A master teacher, internationally recognized scientist in the field of reproductive neuroendocrinology, and a gifted administrator, Sarah Winans Newman is one of those rare individuals capable of combining teaching, research, and administration in an academic career and excelling in all three areas.
Since coming to the University 25 years ago, Professor Newman has maintained an active and continuously evolving research program. She is well known in neuroscience for her studies of the anatomy and physiology of the ventral striatum and amygdala. For many years, she has carried out competitively funded research dealing with the influence of these anatomical structures on sexual behavior. Her investigations have focused on the golden hamster and have included behavioral observations as well as anatomical, physiological, and biochemical studies. Her work has been published in the leading scientific journals with stringent peer review; she also has been invited to participate in symposia and to give seminars at many distinguished universities.
Professor Newman has served on a number of national review panels for the National Institutes of Health, including the National Institute of Mental Health, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
In the classroom, Professor Newman’s lectures are well organized and delivered with a flare that is at once inviting and attention getting. The material she presents is up to date and packaged for maximum clarity. She has won every major teaching award the Medical School confers, including the Elizabeth C. Crosby Award for Excellence in Teaching, the Golden Apple Award, and the Distinguished Service Award. She also is very effective in the teaching laboratory. An enthusiastic and supportive mentor, Professor Newman demonstrates a keen interest in the career advancement of everyone working in her laboratory, from postdoctoral fellows to undergraduate work-study students.
In addition to her teaching and research, Professor Newman has served on numerous important committees in her department, the Medical School, and the University, including as acting chair of her department and associate vice president for research. One of her many accomplishments was organizing the Michigan Women’s Health Initiative. She has brought great wisdom, energy, and sound judgment to each of her numerous roles.
Professor Newman has received many honors, including the prestigious Javits Neuroscience Investigator Award from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. A member of the Michigan Society of Fellows, she was appointed a Senior Fellow in 1989. She served as president of the Michigan Chapter of the Society for Neuroscience from 1984 to 1986.
In recognition and in appreciation of her outstanding teaching, research, and service, the University is pleased to bestow upon Sarah Winans Newman its Distinguished Faculty Achievement Award.
