Mary Lawler Murphy Fox, Ph.D.

Dr. Fox, Tunkhannock, Pa., has dedicated her career to the field of special education. She is the co-founder of SOAR (Students On campus Achieving Results) at Marywood University, a program for high school students with autism spectrum disorder, which was established in 2008. She is presently the Compliance Monitor for the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Bureau of Special Education, and she is a Pennsylvania special education advocate, providing advocacy for parents of children with disabilities. Early in her career, she taught in the Tunkhannock Area School District, then became the supervisor of special education at the Northeastern Educational Intermediate Unit (NEIU), overseeing several school districts in her region. She has also directed the special education departments of Western Wayne School District, Elk Lake School District, and the Career Technology Center of Lackawanna County. Dr. Fox has served as director of early intervention at NEIU, and she was an adjunct professor at Marywood University, Misericordia University, and Keystone College, as well as an associate behavior specialist at Step by Step, Inc., Wilkes-Barre, Pa.

A member of several professional organizations, including the Pennsylvania State Education Association, Pennsylvania Federation of Business and Professional Women, and Tunkhannock Business and Professional Women, Dr. Fox’s current board associations include Tunkhannock Public Library and Friends of the Arc Auxiliary of Northeastern Pennsylvania. She recently concluded board service for the Marywood University Alumni Association. Her past associations include Goodwill Industries, where she was a member of the Board of Directors; Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish, where she was president of the parish council; Arc of Wyoming County, where she was past president, and Arc of Pennsylvania, where she was vice president. Dr. Fox holds three degrees from Marywood University, including a bachelor of arts in special education, a master of science degree in special education, and a Ph.D. in human development, with a concentration in instructional leadership.