Assistant Professor of History & Religious Studies Richardson 305 One Brennan Circle Poultney, VT 05764-1199 Email Address: maxwellmj@greenmtn.edu 802-287-8075; Fax: 802-287-8080 Dr. Mary Jane Maxwell specializes in cross cultural contacts between Christians and Muslims in the late medieval era. In particular, she examines the travel accounts of European and Russian merchants who left detailed records of their conversion to Islam while conducting business in Muslim lands. Her scholarly interest in medieval travelers inspired her own personal treks to Europe, Russia, Africa, India, and the Middle East. She brings her travel stories and photos to the classroom where she encourages students to develop a greater appreciation for other cultures. When not traveling, Mary Jane spends her summers fly-fishing in Yaak, Montana. Education Ph.D. History, Washington State University, Pullman Washington, May 2004 Primary field in World History Dissertation title: "Journeys of Faith and Fortune: Christian Travelers in the Dār al-Islām in the 15th and Early 16th Century" M.A. History, Washington State University, 1999 Thesis title: "Sanctity and Power: The Life of Mikhail Iaroslavich Tverskoi 1271-1318" B.A. History Summa Cum Laude, Whitworth College, Spokane, WA, 1997 Courses Taught European Expansion 1400-1800 History of India Islamic World Classical and Christian Europe World History to 1500 Colonial Latin America Modern South Asia Publications Article: "Afanasii Nikitin: An Orthodox Russian’s Spiritual Voyage in the Dār al-Islām, 1468-1475," September 2006 Journal of World History Article: "The Role of the Individual in World History,” World History Connected vol. 3, no. 3 July, 2006. Article: “Structuring the World History Survey,” World History Connected vol. 2, no. 2, May, 2005. Book Review: David Arnold, The Tropics and the Traveling Gaze: India, Landscape and Science, 1800-1856 (University of Washington Press: 2006) Itinerario vol 31, no. 1, 2007. Book Review: Richard C. Foltz, Religions of the Silk Road (St. Martin’s Press: 1999) in World History Connected vol.1 no. 2, May 2004 Book Review: A.G. Hopkins (ed), Globalization in World History (W.W. Norton: 2002) in World History Connected vol. 2, no. 1, November 2004. Forthcoming Publications: Book Review: Blanche D’Souza, Harnessing the Trade Winds (Zand Graphics: 2008) in The Historian Fall 2009 Article: “Nutmeg and Cloves,” forthcoming in Commodities, Culture and History: The Products That Have Changed the World, Facts on File 2010 Entry: "European Travelers to South Asia before 1498," forthcoming in the ABC-CLIO Encyclopedia of World History Entry: "Russia and the Mongols, Thirteenth to Fifteenth Centuries," forthcoming in the ABC-CLIO Encyclopedia of World History Presentations Chair and Comment, “The Politics and Meanings of Commodities, Resources, and Capitalism: Uganda, France, and South Korea,” at Ohio Valley History Conference, Western Kentucky University, October 19, 2007 Conference paper, “Journeys of Faith and Fortune: Christian Merchants in the Dar al-Islam,” at the annual meeting for Forum on European Expansion and Global Interaction at Georgetown University, February, 2008 Conference paper, “From Imposter to Imperialist: Ludovico De Varthema’s Journey from Italy to India 1502-1503,” 2005 WHA Annual Conference, Ifrane, Morocco, June, 2005 Conference paper, “The Role of the Individual in World History,” Northwest Affiliate of the World History Association in Portland, Oregon October, 2004 Guest Speaker for the Early Slavists’ Seminar at Harvard’s Davis Center in Cambridge, MA. September 24, 2004. Topic: “Trade and Conversion: Afanasii Nikitin’s Voyage in World History.” Conference paper, “In the Midst of the Faiths: Afanasii Nikitin’s Spiritual Journey in 15th Century India,” presented at “World History: The Next Ten Years” Boston, March, 2004. Paper presentation “Christian Travelers in the Dār al-Islām” at Washington State University’s Spring 2004 History Colloquium Awards
Academic Memberships American Historical Association World History Association Forum European Expansion and Global Interaction
