Niagara Mourns the Death of Dr. Theresa J. Zielinski
Theresa J. Zielinski, Ph.D., former NU chemistry professor, died Feb. 17, 2024, at her residence in Milltown, N.J., in the company of her husband, Masayuki Shibata, Ph.D. She was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., Oct. 3, 1941. Theresa obtained a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from Fordham University in 1973.
Dr. Zielinski was accomplished in the field of physical chemistry. She loved teaching, having dedicated the latter part of her career to advancing chemistry education. Dr. Zielinski served at NU from August 1980 to August 1996, having risen to tenured professor in 1983. In 1994, she received NU’s Excellence in Scholarship Award.
After leaving NU, she worked at Monmouth University, N.J., serving as professor and chair of the Department of Chemistry, Medical Technology, and Physics, until her retirement in 2014. Always kind, she challenged both colleagues and students to be fine scholars and well-rounded human beings. Dr. Zielinski will be remembered as a beloved mentor with a maternal heart.