Dr. Hickey earned a baccalaureate from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale (1967), a master's degree from Michigan State University (1968), and a doctoral degree from the University of Miami (Florida) in 1972.

Following postdoctoral training at the University of Wisconsin, he joined the faculty at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he remained for 24 years. While moving through the academic ranks, he maintained a federally-funded program of research focused on the structural development of the primary visual pathway. In addition, he served in a variety of administrative roles, including founding director of the Vision Science Research Center, founding chair (graduate program director) of the Committee on Graduate Study in Neuroscience, dean and co-director of the Graduate School, assistant vice president for Health Affairs, associate vice president for Medical Center Programs, and associate provost for Academic Programs.

From 1997 to 2000, Dr. Hickey served as dean of the College of Sciences at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. In this role his responsibilities included all instructional, research, and public service programs in a college offering degrees in the areas of biological sciences, chemistry and biochemistry, computer science, geology, mathematics and statistics, oceanography, physics, and psychology.

Dr. Hickey began his service as senior vice president and provost at the University of Akron on May 1, 2000. As senior vice president he functioned as the chief operating officer of the university and served in the absence of the president. As provost he served as the chief academic officer of the university with responsibility for ten degree-granting colleges, including: Arts and Sciences, Business Administration, Community and Technical College, Education, Engineering, Fine and Applied Arts, Law, Nursing, Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering, and Wayne College. In addition, he oversaw University Libraries, University College, the Honors Program, the Division of Workforce Development and Continuing Education, Adult Focus, Army and Air Force ROTC programs, and a large number of research centers and institutes.

In July of 2003 Dr. Hickey became provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at the University of Central Florida. In September of 2006 Dr. Hickey was promoted to Provost and Executive Vice President.