Joe Matarazzo

Joseph D. Matarazzo, PhD, ABPP passed away January 23, 2025 at the age of 99. As one of the early pioneers of medical and health psychology, Joe was a significant influence on the careers of many of us. Joe was the recipient of the ABPP Distinguished Contribution to the Profession Award in 1986. He served as President of the American Psychological Association. He was initially board-certified in Clinical Psychology, serving as the ABPP BOT Rep for ABCP. Joe was an original board member of the American Board of Clinical Neuropsychology and it was Joe that originally incorporated the American Board of Health Psychology, which later evolved into the American Board of Clinical Health Psychology. The department that he established at the Oregon Health and Science University is renowned as the first medical psychology department. Our profession owes much to Dr. Matarazzo and his work. We mourn his passing, while we also celebrate his life.

In a 1994 article, published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings (JCPMS), where he served on its first advisory board and helped establish the journal by publishing in its first issue, Matarazzo (1994) described how after “a century of benign neglect … physicians and psychologists have rediscovered a common ground in the arena labeled health and behavior” (p 7). That one sentence, that article, and that important thought all characterize Matarazzo’s leadership and impact on the field of psychology and the education, science, and practice of psychology across all health care settings and with all patient populations. Besides his impact on the APA (APA, 1992), health psychology (Matarazzo, 1994a), medical education (Lubin, Nathan, & Matarazzo, 1978), building the model psychology department in an academic healthcare center (Matarazzo, 1994b), and being a founder of the Association of Psychologists in Academic Health Centers (Silver, Carr, & Leventhal, 2005), many of us remember him for this support and mentorship across our careers. Joe was instrumental in my (Dr. Rozensky) receiving promotion to professor and his ideas and guidance were key to the birth and success of JCPMS. But amongst the many Joe stories I could tell, this one stands out and highlights how he cared about and shaped our field: 

Joe was flying to DC for our annual convention with a layover in Chicago. I happened to be booked on the same flight. When I arrived at the gate he was surrounded by a half dozen students, all with posters in tubes, on their way to our same meeting. Joe was telling them about the importance of health and behavior, working in medical hospitals, the independence of psychology in those settings, and about where to get free food at receptions at the upcoming convention. That was Joe.

Joe’ obituary may also be found here: https://obits.oregonlive.com/us/obituaries/oregon/name/joseph-matarazzo-obituary?id=57475802