Dana Leigh Fox

Dana Leigh Fox, award-winning scholar, author, teacher, musician, and golfer, and beloved daughter, sister, and wife, died on January 30, 2024, in her Atlanta, Georgia home, with her family by her side. She was 66. Born into a family of academicians and athletes in Magnolia, Arkansas, on June 4, 1957, Dana cultivated a love for learning and teaching and a love for sport from an early age. Her parents, Emogene and Norris Fox, nurtured and encouraged Dana to achieve excellence in all she did, to embrace a life of servant leadership, and to treat others with compassion and respect. Dana enjoyed an idyllic childhood growing up in Bald Knob, Arkansas, where she spent countless hours with her grandparents, Charlie and Katherine Fox and Gladys Joiner. Her love of her home town, her friends and her family lifted her and strengthened her throughout her life. Dana graduated from Bald Knob High School in 1975, and attended the University of Central Arkansas, earning both a B.S.E. and M.S.E.E. in English, with a minor in Music. Her participation and devotion to choir gave her the opportunity to perform with the UCA choir in the majestic cathedrals throughout Europe. Dana was recognized as an Outstanding University Student at UCA for exceptional leadership, service, and academic excellence, and during her graduate studies, Dana was awarded a prestigious Rotary Foundation Educational Award to study English and Anglo-Irish Literature as a Graduate Fellow at University College-Cork, Ireland. Dana has held teaching positions at the University of Arkansas at Monticello, the University of Missouri in Columbia, and Columbia College, and in 1991, she earned her Ph.D. in English Education at University of Missouri. Her dissertation research has been recognized with multiple awards for outstanding scholarship in teacher education and formed a framework for her future research efforts as a professor. Dana began her career as a university professor in the Colleges of Education at the University of Georgia, the University of Arizona, and finally Georgia State University in Atlanta, focusing on graduate education in language, literacy, and English Education. Through her mentoring efforts, she graduated numerous graduate students under her research direction, including 28 Ph.D. students, over half of whom are now university professors. She served as co-Editor of two national, peer-reviewed journals in English Education, and her co-edited book, Stories Matter: The Complexity of Cultural Authenticity in Children’s Literature, is still the definitive treatise and classic text in graduate education courses in this area. Based upon her research in education, Dana was author or co-author on over 100 research papers, book chapters, and peer-reviewed journal articles, and many scholarly presentations. Dana’s extraordinary career in academia was recognized with numerous awards for excellence in teaching, research, and mentoring, including the prestigious 2018 Alumni Lifetime Achievement Award from the University of Missouri College of Education, based upon achieving distinction in her field and having demonstrated outstanding success throughout her entire career. In each of Dana’s faculty appointments, she took on many leadership roles, including Chair of the Department of Middle and Secondary Education at Georgia State University for nearly eight years. During her appointment, Dana exponentially increased outside funding for the Department, mentored faculty through the obstacles of promotion and tenure, selflessly promoted and inspired staff, students, and faculty alike, and built a Department of national and international distinction. Her ability to foster deep and sincere personal connections with her colleagues and students and inspire those around her to excellence was remarkable. In 2016, Dana was appointed Associate Dean for Research in the Bagwell College of Education at Kennesaw State University, and in 2019 was appointed Dean of the Graduate College at Arkansas Tech University in Russellville, Arkansas, a position she ultimately was unable to fill due to her illness. Dana married David Wigley in the summer of 1991, just as she began her first faculty position at the University of Georgia, and a year later, she secured an appointment at the University of Arizona where David was a faculty member. The two lived in Tucson, Arizona for several years before moving to Atlanta, Georgia. Dana is the love of David’s life, best friend, and brave companion. Far more significant than any of Dana’s academic achievements were her profound kindness, compassion, love, and generosity, and her gracious spirit. Dana was the most loyal of friends and gifted in her sincerity and ability to make each of her friends and acquaintances feel valued and loved. Dana was disarming in her conversation and seemed to listen with the kindness of her eyes. She always remembered names, and anyone who spent even a few minutes with Dana would feel rejuvenated by her thoughtful attention. More than anything, Dana loved her golf. Her happiest moments were on the links with her family and friends. Whether golfing with her family at the Bald Knob Country Club in her youth, the Searcy Country Club later in life, or with dear friends at her own club at Old Waverly Golf Club, Dana was simply elated to be on the course. Dana is survived by her husband of over 32 years, David Wigley, her mother Emogene Fox, her brother Jay Fox and his wife Leah Fox. Visitation will be held from 5:00-7:00 pm on Friday February 2, 2024, at the Powell Funeral Home in Bald Knob, Arkansas, and funeral services held at 10:00 am on Saturday, February 3, 2024, at the First United Methodist Church in Bald Knob. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations in Dana’s memory to the Dana L. Fox Scholarship in English Education, the University of Central Arkansas, Buffalo Alumni Hall, 2490 Bruce Street, Conway, AR 72034.

Dana Leigh Fox

June 4, 1957 - January 30, 2024