EAST BRUNSWICK — Veteran school psychologist Thomas Massarelli of the Middlesex County Vocational and Technical Schools (MCVTS) has been honored by two professional organizations for his work at East Brunswick Vo-Tech and Seton Hall University.
Massarelli — who is the lead member of one of two child study teams at East Brunswick Vo-Tech, and is also a professor in the Department of Professional Psychology and Family Therapy and director of the School and Community Psychology Program at Seton Hall — received the Distinguished Teacher of the Year Award from the New Jersey Psychological Association and the Professional Development Award of Kappa Delta Pi, an international honor society.
The New Jersey Psychological Association presented the award Oct. 25 during its fall conference at the Metropark Woodbridge Hotel in Iselin.
“These awards are well-deserved by Dr. Massarelli,” MCVTS Superintendent of Schools Brian J. Loughlin said. “He is a valuable asset for our district.”
“Dr. Massarelli has helped me better understand student behavior,” said Robert Feldman, principal of the School of Career Development on the MCVTS East Brunswick campus. “He is a true advocate for his students and has earned the trust and respect of all on his caseload and also those who are not.”
Kappa Delta Pi, which recognizes and promotes excellence in education, honored Massarelli in August for his program titled “Intervention with Autistic Spectrum Disorder Students.”
The organization has more than 600 chapters and 43,000 members worldwide. Massarelli has been a member for more than 20 years.
Massarelli — who has three degrees from Seton Hall, including a doctorate, and has worked at East Brunswick Vo-Tech for 26 years — has headed the School and Community Psychology Program at his alma mater since 1998.
He began his career as a biology teacher, which he says has helped him as a psychologist working with troubled youths.
“I always enjoyed combining education and psychology,” he said. “Those are my two loves. They go together very well in working with children, adolescents and adults.
Massarelli received the School Psychologist of the Year Award from the New Jersey Association of School Psychologists in 2012. He also has been honored by the state Department of Education Governor’s Teacher Recognition Program.