Christina Mortellaro, Ph.D.

Dr. Christina M. Mortellaro came to Saint Peter’s University in 2008 where she currently is an Assistant Professor of the Biology department primarily teaching human anatomy and physiology and related biology elective courses. She earned a B.S in Biology from Fairleigh Dickinson University in 2006, and an M.S in Biology from Fairleigh Dickinson University in 2007. She received a Ph.D. in Health Sciences from Seton Hall University in 2015. Dr. Mortellaro was first attracted to Saint Peter’s University because of its dedication to putting the student first in pursuit of cura personalis, the Jesuit value of caring for the entire person. Since adopting this mantra, Dr. Mortellaro has devoted her career to educating her students on subject content while also sharing her passion for learning. She strives to not only disseminate knowledge upon her students, but to teach in a manner in which is both effective and enjoyable.

One of Dr. Mortellaro’s responsibilities as a Professor that is most important to her is serving as an advisor. Being that her own career was heavily shaped through meaningful advisement, it is Dr. Mortellaro’s deepest intention to guide and support her own students in any way that she can. In order to fulfill this desire to help, Dr. Mortellaro serves as a first-year advisor for the nursing majors and biology majors, a co-advisor for Beta Beta Beta, the Biological Honors Society, a departmental representative at admissions events, and serves as the Director for collaborative health science programs in Radiography and Health Information Management. Furthermore, she dedicates her time to being the Assessment Coordinator for the Biology Department and as the Director of Student Learning Outcomes Assessment for the University where she works towards positively improving learning outcomes.

Dr. Mortellaro finds the most rewarding part of teaching to be watching the student’s growth and development into confident graduates with an appreciation for knowledge, dedication, and perseverance, regardless of their individual obstacles. It is through her own experiences at Saint Peter’s University, and more specifically being involved in academia, that Dr. Mortellaro can attest to the true development of the whole person both personally and within her students.