Fayetteville State University's Marcus S. Cox, Ph.D. will be advocating for veterans  after being appointed chair of the Veterans’ Rural Health Advisory Committee for the U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs.

Cox, who also serves as FSU’s dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, will serve as Chair for the next 3 three years.The committee provides advice to the U.S. Secretary of Veterans’ Affairs on ways to improve and enhance access to health care services for enrolled veterans living in rural areas by reviewing current programs and identifying barriers to accessing healthcare and services. 

“I am honored to help lead the important work of improving access to health care for our veterans,” Cox said in a press release. “So many of our FSU students are associated with the military, it’s rewarding to know I can support them in this capacity as well as academically.”

Cox earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing and a master’s degree in history from Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and holds a master’s degree in business administration from The Tommy and Victoria School of Business at The Citadel Military College of South Carolina. Cox earned his Ph.D. in American history from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.

Cox is also a former member of the Advisory Committee for the Roundtable Discussion on Diversity and Inclusion, United States Army Training and Doctrine Command. Among many organizations and associations, Cox is also a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., the Knights of Peter Claver, and the American Conference of Academic Deans.

“Simply put, we have brilliant faculty members at FSU and appointments like this one just serve as reminders of the high caliber expertise that grace our campus,” said FSU Chancellor Darrell T. Allison in a press release. “I congratulate Dr. Cox on this appointment and am grateful for his continued service to our students.”