Six professors will be awarded emeritus status at the University of Mary Washington’s commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 10.
Judith A. Crissman will be named Professor Emeritus of Chemistry; Stephen L. Griffin will be named Professor Emeritus of Art; Thomas G. Moeller will be named Professor Emeritus of Psychology; W. Brown Morton III will be named Professor Emeritus of Historic Preservation; Arthur L. Tracy will be named Professor Emeritus of History and American Studies; and the late Patricia P. Norwood will be named Professor Emeritus of Music.
Judith A. Crissman
Dr. Crissman’s service to the university spans three decades and includes membership in numerous academic committees, such as the Library Committee, Faculty Organization Committee and the Environmental Awareness Curriculum Advisory Committee. She has been the Jepson Science Center faculty advisor to the Honor Council for the last seven years. Since 1988, she also has been the faculty advisor for the university’s chapter of Chi Beta Phi National Science and Mathematics Honor Society, serving as the national historian/marshal and counselor. Dr. Crissman has served on the Board of Directors of the Campus Christian Community (CCC). In addition, she is a member of the Fredericksburg United Methodist Church, and she sings in the church choir.
She received a bachelor’s degree from Thiel College in Greenville, Pa., and earned a doctoral degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Crissman joined the Mary Washington faculty in 1968.
Stephen L. Griffin
An accomplished photographer, painter and printmaker, Griffin has taught at Mary Washington since 1983. Griffin received a bachelor of fine arts degree from the University of South Dakota. After earning a master of fine arts degree from the University of Wisconsin at Madison, he gained extensive teaching experience at the Madison Area Technical College, Jacksonville State University in Alabama and Virginia Commonwealth University before settling in Fredericksburg.
Throughout his career, Griffin has had an active exhibition record of both solo and group shows in state, regional and national venues, winning awards and bringing him further opportunities for professional development such as arts fellowships. His work can be found in the collections of educational and financial institutions, as well as businesses.
Thomas G. Moeller
Dr. Moeller, who began his Mary Washington career in 1973, holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Marquette University and master’s and doctoral degrees in child behavior and development from the University of Iowa. Additionally, he has received post-doctoral training at the University of Virginia.
Dr. Moeller’s main areas of expertise lie in normal and abnormal child development, educational psychology, parenting education and the study of aggression in youths and adults. He has given workshops on these topics to parents and educators and is the author of the book “Youth Aggression and Violence,” published in 2001. He also has been involved in research on the teaching of psychology and has published journal articles and a book chapter on this topic. For 10 years, Dr. Moeller coordinated an annual statewide workshop for high school teachers of psychology.
Dr. Moeller had articles published in professional journals, has been a panelist for “With Good Reason” on Virginia’s public radio stations, and has written articles for newspapers such as the Richmond Times-Dispatch and the Roanoke Times. Within the Department of Psychology, Dr. Moeller was the founding editor of the alumni newsletter and also coordinated the department’s Graduate-in-Residence program. He is a member of several professional organizations, including the Association for Psychological Science, the Society for Research in Child Development, and the Virginia Psychological Association. In 2007, Dr. Moeller received the Grellet C. Simpson Award for excellence in undergraduate teaching.
W. Brown Morton III
Morton’s record of professional responsibilities, publications, lectures, honors, grants and awards is extensive. Before coming to Mary Washington in 1985, he worked for the U.S. Department of the Interior for 12 years, during which time he was principal architect of the Historic American Buildings Survey and Chief, Technical Preservation Services Division of the National Park Service. He is the co-author of “The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Preservation Projects,” including the “Standards for Rehabilitation” used by the Fredericksburg Architectural Review Board. He also oversaw the UNESCO efforts to save Hue, Vietnam, which was damaged during the Vietnam War, and he served on the Consultative Committee for the Safeguarding of Borobudur, Indonesia, home of the largest Buddhist monument in the world. An expert in historic architecture, architectural conservation and international preservation, Morton has undertaken preservation work in Jordan, Egypt, Italy, Vietnam, Nepal, Indonesia and throughout the United States, including in his hometown of Waterford, Va. His articles have been published in National Geographic magazine.
In 1995, Morton was elected to be the Prince B. Woodard Chair of Historic Preservation by the Mary Washington Board of Visitors. He received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia, and he completed his graduate work in architectural conservation with the Ministère des Affairs Culturelles. He also is an ordained Episcopal priest.
Patricia P. Norwood
A member of the Mary Washington faculty since 1977, Dr. Norwood passed away on January 22, 2008. She received a bachelor’s degree from the Wheaton College Conservatory of Music in Illinois and master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Texas at Austin. A gifted musician, scholar and teacher, she won widespread admiration for her many professional presentations and performances, published articles and reviews and innovative music history and literature courses. Her research focused on the music of the Middle Ages and 19th-century Lied.
Dr. Norwood served two terms as chair of the Department of Music. The author of “Music in Mr. Monroe’s Fredericksburg (1787-1789),” she had recently presented at the 20th Annual James Monroe Lecture and Recital. In addition to serving on numerous departmental and university-wide committees, she was involved with many community organizations, including the Fredericksburg Presbyterian Church, the Rappahannock Music Society, Fredericksburg Candlelight Tour and the Fredericksburg Festival of the Arts. She performed with the Fredericksburg Presbyterian Brass Ensemble and the Fredericksburg Community Concert Band. Her outstanding service record was recognized in 2005 when she received the J. Christopher Bill Outstanding Faculty Service award.
She was a member of the American Musicological Society, the Society for American Music, the Medieval Academy of America and the Hagiographical Society. Additionally, she had served as secretary-treasurer of the Southeastern Medieval Association.
Arthur L. Tracy
Primarily a cultural and intellectual historian, Dr. Tracy has taught a wide range of courses at the university, including the history of the Civil War. He directed the American Studies program for 20 years, and served as the chair of the History and American Studies department for six years. In 1981, he received the Grellet C. Simpson Award for excellence in undergraduate teaching.
Dr. Tracy earned a bachelor’s degree from Barrington College in Rhode Island and master’s and doctoral degrees from American University. He began teaching at Mary Washington in 1968, the first and only faculty appointment of his career.