Jonathan Newman

Dr. Jonathan Newman is a professor and director of the School of Environmental Sciences as well as adjunct professor in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Guelph. He received his BA in Biology and English in 1985 and completed a PhD in Ecology in 1990 at The University at Albany, State University of New York. In 2000, Dr. Newman earned his Graduate Diploma in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education and received an MA by special decree from Oxford University. Prior to joining the University of Guelph, he completed a post-doctorate at Oxford University and held faculty positions at Southern Illinois University and Oxford University. 

Since joining the University of Guelph in 2004, Dr. Newman has been performing innovative research as an applied ecologist researching the ecological impacts of endophytic fungi, invasive species and climate change on the composition and function of natural and managed agroecosystems. He collaborates with AgResearch Grasslands in New Zealand as well as researchers within SES and the Department of Integrative Biology at the University of Guelph. In 2007, he began a long-term study of 340 permanent research plots to look at the impacts of invasive species on ecosystem functioning. Dr. Newman admits that the project has been a tremendous amount of work, but is eagerly expecting results in the next few years.

Dr. Newman serves as a member of the grant selection committee for the OMAFRA-UofG environmental sustainability program, is on the editorial board of the journal Global Change Biology and associate editor for the Journal of Ecology and Journal of Animal Ecology.  

Dr. Newman recently completed his first book titled: Climate Change Biology, which is due out early next year (published by CABI). He is now writing his second book tentatively titled ‘Defending Conservation: Environmental Ethics for Environmentalists’ (to be published by Cambridge University Press). Dr. Newman served 24 years in the US Army Reserve retiring as a Major, with a Meritorious Service Medal and four Army Commendation Medals.

He finds being a continuous student and learning from colleagues to be the most rewarding aspects of his career.