Dr. Peter Newman was appointed Dean of the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources on July 1, 2024. He earned his Ph.D. in Natural Resources from ¶¶Òõ̽̽ and his M.S. in Forest Resource Management from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry College. Peter was the inaugural Suzie and Allen Martin Professor and Head of the Department of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management, with a joint faculty appointment in the Graduate Degree Program in Acoustics at Penn State University.
Peter’s research focuses on social carrying capacity decision-making in the context of protected areas management. He has conducted visitor use management studies in parks and protected areas within the United States and internationally. Peter has conducted studies in Denali, Grand Canyon, Grand Teton, Acadia, and the Great Smokies and is a long-standing partner of the National Park Service (NPS), Natural Sounds and Night Sky Division in Fort Collins, CO.
Peter is a Fellow of the Academy of Leisure Science and a member of the Gund Institute for Environment Steering Committee. Throughout his career, he has led the implementation of high-quality undergraduate and graduate teaching, research, advising, and student engagement.
Peter is passionate about outdoor recreation. He was a member of the Backcountry Patrol, USFS in Idaho and a National Service Park Ranger in Yosemite National Park.
