MONTVALE—For Dr. Aarti Mallya, science is more than a subject: it’s a doorway into curiosity, discovery, and resilience — and a way for students to see themselves as capable of shaping the future.
Last week, the New Jersey Department of Education recognized her lifelong commitment to that vision, naming the Pascack Hills High School educator the 2025–2026 Bergen County Teacher of the Year. Mallya was honored alongside 20 other County Teachers of the Year at a ceremony at The College of New Jersey in Ewing.
Gov. Phil Murphy lauded the honorees, saying, “Great teachers make for great schools, and New Jersey is home to the best public school system in the nation. I applaud this year’s 21 County Teachers of the Year for their hard work and dedication to uplift young learners across our state.”
Education Commissioner Kevin Dehmer added that the group represents “the kind of dynamic and innovative instruction that we see in classrooms in school districts across New Jersey.”
And the Pascack Valley Regional High School District, serving families in Hillsdale, River Vale, Montvale, and Woodcliff Lake, posted, “Dr. Mallya’s passion for teaching, innovative approach to learning, and unwavering dedication to her students embody the very best of PVRHSD. This honor is a testament to her remarkable impact both inside and outside the classroom.”
A Career of Leadership and Connection
Mallya has spent more than 25 years in education, combining scholarly expertise with hands-on mentorship. For 13 years she served as District Supervisor of Science and Technology Education in the Pascack Valley Regional High School District before choosing to return to the classroom to reconnect directly with students.
Her academic credentials are formidable: she earned a doctorate from Columbia University, where she wrote her dissertation on expanding science learning beyond the classroom and co-authored an inquiry-based science and nutrition curriculum. Before entering education, she worked as a researcher in oncology and cardiovascular pharmacology.
At Pascack Hills, she teaches AP Biology, Honors Research in Molecular Genetics, and freshman biology. Her Research in Molecular Genetics course, offered in collaboration with the Waksman Institute of Microbiology at Rutgers University, allows students to conduct original research and present their findings at the North Jersey International Science and Engineering Qualifying Fair.
Mentorship and Inspiration
Beyond the lab bench and the classroom, Mallya’s influence reaches across the school community. She advises the Science National Honor Society, Medical Club, and Research Club, and regularly organizes field trips, research projects, and even conservation trips to Costa Rica.
She also mentors aspiring teachers as a Clinical Faculty Member at Montclair State University, where she helps train the next generation of educators. As a certified wellness and life coach, she balances academic rigor with a holistic concern for her students’ well-being.
Mallya is a frequent presenter at local and national conferences, sharing insights on science instruction, curriculum development, and student empowerment.
Colleagues and students alike describe her as a teacher who blends rigor with encouragement, and who never loses sight of the individual student in front of her.
Her recognition as Bergen County Teacher of the Year underscores what her students already know: that she brings both expertise and heart to the classroom.
As NJEA President Sean Spiller noted of all 21 honorees, “These awardees exemplify the very best our schools have to offer, and I am immensely grateful for the contributions of these exceptional educators to our school communities.”
The next step for Mallya and her fellow County Teachers of the Year will be serving as ambassadors for the profession statewide. From their ranks, one educator will be chosen as New Jersey State Teacher of the Year and go on to compete nationally.
For her students at Pascack Hills, however, the award is simply a public acknowledgment of what they experience daily: a teacher whose passion for science is matched only by her passion for seeing them succeed.
The 2024–2025 New Jersey State Teacher of the Year is Stefanie Lachenauer, a civics and mindfulness teacher at Montgomery Upper Middle School in Somerset County.