructor, Fall 2022
Virginia Tech:
Undergraduate Director, Dept. of Economics
Undergraduate Committee, (Dept. of Economics)
Undergraduate Committee (Dept. of Economics)
Enrollment Committee (Dept. of Economics)
Distance Learning Working Group 2 (University)
Advisory Committee for Impact Living Learning Community (University)
Economics Position Search Committee Chair - 2022 (Department)
Search Committee for Impact Living Learning Community Director (University)
Search Committee for Post-Doc position in Economics of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Panelist, Course Design Clinic Summer 2021 (University)
Khan Academy:
Tiger Team: Content Being Valued (2018)
Thomas More College:
Director of the Undergraduate Research Conference (2017)
Austin College:
Public Health Undergraduate Program Development Committee Chair of the Economics and Business Department
Presidential Faculty Salary Study
Presidential Scholarship Committee
Academic Skills Center Advisory Committee Study
Abroad
Internationalization Committee
Asian Studies Advisory Committee
Benefits Committee
Health Sciences Committee
Web Advisory Committee
Economics Position Search Committee, (2006, 2014 - Chair)
Center for Global Studies Search Committee
Occasional interviews with local CBS and NBC affiliates.
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
American Economic Association, Southern Economics Association, National Association of Economic Educators
STATA, SAS, SPSS, Blackboard, Moodle, Canvas, Slack, Trello, Jira, Proprietary Content Management System (Khan
Academy)