Martha Fickett, professor of music, received the “J. Christopher Bill Outstanding Faculty Service Award” during the University of Mary Washington opening faculty meeting on Thursday, August 23.
In announcing the award, Rosemary Barra, interim vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty, said, “This year’s recipient is a dedicated teacher, but most importantly, as the recipient of this award, she also has an impressive service record. … For over 30 years, this year’s recipient of the J. Christopher Bill Award has faithfully served, often behind the scenes, the university, her department and the community.”
Dr. Fickett’s record of service on university committees is extensive and includes the Promotion and Tenure Promotion Committee, Faculty Organization Committee, the Campus Academic Resources Committee, the Writing Intensive Committee, the committee that revised the General Education requirements in the 1990s and the Faculty Senate, where she served as secretary. She also has been a faculty advisor to the Honor Council and a faculty representative to the UMW Board of Visitors. Her commitments to the Department of Music include more than 30 years as secretary, as well as time as assessment coordinator and co-chair. She also has been a lecturer for the “Great Lives” program and has presented various programs to the Elder-Study group.
An authority on Beethoven, Dr. Fickett has received several grants to study the musical sketches for his Fifth Symphony. She also completed a National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Seminar on Beethoven, held at Harvard University. She is an expert on Gregorian chants and has received Faculty Development Grants from Mary Washington to study chants for the Feast of St. Martin of Tours. Her introduction and edition of the Historia Sancti Martini (the Divine Office for the Feast of St. Martin of Tours) was published in February 2006 by the Institute for Mediaeval Music.
Dr. Fickett holds a doctorate in music from The Catholic University of America, a master’s degree in music from the University of Michigan, and a bachelor’s degree in music from the University of Mary Washington. She has taught courses on the history of music, Beethoven, Mozart, 20th‑century music, and piano performance. Dr. Fickett also is a member of the American Musicological Society.
An endowment that funds the “J. Christopher Bill Outstanding Faculty Service Award” was established through the generosity of Dr. Bill’s former students, colleagues, friends and family members. It recognizes his extraordinary service as a member of the University of Mary Washington teaching faculty from 1972-2001. Dr. Bill passed away in December 2001.
The selection criteria for the award stipulates that the recipient must have served a minimum of seven years as a member of the teaching faculty of the University of Mary Washington and must have been heavily and consistently involved in a variety of service capacities, including departmental, university-wide and community service. Nominations may be submitted by any member of the teaching faculty, staff or student body of the university.