Jeffrey Newman

Jeffrey Newman is a Professor of Biology at Lycoming College, where he has made significant contributions to both teaching and research. He earned his B.S. from the University of South Carolina, Ph.D. from Marquette University, and completed postdoctoral research at the University of Kentucky.

• Professor of Biology at Lycoming College
• Specializes in microbial systematics and taxonomy
• Integrates cutting-edge technology into biology curriculum
• Director of Covid surveillance testing lab (2021-2022)
• Member of Health Professions Advisory Committee
• Medical Technology program contact

Dr. Newman's research focuses on characterizing novel bacterial species discovered in the Loyalsock Creek region of north central Pennsylvania. His innovative approach integrates research into undergraduate education through Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) in his Microbiology course. He has mentored numerous students who have presented their findings at national conferences including the American Society for Microbiology meetings and international conferences in India. His laboratory has sequenced over 100 microbial genomes and published multiple novel species, including Chryseobacterium piperi and Chryseobacterium angstadtii.

His recent publications demonstrate expertise in bacterial taxonomy, phylogenomics, and the integration of bioinformatics into undergraduate education. The research trends show a consistent focus on novel bacterial discovery and characterization, particularly within the Chryseobacterium genus and related taxa, while also addressing important educational challenges in implementing bioinformatics curricula.

• $328,000 NSF Major Research Instrumentation Grant (2009)
• Genome Consortium for Active Teaching funding from NSF and HHMI
• Multiple publications describing novel bacterial species
• Recognition for innovative curriculum development

Dr. Newman has mentored dozens of undergraduate researchers, many of whom have presented at national conferences. His laboratory has established a systematic pipeline for characterizing novel microbes, from initial isolation to full genomic analysis and taxonomic description. He has secured significant grant funding to support student research, including instrumentation for metabolic fingerprinting, fatty acid analysis, and high-performance liquid chromatography. His lab maintains an extensive culture collection of novel bacterial strains and has developed specialized computational tools for phylogenomic analysis.