Where Are They Now: Alexander Paluzzi, MSOT ‘21

Alexander Paluzzi, MSOT ‘21, wasn’t a typical Occupational Therapy (OT) student at Salus University. After graduating with a bachelor’s in secondary education and a master’s in international education, both from Drexel University, he started his career teaching social studies and working as an Applied Behavior Analysis Autism therapist.

Because he ended up in the Autism therapy world, he was exposed to the OT profession, and the work they do. A lot of the students he worked with received OT services, which made an impression on him.

So, he decided a career change was in order.

"The more that I saw that good things that were coming out of OT, I thought that was what I wanted to be doing,” said Paluzzi, a native of Cherry Hill, New Jersey. “It was really seeing the impact OTs were having that made me start to think this was what I ultimately wanted to be doing.”

When he went on the tour of Salus University’s Elkins Park, Pennsylvania campus and completed his interview with the Office of Admissions, he recalled driving home and calling his girlfriend, who is now his wife, Joanna Wong. “I told her this was the place for me. It just felt like the right place,” he said. “The people are amazing; the program sounds like exactly what I want. It just feels right and this is the place I want. As soon as I got the offer, it was a no-brainer to decide to go to Salus.”

While at Salus, he was different from many of the other OT students in that he had some life experiences and had already worked in the professional world. What he didn’t have — and what the University’s master’s OT program provided him — was the health science background traditional OTs have.

“Many of the other students went to undergrad for a specific goal to go to OT school and become an OT. So, they studied some things in undergrad to pursue that goal. I didn’t have that,” said Paluzzi. “I kind of felt behind the eight-ball. But, Salus did a fantastic job of providing that information and preparing me to enter the profession.”

He now works in outpatient orthopedic rehabilitation at the Active Spine and Joint Institute in Marlton, New Jersey. While there, he has fallen in love with hand therapy and his ultimate career goals include specializing in hand therapy. Not only that but because of his teaching background, the Salus OT department has asked him to be an adjunct instructor. Right now, he is teaching anatomy and kinesiology as well as in areas that most closely relate to hand therapy, which is in the Orthotics and Prosthetics program on topics such as making custom hand splints.

Because he is a Drexel University alum and his father Richard Paluzzi has worked for Drexel Medicine for many years, Paluzzi thinks the upcoming pending merger between the two institutions make a lot of sense.

“It plays into healthcare, and I think that’s really great,” he said. “There are a lot of bright minds in healthcare at Drexel and adding in the already-established intelligent people at Salus will expand that base of knowledge that ultimately benefits the next generation of students.”

When he’s not being an OT or an OT instructor, Paluzzi and his wife enjoy outdoor activities, like hiking and skiing. The couple is also expecting their first child in September.

“All those hobbies are probably going out the window then,” he said.