Donor Spotlight: Joan and Mike Newman

College of Education Donor Support Spotlight

Joan and Mike Newman

 

New Education Building Room name:

Michael J. Newman Instructional Science Education Laboratory

 

 Named after:

Joan Newman’s late husband, Michael J. Newman 

 

Their Story:

Michael J. Newman was a two-time graduate of Auburn University, earning a Bachelor of Science in 1975 and a Master of Science in 1978 in Fisheries and Allied Aquacultures. He was born and lived all his childhood in Andalusia in Covington County, Alabama, where in this rural setting he learned to love and appreciate his environment, spending his early years roaming public and family lands to identify the best fishing holes and hunting spots. Time invested by teachers and family members cultivated his interest in science, creating a desire in him to learn to teach others to be good stewards of the environment. This pursuit brought him to Auburn University for his higher education. He then enjoyed a 30-year career in fisheries, first with the state of Georgia and then with the state of Alabama Department of Natural Resources, where he was the primary author of the state of Alabama’s publication on farm pond management. He passed away in October 2022.

 

His wife, Joan Newman, is a 1978 (Master of Education) and 1991 (Doctor of Education) Auburn University College of Education graduate. She shares her husband’s love for the environment and stewardship of its resources and has made a philanthropic gift in his memory to honor his lifelong interest, passion and contributions to the science that he so dearly loved. Joan served on the Because This is Auburn Education Campaign Committee and is a financial advisor for Edward Jones in Enterprise, Alabama.

 

Endowment Scholarship:

 Joan also created the Michael J. Newman Endowed Scholarship in 2016. 

 

The room's area of focus: To provide a hands-on learning environment for students to play an active role in the instructional process that will enable them to gain a better understanding of course material.

Q&As:

Why did you decide to name a room in the College of Education’s new building?

Mike Newman believed and often stated that education is a life-changing opportunity.  He loved to study, he loved to research and loved to see the impact these endeavors made on people, processes and outcomes. 

 

What excites you most about the College of Education’s new building?

It's about time the College of Education had a place of prominence on the Auburn University campus! The fields of study are ever-evolving, the areas of specialization are constantly expanding and the need for qualified educators has never been greater. The new facility will attract many more students — it is a gorgeous place to spend career preparation.

 

There’s so much to love about Auburn and its College of Education.  What do you love the most?

I think at Auburn a student arrives leaving the security of a familiar home and launches into an exciting population of unknown "like" people. All things start fresh and for the most part, equal. I LOVE that you have a level playing field to develop, mature, impress and become an individual based on your own choices. Recognizing the opportunity to impact the lives and futures of younger students is the greatest window for achievement offered by the College of Education. 

 

What do you hope future generations will know about your husband and the importance of the room that bears your family’s namesake?

Mike taught a Sunday School class of high school students at our church for 30 years. He taught them of the majesty of God's creation (he was a biologist!). The Michael J Newman Instructional Science Education Laboratory will ensure that many more students will be taught to love and protect the creation he treasured. The Laboratory will open the door to the importance of conservation, the value of natural selection, the absolute needed balance of man living cooperatively with nature.