Dr. Mary J. Trotter is the 2023-24 Arkansas Tech University professor of the year.
Trotter, assistant professor of music at Arkansas Tech, was chosen through a student vote conducted by the ATU Student Government Association. More than 40 members of the ATU faculty were nominated for 2023-24 ATU professor of the year.
“I am beyond honored,” said Trotter. “Students are the reason why I do what I do. To be here tonight and to have been nominated for this…the nomination is very humbling and honoring. It affirms that I’m on the right track. I tell my students on the first day of class that I see them as human beings first and students second. Different students in different places have different challenges as humans. At the end of the day, I’m just here to work with human beings.”
Trotter joined the ATU faculty in fall 2022. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Whitworth University, a Master of Music degree from the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Minnesota.
She teaches courses in piano and introduction to music in the ATU Department of Music. Originally from Snohomish, Wash., Trotter has served as pianist for state, regional and national American Choral Directors Association and National Association of Teachers of Singing events.
Trotter has presented her work at such institutions as Yale University, Colorado State University, Northern Arizona University, the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, the University of St. Thomas, Gonzaga University and Southwest Baptist University. She has given multiple performances of her lecture-recital entitled “I, Too, Sing America: the Friendship and Collaboration of Margaret Bonds and Langston Hughes.”
“(Trotter’s) exceptional dedication and compassion extends far beyond her role as a professor,” reads a portion of the student nomination of Trotter for Arkansas Tech professor of the year. “Not only does she excel in nurturing talent, but she also opens her office as a safe haven for students and colleagues alike. Her willingness to lend a listening ear, offer guidance and provide comfort to those in need showcases her profound empathy and generosity of spirit. She sets a shining example of what it means to go above and beyond the job of a professor.”
