For Professor Hugh Fox, social mobility begins with owning one’s story. Shaped by a family grounded in service, responsibility, and education, and strengthened by mentors who challenged him to lead with equity and collaboration, Fox brings a deeply holistic approach to economics and student development at the Colin Powell School. Both his teaching and research focus on the idea that lived experiences—particularly for first-generation students—are sources of capital that can fuel personal, academic, and professional mobility.
Fox’s philosophy is rooted in the lessons of his family. From his earliest years, his mother, grandparents, and extended family modeled education, professional responsibility, and service not as abstract ideals but as daily practices: showing up, supporting others, and contributing to the collective wellbeing of their communities. These early lessons, reinforced by his own family, instilled in him a belief that leadership and stewardship must be responsible, generous, and grounded in integrity.
Mentorship has also played a central role in shaping Fox’s professional journey. Across the private sector, nonprofit leadership, and international consulting, his mentors challenged him to connect with his own experiences and approach leadership collaboratively, with equity and belonging as core values. These influences inform his holistic approach to education and his belief that students learn best when theory is directly connected to real-world challenges.
At CCNY, Fox brings these values to life through innovative, equity-focused programming. In his Economics of Investment course, offered with Equitable Advisors, students gain a clear pathway into finance, including preparation for the Securities Industry Essentials (SIE) license. The S-Lab Fellowship, in collaboration with AccountAbility, gives students hands-on experience in ESG consulting, while the Faculty-Student Mentor Fellowship provides opportunities to conduct research and present at national conferences. His research initiative, TIME for a CURE, examines how course-embedded communities of practice support first-generation students through experiential learning, mentoring, and high-impact practices that strengthen academic persistence, self-efficacy, and access to professional opportunities.
Fox sees economics as more than technical analysis; it is a tool to understand systems, address inequities, and prepare students to lead responsibly. Education, for him, is a conduit for empowerment, equity, and global citizenship. By embedding experiential learning, mentorship, and interdisciplinary approaches into the curriculum, he works to ensure students develop not only knowledge but also the social and professional capital necessary to thrive in their careers and communities.
For Fox, joining the Colin Powell School was a natural alignment of personal values and professional purpose. The School’s mission—to cultivate socially responsible, globally engaged leaders—resonates deeply with his own vision of education as a space where personal narratives fuel collective belonging, equity, and opportunity. Through his teaching, research, and mentorship, Fox continues to advance pathways for first-generation students to achieve mobility, impact their communities, and shape economic and social systems with integrity and purpose.
