The University of Guelph has appointed a new dean in the College of Biological Science (CBS). Prof. Jonathan Newman, director of the School of Environmental Sciences (SES), will begin a five-year term Aug. 1.
The announcement was made today by Prof. Serge Desmarais, interim provost and vice-president (academic), who chaired the search committee.
“Jonathan has demonstrated leadership abilities and academic vision, most recently through founding and heading SES. He is known as a strong, decisive leader, and has solid ideas for expanding and enhancing CBS,” Desmarais said.
“He is also aware of broader issues affecting U of G and higher education in general, and will bring continuity and innovation to help us meet these challenges.”
In making the announcement, Desmarais thanked outgoing dean Mike Emes for his contributions over the past 13 years. He also thanked search committee members and the University community for their participation and commitment.
A U of G professor since 2004, Newman is the founding director of SES. The school was established in 2009 through the merger of the former departments of Land Resource Science and Environmental Biology. Newman chaired Environmental Biology from April 2008 to August 2009.
He currently serves as a member of the University’s Board of Governors and as U of G’s academic colleague with the Council of Ontario Universities. He belongs to the grant selection committees for the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs-U of G environmental sustainability and emergency management programs, and has served as interim director of the U of G Arboretum.
An ecologist, Newman studies ecological interactions, invasive species and the biological impacts of climate change.
“I am delighted to be joining CBS,” Newman said.
“The opportunity to work with this community of outstanding scholars and teachers, professional staff and fantastic students is a genuine honour. I look forward to working together to build on our already strong foundation.”
Newman is the lead author of the book Climate Change Biology and has published more than 100 papers and journal articles. He is the associate editor of the Journal of Ecology and the Journal ofAnimal Ecology, and belongs to the editorial board for the journal Global Change Biology.
He received an Alumni Award for Excellence in Science and Technology from the University at Albany, State University of New York, and is an elected fellow of the Society of Biology in the United Kingdom.
Before joining U of G, Newman held faculty positions at Southern Illinois University and St. Peter’s College, University of Oxford. He was a post-doctoral research fellow at Linacre College, University of Oxford.
Newman earned his BA and PhD at Albany and completed a graduate diploma in learning and teaching in higher education at Oxford.