An Inside Look at the Full-Circle Journey From USU Student to Research Leader

When Christopher Fox walked across the Utah State University stage to receive his bachelor's degree in Biological Engineering, he couldn't have known that years later he'd be returning —this time to lead the college's research enterprise.

In April 2025, the College of Engineering appointed Fox as the new associate dean for research. A proud USU alumnus, Fox returns to Logan from the Access to Advanced Health Institute in Seattle, Washington where he served as senior vice president of formulations.

Fox's academic journey began right here in Cache Valley. After earning his undergraduate degree from USU, he completed his Ph.D. in bioengineering at the University of Utah, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at the Infectious Disease Research Institute in Seattle. Over the course of his career, he has authored 148 peer-reviewed manuscripts, book chapters, and other publications; holds 8 ranted patents and multiple pending applications; and has delivered more than 80 presentations. His work — cited over 9,300 times — reflects his lasting impact in vaccine development and biomedical engineering.

Beyond his research, Fox has served in over 25 professional service roles, including on the Industrial Advisory Board for USU's Department of Biological Engineering since 2017. He is also an experienced mentor and educator, having guided interns, research associates, and postdoctoral scientists, as well as training World Health Organization fellows from Bangladesh and Nigeria.

Now, as associate dean of research, Fox brings a wealth of experience from both academia and industry. The following Q&A offers a closer look at his journey from USU student to research leader, along with his insights on engineering, mentorship and addressing today's most pressing global challenges.

Alumni Q&A with Christoper Fox

Q: What first drew you to engineering and to Utah State in particular?

A: I grew up in Cache Valley and was always interested in math and science. I wanted to use those interests to make a practical impact, and engineering seemed like the perfect way to do that. At the time, USU was one of the only universities in the area offering Biological Engineering, so it was an easy choice.

Q: What's something about your time as a USU student that still sticks with you today?

A: Even though the program was challenging and required long hours, I loved the collaborative engineering culture. At the time, our department was small, but we all worked together to help each other out. We would do homework together, and if someone didn't understand, the others would help. It wasn't competitive; we were all in it together. We really bonded over that experience.

Q: How did your USU experience help shape you professionally and personally?

A: My experience at USU increased my confidence to solve complex problems, especially ones that require creative thinking. Engineering isn't about memorization; it is open-ended problems. You must use all the resources at your disposal to figure out the solution. Sometimes there is more than one answer, sometimes you can't even fully solve it, but engineers must find the optimal solution that balances those considerations.

I am also able to look at all aspects of the bigger picture, not just the scientific ones. When I got into the workforce, I found that some scientists were very good at the science, but they had a really hard time with practical limitations like cost, timelines or teamwork skills. Sometimes they didn't do well at those things at all. Engineering really helped me look at the big picture and be a leader in the sense that I could see all those factors and not just focus on the fundamental science.

Q: What's something you believe about engineering that might surprise people?

A: In biological engineering, I was trained to know a little about a lot of different areas. I can converse in almost any area of engineering or science, and I am so grateful for that. Sometimes in my career I felt like that was an advantage and sometimes I felt like it was a disadvantage because I wasn't an expert in a single area. I often run into people that know much more about a specific area, but not much about the breadth of things. So, it depends on what an employer is looking for. If they want someone that really knows a specific technique, I wasn't the person to fill that role. But if they want a leader that can do some technical things and can also be a team player and interact well with all sorts of expertise, I was well qualified for that. When I was done with school, I felt like I was a jack of all trades.

Q: What is your favorite way to unwind or rechange?

A: If I have a day off to myself, I'll probably go on a hike. I just love being out in the mountains. If I have shorter snippets of time, I like sports, I play the piano, I like to read or I enjoy just spending time with my family.

Q: What do you hope today's Engineering students take away from USU?

A: I really hope that they would have a humanities outlook and, regardless of whether there's a large profit margin, solve problems that are unmet needs in the world. We need solutions that help bring people out of poverty, solves an energy crisis, makes the planet a more sustainable place to live or treat a health issue that no one's been able to figure out yet. I would really hope that they just feel like they want to apply their skills to make their world a better place. Engineers should make the world a better place.

Q: If you could give one piece of advice to your college aged self, what would it be?

A: I know it's hard right now but stick it out! It gets more fun after you're done with school. Also, do the best you can in school but don't forget to take a little bit of time to enjoy life a little more. It's okay to take time to recharge and not be quite so absorbed in your studies.

Q: What advice would you give students who want to get involved in research early?

A: I think getting involved with research early is really important and it's not just going to be handed to you. The main thing is just finding a way to get in a lab. Go talk to professors or grad students and see if there is any way for you to get involved, it doesn't really matter what the research subject is. You just need to get some exposure for what it's like to be in a lab or in the field doing research. Because it might be that you love it, it might be that you hate it, but that would be good to know. That experience might steer what direction you take your career.

Q: How is engineering research at the college addressing some of today's biggest global challenges?

A: I'm really excited about the new energy engineering program. I think that's a huge challenge that needs engineers involved. It's not just about energy, because if you can solve the energy problem, you can raise people and the planet to another level, in terms of quality of living and sustainability. All of that is tied to energy.

Q: Is there anything else you would like to share?

A: Alright, I'll offer a little bit of vulnerability here. I would say about halfway through graduate school, even thought I had the best of mentors, I seriously considered changing paths. I was working very long hours, and I was in a basement lab where the instrumentation required no light. I was struggling with thinking that I'm going to have to keep doing this for a few more years until I get my degree. Then what? Am I going to be stuck in a dark lab my whole life like this? I seriously considered whether maybe I would be happier doing history or business or something. But I decided to persevere.

The main thing was to get my degree and then I could get out there and figure out what a job is like. That's how I looked at it and I'm really glad that I did. Switching gears at that point would have kind of left me floundering. It turned out that I really loved my job after graduating. I was passionate about it and I got to do all the stuff that I wanted to do, so in retrospect I would say that it is hard to be trained as an engineer, but if you hang in there, your potential to have a positive impact is huge. Do not give up, just get through it the best you can and you'll be happy you did.

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Writer: Madeline Buskirk, madeline.buskirk@usu.edu, 435-797-7512

Contact: Christopher Fox, c.fox@usu.edu, 435-797-0322