Piscataway Township Schools

Dr. Tom Connors was a member of the Board of Education from 2008 to 2020. During that time, he served as Vice President in 2013 and President in 2019. Tom got elected back to the Board in 2021 and was named as the 2022 Board President. Tom is a “Certified Board Leader.” Certified Board Leader is the highest level of individual board member recognition from the New Jersey School Boards Association (NJSBA) Board Member Academy. In order to receive this recognition/ honor, a board member must participate in more than 150 hours of comprehensive training and testing addressing Strategic Planning; Advocacy; Ethics, Communication, Labor Relations; School Law; Legal/ Policy; Finance; Governance; and Student Achievement.

Dr. Connors is a lifelong learner and dedicated to serving students of Piscataway and their families. He lives by the motto "when we all contribute a little, we all achieve a lot." He worked hard in high school, was a five letter varsity athlete, the President of the Student Council, and the Student Member of the Board of Education. He went on to college, worked on weekends, and earned his Bachelor’s degree in Molecular Biology and Ph.D. in Chemistry. A good public education was the foundation to his success. When he looks back at all the situations life threw his way, he was able to adapt by taking advantage of all the programs and opportunities that were made possible by the school board. He can relate to the students who need to work in addition to attending school. Tom believes that when a district has effective school governance, it can promote the achievement of all students through an engaging curriculum and its programs. He’s committed to seeing that all Piscataway students are prepared for the future. He believes in “Putting Kids First” by ensuring that the rich cultural and social diversity of our community is represented and respected in our schools. Tom will continue to improve the culture and climate in our schools through our nationally recognized “You, I, We" Inspire character education program. He encourages everyone in our school community, administrators, teachers, staff, and students to be positive, inspire and believe in one another, and help each other to see their own self worth and achieve their highest potentials.

Dr. Connors earned his Bachelor’s degree in Molecular Biology from Eastern Connecticut State College in 1980 and his Doctorate in Chemistry from the University of Connecticut in 1986. He was a Post Doctoral Fellow at the Connecticut State Department of Health and has been a member of the American Chemical Society (ACS) and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) since 1982. After 25 years, he retired from the Technology Division of the Colgate-Palmolive Company. After his career at Colgate, he became Director of Product Development for a privately held company called Envirochem, Inc. Tom holds 41 formulation patents, has co-authored 33 peer reviewed published scientific articles, and is an academic 'Google Scholar' listed as Thomas F. Connors, Ph.D.

Dr. Connors and his wife Abigail and have been married for 40 years. Abby earned her M.Ed. from the University of Connecticut. She’s an early childhood music education teacher, author, and presenter.

Tom and Abby have three children who all attended Piscataway public schools, pre-K through high school. They were all National Honor Society students and then attended nearby Rutgers University. Education is a priority in Tom’s family. Their oldest, Matt, graduated from the Honors Program with a double major in Chemistry and Physics. He then went on to receive his Doctorate in Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Their son Steve graduated from the English Department Honors Program and currently works with special needs students. Their daughter Shannon graduated from the Psychology Department and then went on to receive her M.Ed. from the Graduate School of Education. She is currently a 7th grade Math teacher.

Dr. Connors is a former Piscataway Soccer Club executive board member and coach. He was also a youth sports coach in little league and middle school recreation basketball program. Tom was a coach when Piscataway received the Sports Illustrated “Sports Town USA” Award in 2003. He’s a former member of the high school athletic booster club and the executive board of the Superchief Band Parents Association. Tom is also a former member of the Piscataway Township Environmental Advisory and Open Space Committees.