Dr. Joseph D'Angelo has been named a "Harvard Club of Long Island" (HCLI) Fellow, an honor which includes honorary membership in the club and a full scholarship to attend a short program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. On April 16, at the HCLI annual University Relations Brunch, president of the club, Dr. Judith Esterquest, praised Dr. D'Angelo as "a teacher whose love of learning and accomplishment is exceeded only by his love and concern for his students."

In March, Dr. D'Angelo had been named a "Distinguished Teacher of 2005" by the Harvard Club of Long Island. He was one of a dozen teachers from across Long Island to receive this award for which over 100 were nominated.

"In a period when news about education on the island is often negative, detailing failed budgets, adult malfeasance, and administrative corruption," explained Dr. Judith Esterquest, "the HCLI wants to recognize and honor a few unsung heroes who expend uncounted hours and vast stores of energy first to raise the aspirations of our youth and then to help them accomplish dreams."

Dr. D'Angelo has been a teacher at Manhasset Secondary School since 1978 and an educator for 34 years. A graduate of the Honors Program at Queens College (CUNY) with a master's degree in literature and creative writing and a doctorate in communication arts and sciences from New York University, Dr. D'Angelo holds state certifications in English, gifted education and educational administration. The College Board and the New York State United Teachers have certified him as a trainer of teachers of Advanced Placement in English language and literature. As a teacher known to be both tough and caring, he is asked, as many high school teachers are asked, to write college recommendations. It is likely that since beginning teaching he has written over 2,000 pages of such recommendations, including sending 80 or 90 recommendations to the Harvard College Admissions Office.

He began his teaching career at Collegiate School for Boys in Manhattan, where he was a recipient of the Wilson Parkhill Fellowship for teaching excellence. Over the past three decades, Dr. D'Angelo has earned a number of other accolades for his teaching - an inaugural member of the "Leading Educators of the World, 2005" published by the International Biographical Centre of London, England; honors from Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society; the New York State English Council Year 2000 Teacher of Excellence; and honors from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting for the integration of technology into education. He has been twice named Manhasset Exemplars Teacher of the Year and, at graduation ceremonies last year, Manhasset graduates elected him an honorary member of Manhasset's Silver M Honor Society. He is widely sought as a speaker and educational consultant in private practice.

He is an expert martial artist, with several instructor's rankings, and master instructor rankings in Okinawan Isshinryu Karate and Japanese Goju Karate. He has taught unarmed combat to members of the New York City Police Department, Transit Police, FBI, US Marine Corps, and US Army Rangers. Dr. D'Angelo enjoys singing and is a member of the Varsity Choral Society and the Chancel Choir of the Congregational Church of Manhasset.

Diane, his wife of 33 years, is also a career educator. His mother and mother-in-law (both Anna) reside with them in Manhasset. Daughter, Catherine, following family tradition, is teaching English in New York City Public Schools. Dr. and Mrs. D'Angelo are the new grandparents of William Christopher D'Angelo, born to their son, Christopher and his wife, Suzie, on March 3, 2005.

Nominated by former students who now attend Harvard College, Dr. D'Angelo has been described as "a master of English literature, a sage on life's experiences, with a stubborn commitment to urging all his students to make the best of themselves" by one student, and by another as "He opens our eyes and changes how we see the world - from distinct experiences to a vast classroom. He changes the lives around him. He lights up the classroom and his teaching gives students the confidence to try anything - he made me (and so many others) come 'alive' intellectually."

The scholarship to a Harvard Graduate School of Education summer program on the Harvard University campus in Cambridge, MA includes tuition, materials, room and board, and is funded by contributions from Harvard alumni living on Long Island. "These teachers are amazingly talented and hard-working educators. We are proud to honor them with these awards," added selection committee member and former HCLI President Maria Skirnick of Manhasset.

The dozen Distinguished Teacher Award winners who were nominated by current Harvard students were then selected by members of the HCLI. Some teach AP Physics and AP Latin, others teach seventh grade math and English. One is currently teaching at the Nassau County jail. A few teach at schools that send two or more students to Harvard every year; others teach at schools that have sent only a couple in 20 years. The dozen districts include East Meadow, Greenport, Great Neck, Islip, King's Park, Manhasset, Northport, Plainedge/Massapequa, Smithtown, Syosset, Ward Melville/Setauket, and West Hempstead.

Besides Dr. D'Angelo, four other teachers at Manhasset High School were honored for their teaching and received letters of recognition from the HCLI: Dr. David Dorman, Mr. Peter Guastella, Mrs. Maria Untracht, and Mrs. Loretta Villani.

"Over the past 20 years, Harvard has accepted students from more than two-thirds of the approximately 120 school districts on Long Island," said Carolyn Hughes, who chairs the HCLI Schools & Scholarships Committee, which ensures every Long Island applicant to Harvard gets a personal alumni interview. "In the past five years, Harvard has accepted students from more than half of these districts. Because of this reach, we decided to have current Harvard undergraduates nominate the Long Island teachers who had the greatest effect on their lives and the lives of their fellow students." The Harvard Club of Long Island website is www.harvardclubli.com.

This year Harvard College received 22,659 applications nationally (485 from Long Island) for the approximately 1600 places in the class of 2009. There are approximately 160 undergraduates from Long Island currently at Harvard College.