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The Daily OrangeESF | Newman in a new city
Chair journeys from Georgia to run department for old colleague
By Tom Auchterlonie
Posted: 10/17/07, 1:55 AM EST Section: Feature
David H. Newman has taught on three continents and worked with the Peace Corps.
Until recently, he spent two decades at the University of Georgia's Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, which culminated by being named to the position of associate dean of academic affairs.
In the summer, he joined the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry to head its department of forest and natural resources management.
"It was a new opportunity, and I knew about the program from friends and others," Newman said of his choice to join the ESF faculty.
Newman became familiar with the program and its administration - both played a role in his move - through Provost Bruce C. Bongarten, who was his colleague and predecessor at Warnell.
Bongarten said Newman was recommended to him by a search committee composed of faculty, students and "external constituents." The Georgia dean was the first choice out of three possible candidates for the position. Bongarten said he ultimately chose Newman because he had been "very effective" during their past experiences.
"He had the support of the faculty, and you want a chair that has the support of the faculty, and he definitely had that," Bongarten said. "He is one of the foremost forest and natural resource economists in the country, and that was expertise that was needed."
Ron Hendrick, a former Warnell colleague of 14 years and Newman's successor, echoed Bongarten's approval of Newman.
"David's got a very sharp wit," Hendrick said. "He always tries to employ logic and do things that make great sense."
It was this approach that helped Newman earn an array of accomplishments while working at Warnell.
Newman played a pivotal role in adding a recreation major and in changing the financing for graduate student stipends, Bongarten said. In addition, he helped change the composition of the school's standing committee to give students a stronger voice.
Newman is beginning to carry the same principles to his new department in a series of upcoming initiatives.
"One of Dr. Newman's tasks now that he's here is to look at the curricular offering in the department of forest and natural resources management (and) determine if there are opportunities for attracting students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels," Bongarten said.
In addition, the new chair is charged with assuring that bylaws meet the needs of the current department, he said. Newman is also investigating the viability of creating an external departmental advisory board
Such initiatives are consistent with Newman's desire to keep employees on their feet and to have a robust program, Hendrick, his successor at Warnell, said.
"I would say that David likes to enable people to do their jobs," Hendrick said. "He lets them go about doing what they need to do."
Indeed, these initiatives are meant to make ESF a "top-rated program," Newman said.
"We want to increase our undergraduate enrollment and graduate enrollment," he said. "I guess those are the main goals that I have."
When asked what he thinks of working in Syracuse, Newman said he is enjoying it so far.
"I've been very happy here," he said. "Of course, I haven't seen winter here yet."
Until recently, he spent two decades at the University of Georgia's Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, which culminated by being named to the position of associate dean of academic affairs.
In the summer, he joined the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry to head its department of forest and natural resources management.
"It was a new opportunity, and I knew about the program from friends and others," Newman said of his choice to join the ESF faculty.
Newman became familiar with the program and its administration - both played a role in his move - through Provost Bruce C. Bongarten, who was his colleague and predecessor at Warnell.
Bongarten said Newman was recommended to him by a search committee composed of faculty, students and "external constituents." The Georgia dean was the first choice out of three possible candidates for the position. Bongarten said he ultimately chose Newman because he had been "very effective" during their past experiences.
"He had the support of the faculty, and you want a chair that has the support of the faculty, and he definitely had that," Bongarten said. "He is one of the foremost forest and natural resource economists in the country, and that was expertise that was needed."
Ron Hendrick, a former Warnell colleague of 14 years and Newman's successor, echoed Bongarten's approval of Newman.
"David's got a very sharp wit," Hendrick said. "He always tries to employ logic and do things that make great sense."
It was this approach that helped Newman earn an array of accomplishments while working at Warnell.
Newman played a pivotal role in adding a recreation major and in changing the financing for graduate student stipends, Bongarten said. In addition, he helped change the composition of the school's standing committee to give students a stronger voice.
Newman is beginning to carry the same principles to his new department in a series of upcoming initiatives.
"One of Dr. Newman's tasks now that he's here is to look at the curricular offering in the department of forest and natural resources management (and) determine if there are opportunities for attracting students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels," Bongarten said.
In addition, the new chair is charged with assuring that bylaws meet the needs of the current department, he said. Newman is also investigating the viability of creating an external departmental advisory board
Such initiatives are consistent with Newman's desire to keep employees on their feet and to have a robust program, Hendrick, his successor at Warnell, said."I would say that David likes to enable people to do their jobs," Hendrick said. "He lets them go about doing what they need to do."
Indeed, these initiatives are meant to make ESF a "top-rated program," Newman said.
"We want to increase our undergraduate enrollment and graduate enrollment," he said. "I guess those are the main goals that I have."
When asked what he thinks of working in Syracuse, Newman said he is enjoying it so far.
"I've been very happy here," he said. "Of course, I haven't seen winter here yet."
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