Jonathan Fox, the Ruth Whipp Sherwin Endowed Professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at Iowa State University, received the 2024 IDEA (Innovative Digital Education Alliance) Faculty Excellence Award. Established in 2011, the Faculty Excellence Award acknowledges a significant faculty contribution to an IDEA academic program.

Fox received the award for his work in leading IDEA family financial planning (FFP) graduate program evaluation and curriculum revisions. Furthermore, the award recognizes his efforts in recruiting, educating, and mentoring graduate students, in addition to serving as the program’s faculty coordinator. He has also served two terms as the alliance program chairperson.

In his letter nominating Fox for the award, Carl Weems, Professor and Chair of the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at Iowa State University, stated that Fox’s work is central to the success of the FFP program. “Dr. Fox consistently recruits, retains, and mentors students at the highest levels in the program. He serves as advisor for all Iowa State FFP students, and in the past ten years, over 50 students have received master’s degrees in family finance. These graduates are uniquely trained in the value of reducing economic stress to build family stability.”

IDEA’s Faculty Excellence Award winners are selected by their IDEA peers for their devotion of time, energy, and resources to enhancing the alliance’s academic community, their development of creative courses and mentoring programs or their impacts on teaching in an IDEA program. Fox was presented the award on April 8 at the 2024 IDEA annual meeting. A $2,000 cash award accompanies the recognition.

IDEA is a consortium of 20 accredited universities from across the United States, offering online courses, certificates, and degrees in agriculture and human sciences. Fox participates in the FFP program, which is taught by six universities through IDEA. In partnership with IDEA, Iowa State University offers fully online bachelor’s and master’s degree programs and undergraduate and graduate certificate programs.

Jonathan Fox

“IDEA’s Faculty Excellence Award winners are selected by their IDEA peers for their devotion of time, energy, and resources to enhancing the alliance’s academic community, their development of creative courses and mentoring programs or their impacts on teaching in an IDEA program.”