Maria Cristina Zaccarini

Maria Cristina Zaccarini is a Professor in the Department of History at Adelphi University’s College of Arts and Sciences, where she has contributed significantly to historical scholarship and pedagogy. Her work bridges global history, gender studies, U.S.-China relations, and the history of medicine and spirituality.

• Ph.D., SUNY Stony Brook (1998)
• B.A., Queens College

Her research interests include the global history of spiritualism, 19th-century U.S. spiritualism (especially during the Civil War), gender history, U.S.-China relations, Chinese medicine in China and the U.S., and the history of women in America. She explores how healing practices, religious movements, and cross-cultural exchanges shaped historical identities and social structures.

Her recent publications reflect a strong interdisciplinary trend, integrating mindfulness, nonviolent communication, and Daoist philosophy into historical pedagogy. Articles such as 'From Self to Society' and 'Mindfulness and Nonviolent Communication in the History Classroom' highlight her innovative approach to teaching history as a tool for personal and social transformation. Her scholarship also delves into Chinese nationalism, Christian womanhood, and the role of female missionaries in transnational medical and cultural exchange.

• Invited and inducted into the Adelphi Omicron Delta Kappa Society (2008)
• Nominated for Best Teacher Award by Student Government (2006–2008)
• Distinguished Faculty Excellence Award (2005)
• Teaching Excellence Award for non-tenured faculty (2004)
• Women's Recognition Award (2005)
• Academia Sinica Research Grant and Publication (2004)
• North Atlantic Missiology Project Research Forum Award (1998)
• Stony Brook University Best Teaching Assistant Award (1990)

Dr. Zaccarini has secured research grants from institutions such as Academia Sinica and Cambridge University, supporting her work on religion and healing. She has also edited and authored influential books and chapters, including Internationalization in Action: Leveraging Diversity and Inclusion in Globalized Classrooms (2020) and Chinese Nationalism and Christian Womanhood (2010). Her teaching philosophy emphasizes empathy, perspective-taking, and the application of historical knowledge to contemporary life, particularly through mindfulness and nonviolent communication. She actively engages in international collaborations, especially with scholars in China, Taiwan, and Morocco, promoting cross-cultural dialogue in higher education.