Issue link: http://ncumarketing.uberflip.com/i/1104021
As a young boy growing up in a household of five children in a working-class Pittsburgh neighborhood, Dr. Tom Matta's life path was altered through a mentorship with a friend's dad. While their time together wasn't extensive, it was enough for Dr. Matta to envision a different future for himself through higher education. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. He also earned a Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy, and a PhD in Sociology and Marriage and Family Therapy from University of Southern California. Influenced by the mentor in his life, Dr. Matta became a mentor too, first by helping his brothers obtain their GEDs and eventually, their PhDs. The power of mentorship led Dr. Matta to become a professor, and he found NCU's one-to-one learning model attractive. Dr. Matta has been a professor with NCU since 2011, and teaches a wide variety of courses in the Department of Marriage and Family Sciences. "There is a yearning to pass on something to the next generation of marriage and family therapists, and I am passionate about teaching and mentoring my students," Dr. Matta says. Dr. Matta is also a licensed marriage and family therapist focused on counseling couples and teenagers. "An active professional practice allows me to infuse coursework material with a freshness that wouldn't be there otherwise. There are always new examples to pull into the feedback and/or supervision I offer to students." 32 MEET OUR MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPY PROFESSORS TOM MATTA, PhD