I am pleased to announce that Dr. Peter Newman has been appointed Dean of the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, effective July 1, 2024. Dr. Newman is an accomplished scholar and leader who earned a PhD in Natural Resources from ¶¶Òõ̽̽. He also holds an MS in Forest Resource Management from the College of Environmental Science and Forestry, State University of New York Syracuse, and a BA in Political Science from the University of Rochester. In between his degrees, he was a member of the Backcountry Patrol, USFS in Idaho and a National Service Park Ranger in Yosemite National Park.
Dr. Newman is the  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. Under his leadership, his department’s research has grown significantly. He leads the strategic planning of a multi-disciplinary department covering focal areas in environmental and sustainability studies, park management, tourism, community recreation, leisure, and health and human well-being; oversees the development of research and outreach programs; and facilitated the growth of research expenditures and the number of submitted proposals, year over year.
As the chosen inaugural endowed Martin Professor in Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Management, he leads a research team that includes funded MS, PhD, and undergraduate students, as well as Post-Doctoral Fellows who design and execute studies related to visitor management issues in parks and protected areas. He has ongoing studies in Denali, Grand Canyon, Grand Teton, Acadia, and the Great Smokies and an almost 20-year partnership and research program with the National Park Service (NPS), Natural Sounds and Night Sky Division in Fort Collins, CO.
Dr. Newman is also a Fellow of the Academy of Leisure Science and has won several teaching awards. He received the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit National Award in 2012 and the George Wright Society National Award for Achievement in Social Sciences in 2013.
Dr. Newman formerly served as Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at Warner College of Natural Resources, Colorado State University, from 2009 – 2013. In this position, he worked closely with department heads from across the college and built bridges to the Dean’s office. He oversaw the college’s academic programs, served on University-wide committees on academic quality, environmental sustainability, University admissions and enrollment, and Continuing Education, and was responsible for recruitment and retention of undergraduate students.
Dr. Newman has provided leadership to ensure high-quality undergraduate and graduate teaching, research, advising, and student engagement. I am confident that Dr. Newman will be a strong leader as the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources grows enrollment and continues its efforts to attract students from around the world. His many scholarly and professional connections to institutions outside the US will help the university build even greater global engagement.
I want to thank all members of the search committee, ably chaired by Linda Schadler, Professor and Dean of the College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, for volunteering their time and expertise in identifying an excellent pool of applicants for this role.
Please join me in congratulating Dr. Newman and welcoming him to ¶¶Òõ̽̽. I look forward to working with him as a member of the university’s Academic Leadership Team.
Patricia A. Prelock
Provost and Senior Vice President