The NYU Tandon community mourns the passing of Herb Fox
Alum and former faculty member, Herb Fox, passed away on January 1, 2022
Fox earned his master’s and doctoral degrees in Aerospace Engineering from our school in 1962 and 1964, respectively, and began his long and distinguished teaching career right here, at his alma mater.
Fellow alum Pat Sforza, now Professor Emeritus of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Florida, recalled: “Herb and I were close friends ever since we were graduate students at Brooklyn Poly in the early 1960s. Although I knew him to be a man of substance and wisdom who excelled at everything he set his hand to, it was his integrity and good humor that made him your first choice if you wanted to have a winning team.”
In 1970 Fox joined the faculty of the New York Institute of Technology, where he served in numerous capacities, including Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Dean of Science and Technology, Vice President of Engineering, and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs.
For a time, he left academia to join Pope, Evans and Robbins, a consulting engineering firm, and as a Vice President there, he was responsible for studies and designs dealing with alternative fuels and energy conservation. His list of clients included public agencies like the U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and New York State Energy Office, as well as private-sector companies like IBM, Lockheed, and Con Ed.
Among his career highlights was his involvement in the design and construction of two new Air Force bases in the Negev, which came about as an outgrowth of the Camp David Agreements between Israel and Egypt; another of his major accomplishments was helping win the two largest awards ever granted by the Naval Facilities Engineering Command.
During his lengthy research career, he explored the possibilities of long-duration, high-altitude drones using innovative hybrid propulsion systems; the feasibility of alternative fueled buses, and the development and commercialization of hybrid electric vehicles; among other such topics.
Throughout his career in both academia and industry, Fox — the author of dozens of scholarly papers and books — was active in several organizations, including the American Institute of Aerospace and Aeronautics, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, New York Academy of Science, and American Association for the Advancement of Science.
He will be sorely missed by everyone lucky enough to know and work with him.