Devin Zuckerman
Indian and Tibetan Buddhism | Contemplative Studies | Buddhist Environmental Thought and Practice
Cirriculum Vitae
I'm a teacher and scholar of religion. My research explores Buddhist philosophies of materiality, the human body, the senses, the environment, and the convergence of these themes in Buddhist practices of meditation. I'm currently a post-doctoral research associate at the Contemplative Sciences Center and Climate Fellow with the Environmental Institute, at the University of Virginia.
Education
Ph.D. Department of Religious Studies, University of Virginia, 2024
M.Div. Harvard Divinity School, Harvard University, 2016
B.A. Department of Religious Studies, Naropa University, 2013
Publications
Peer Reviewed Journal Articles
The Chapter on The Theory of The Elements (‘byung ba’i gnas) in Klong chen pa’s Treasury of the Supreme Vehicle (Theg mchog mdzod)“ in Revue d’Etudes Tibétaines, forthcoming.
Book Chapters
Elemental Ways of Knowing, Sensing, and Being in the Unimpeded Sound Tantra (Sgra thal ‘gyur) inContemplative Practice in Tibetan Contexts, Brill Tibetan Studies Library, forthcoming.
Special Issues Edited
Christie, Kotva, Mayse, & Zuckerman, Journal of Contemplative Studies 3 Special Issue on Contemplative Ecology, forthcoming
Calobrisi & Zuckerman, Journal of Dharma Studies 3, no. 2 (2020). Special Issue on Buddhism and the History of Science, p.215-348.
In Submission
Sky Divinations: A Practice from the Unimpeded Sound Tantra, Journal of Contemplative Studies 3 Special Issue on Contemplative Ecology.
Whitepapers
Bultman & Zuckerman, “Revisiting Religion and Place in Light of Environmental, Legal, and Indigenous Studies,” Religion, Race & Democracy Lab, National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), forthcoming.
Teaching
University of Virginia, Instructor of Record
Buddhist Environmental Thought and Practice (Spring 2023)
University of Virginia, Teaching Assistant
Introduction to Eastern Religious Traditions (Spring 2021)
Buddhist Meditation and the Modern Secular World (January 2021)
Religion, Ethics, and Global Environments (Spring 2019)
Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism (Fall 2017/2018 Spring 2018)
Harvard University, Teaching Assistant
Buddhism Through Its Scriptures (Summer 2016)
Grants and Fellowships (Selected)
2023
Climate Futures Design Research Grant, School of Architecture Center for Design, University of Virginia (Co-PI with Dr. Cassandra Fraser and Matthew Seibert)
2022
Environmental Resilience Institute Spark Grant, University of Virginia (Co-PI with Dr. Cassandra Fraser)
Page-Barbour Workshops Award, University of Virginia (Co-PI with Dr. Cassandra Fraser)
Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Virginia (Co-PI with Dr. Cassandra Fraser)
2021
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Teaching Relief Fellowship, University of Virginia
2019
Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad Fellowship
2018
Buckner W. Clay Award in the Humanities, Institute of the Humanities and Global Cultures, University of Virginia
Public Talks and Research Presentations
Conference Presentations
2023
Inside, Outside: Elemental Bodies and Environments in the Seventeen Tantras (Rgyu bcu bdun), American Academy of Religion (Tibetan and Himalayan Religions Unit), San Antonio, TX, November 20.
“Elements of Experience: Earth, Water, Fire, and Wind in the Seventeen Tantras (Rgyud bcu bdun), American Academy of Religion (Tantric Studies Unit), San Antonio, TX, November 18.
2022
“Elemental Theory in Longchenpa’s Treasury of the Supreme Vehicle (Theg mchog mdzod),” International Seminar of Young Tibetologists, Charlottesville, VA, July 31-August 6.
“‘When There’s Fire in the Time of Fire’: Elemental-Sensory Contemplative Practices in 12th Century Great Perfection Seminal Heart Literature,” International Association of Tibetan Studies, Prague, Czech Republic, July 3-8.
2021
“‘No One Does this Anymore’: Shifting perspectives on Matter, Materiality, and the Elements in Tibet’s Great Perfection Tradition,” Institute of Buddhist Studies Symposium, Berkeley, CA, October 22.
2020
“The Sound of Earth, Water, Fire and Wind: Elemental Theory and Practice in 11th-12th Century Great Perfection Literature,” (w/ Adam Liddle), American Academy of Religion, Online November 29-December 10.
“Five Element Theory and the Environmental Imagination in 12th Century Nyingma Tantra,” International Conference on Vajrayana Buddhism, Thimphu, Bhutan (Canceled Covid-19).
Invited Talks
2024
“Bodies, Environments, and their Elemental Entanglements in the Seventeen Great Perfection Tantras” Buddhism & the Body in Tibet Symposium, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, April 19.
“Buddhist Elemental Environments” Touching Earth Series on Buddhism and the Environment, Buddhist Studies Institute, April 6
“The Environmental Imagination” Touching Earth Series on Buddhism and the Environment, Buddhist Studies Institute, April 5
2023
“Buddhist Elemental Thought Across Time, Place, and Genre,” Mangalam Research Institute, Berkeley, California, October 3.
2021
“Tibetan Buddhist Meditation Traditions,” Insight Meditation Society, Charlottesville, Virginia, October 5.
Environmental Humanities Research
2023 - present
“Religion, Ecology, and Environmental Ethics: A Case Study for the Applied Humanities,” Stanford Changing Human Experience Initiative, Stanford University.
2023
"Environmental Repair and Relatedness in Himalayan Buddhism" Speaker Series. Unviersity of Virginia. With Dr. Kalzang Bhutia (UC Riverside) and Dr. Pasang Sherpa (UBC). Sponsored by UVa Tibet Center and the Virginia Center for the Study of Religion. Convener.
"Copper in Virginia" The tranSci Lab for Real World Chemistry and Creative Communication, University of Virginia. Object-oriented story-telling project.
2022
"Pedagogy of Awe" Seminar. Religion, Race and Democracy Lab, University of Virginia. Dark skies conservation.
2021
“Fugitive.” Page-Barbour Workshop. University of Virginia. Seminar on "fugitive" chemicals. Project Assistant.
2019
Sanctuaries: Bhutan. Religion, Race and Democracy Lab, University of Virginia & The Royal University of Bhutan. Environmental humanities field research.
2018
Sanctuaries: Yellowstone. Yellowstone National Park. Environmental humanities field research.
2017
Listening Lab. Anheuser-Busch Coastal Research Center, University of Virginia. “Ecoacoustics” as an approach to coastal conservation research.
Digital Humanities Projects
2022 - present
Rdzogs chen Encyclopedia. Generative Contemplation Initiative, Contemplative Sciences Center, University of Virginia. Digital encyclopedia of contemplative practices in Rdzogs chen tradition.
2015
“Legends of the Eighty-Four Mahāsiddhas” Google Arts and Culture exhibit for The Buddhist Digital Resource Center. https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/tibetan-buddhist-resource-center
Languages
Modern Tibetan: Advanced reading, writing, and speaking
Classical Tibetan: Advanced reading and writing
Sanskrit: Advanced reading and writing
French: Intermediate reading and writing