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Cecilia Fox Honored by the Association of American Medical Colleges
Cecilia Fox of Pasadena will be honored by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) on Oct. 30 for her success at Occidental College in increasing the number of underrepresented students enrolled in medical school.
Health professions administrator and assistant to the dean of the college at Occidental since 1981, Fox has compiled a remarkable record as an advisor to undergraduates interested in pursuing a career in the health professions. Under her guidance, almost 80 African-American, Latino and Native American students from Occidental have enrolled in medical school.
Fox was selected for the Special Recognition Award bestowed by the AAMC’s Student Affairs-Minority Affairs Section “in recognition of your outstanding contributions to the academic development of numerous minority students,” said Edward Christian, M.D., section national chair.
“As a health professions advisor, you have clearly demonstrated the importance of advising and mentorship in the lives of students,” Christian said. The award will be presented during the association’s annual meeting in Chicago.
A native of London, Fox majored in French at Queen Mary College, University of London, before emigrating to the United States in 1962. A writer, editor, and poet, she joined Occidental in 1976. She is a former board member of the Union Station Foundation in Pasadena and is a member of the editorial review board of the National Association of Advisors in the Health Professions.
“My work has been made possible by Occidental’s commitment to equity and excellence which has drawn gifted, motivated students from around the country – students who have responded to Oxy’s outstanding faculty,” Fox said. “However, it is important to keep in mind that we still have a long way to go to achieve real diversity in the medical and health care professions.”