Fox, Rebecca | College of Education and Human Development

Phone: (703) 993-4123
Fax: (703) 993-9380
Email: rfox (@gmu.edu)

George Mason University
Fairfax Campus
Thompson Hall 2503
4400 University Dr.
MS 1E8
Fairfax, VA 22030

View Rebecca Fox's curriculum vitae in PDF format.

Rebecca K. Fox, Ph.D. is Professor of Education in the Division of Advanced Professional Teacher Development and International Education (APTDIE) in the College of Education and Human Development at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. She also serves as faculty in the Ph.D. in Education Specialization in Teaching and Teacher Education. Bilingual in French, she taught French in K-16 settings for many years prior to her career in teacher education.

In her 23rd year at GMU, Dr. Fox teaches graduate and doctoral courses in second language acquisition research, teacher research, education and culture, and reflective practice, with a critical focus on global perspectives in teacher education. She mentors and works with doctoral students and is actively involved in ongoing research with educators in P-12 settings and university faculty both domestically and abroad. In addition to her teaching and administrative roles at the university, she is an active researcher with over 100 publications, a co-authored book and one in development, and over 200 scholarly presentations and teacher professional development workshops conducted in national and international contexts. Her areas of research focus on educator professional development and critical reflection, international-mindedness and intercultural competence, and second language acquisition research in global settings. She is the recipient of the 2010 Mason Excellence in Teaching Award. In 2010, she was also recognized by the French government and awarded Chevalier des Palmes Académiques for her service to education and France. The two overarching areas of her research and scholarship are 1) advanced teacher professional learning and teacher research, particularly the role and development of critical reflection in teacher education; and 2) world language teaching and second language acquisition research in global settings, with a particular interest in the critical role that language and culture play in the development of teachers’ international mindedness and inter-cultural competence. Her work with international teachers and faculty, as well as her ongoing work with U.S. K-12 teachers, continue to provide a broadened context for the application of her research, publications, and scholarly presentations.

Author of over 100 publications, including one co-authored book and a book in progress, and over 250 invited and keynote addresses, and peer-refereed presentations, in national and international locations. Dr. Fox currently serves as PI on a grant for Russian teachers,, Russian-US Teachers ((RUST) for STEM Education; she is also serving as faculty on a U.S Department of State grant in Uzbekistan (with J. Shin, PI, and TESOL International), English Speaking Nation. Dr. Fox has recently concluded her work as PI on a US Department of State University Partnerships grant with the University of Management and Technology, Lahore, Pakistan; she has also served as Co-PI , researcher, and faculty on over $2 million of grants and funded projects, among them, Pakistan, Russia, Greece, Taiwan, China, Russia, Greece, France. She has also worked with and K-12 and university educators in 21 countries.Dr. Fox has led several international grants and directed multiple international teacher education professional development programs. She served as PI of the recently completed GMU-UMT Collaboration for Faculty Excellence in Teaching and Research, a three-year grant (2015-18) funded by the U.S.-Pakistan University Partnerships Program of the U.S.-Pakistan Academic Linkages Program of the U.S. Department of State Public Affairs Section, U.S. Embassy, Islamabad. She was Co-PI of the US State Department-funded program, US-Russia Teacher Professional Development (2009-2011), with W. Frazier, that involved secondary teachers of Language, Science, Technology, and Mathematics in Primorsky Krai, Far East Russia. She was Director of the Taiwan World Language Teacher Professional Development Program (Summers 2010, 2011, 2012), the Beijing Normal University Faculty Professional Development Program (2013), and recently also provided faculty professional development to Pakistani professors from the National University for Science and Technology (2013), Islamabad. She was faculty and researcher on the Greek Teacher Professional Development Program, a grant funded by the Fulbright Foundation and the U.S. Department of State. She developed and directed the Madrid Bilingual Coordinators Program in summer 2015 and is past chair of the NorthEast Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (NECTFL). Selected recdent international grants and funded project involvement include:

Faculty & Researcher, Teaching English Through English, for the Uzbekistan English Speaking Nation (JK Shin, PI) Grant, American Councils, Tashkent
Co-PI, Russian-US Teachers (RUST) for STEM Education, U.S. Russia Foundation (2019-2021)
PI, US Department of State, University Partnerships Program, Mason-University of Management and Technology, Lahore: Collaboration for Faculty Excellence inTeaching and Research (2015-2018)
Director, Madrid Bilingual Coordinators Professional Development Program (2015)
Director, Beijing Normal University World Language Faculty Professional Development Program (2013)
Researcher, Faculty, Pakistan Faculty Professional Development Program, National University of Science & Technology (NUST), Islamabad (2013)
Director, Taiwan World Language Teacher Professional Development Program (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013)
Co-PI, U.S. Department of State U.S. Russia Teacher Professional Development Grant (2010-2012)
Researcher and Faculty, U.S. Department of State U.S. Greek Teacher Grant, (2009-2011)

Dr. Fox is an active member and leader in the professional community where her active work includes service to professional organizations. For the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), she has chaired numerous committees (Chair/ member of the Pimsleur Award Committee, (2012, 2013, 2016); Chair/ ACTFL/MLJ Birkmaier Award for the Outstanding Dissertation Committee; past Chair of the ACTFL SIG on Research). She is currently (2019 --) an elected member of the ACTFL Board of Directors and serves as an appointed member of the national ACTFL NCATE Program Audit Board (2006-present). She serves as 2016 Conference Chair and Chair of the Board of the NorthEast Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (NECTFL). She has has numerous roles in the merican Association of Teachers of French (AATF) and currently is serving on the AATF Task Force Rewriting the K-16 Student Standards.

Second Language Acquisition Research in US and International Settings
Critical Reflection and portfolio development in teacher education
Teacher professional development in domestic and international settings
Intercultural communicative competence and the role of culture in teaching and learning, including cultural influences on teacher communication

School of Education
Teaching Culturally, Linguistically Diverse & Exceptional Learners