Dr. James R. Newman
Vice President / Principal Scientist
email Dr. Newman

Dr. James Newman is Vice President and Principal Scientist at Pandion Systems. He has over 30 years of experience in environmental assessment studies, ecological research, wildlife management, and natural area evaluations.

Dr. Newman has special expertise in evaluating and mitigating the effects of human activity on wildlife and ecological systems. His other areas of expertise include: Wildlife Biology and Toxicology, Ecological Risk Assessment, Bioindicators, Environmental Impact Assessments, and Expert Witness and Testimony.

Dr. Newman holds a PhD in Zoology from the University of California, Davis, and a BS in Biology from the University of Santa Clara. He is a Certified Wildlife Biologist by The Wildlife Society. Dr. Newman has been appointed by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to the South Florida Multispecies Recovery Implementation Team and the Scrub Jay Recovery Team. He is also a member of the Wildlife Working Group of the National Wind Coordinating Committee.

Dr. Newman’s research interests include:

• Avian risk assessment methods for wind turbine projects
• Effects of human disturbance on wading birds, including the effectiveness of buffers
• Development of a GIS-based landscape ecology tool for evaluating effects of development activities on local and regional ecosystems
• Effects of air pollution on wildlife and ecological systems
• Evaluating the transport of mercury in wildlife, including the Florida panther (Puma concolor coryi)

Currently, Dr. Newman is investigating land use and physical factors affecting nesting of endangered wood storks (Mycteria americana) and nesting patterns of invasive exotic monk parakeets (Myiospsitta monachus). He recently completed an Avian Risk Assessment of the Chautauqua Wind Project to predict the impacts on migratory raptors and songbirds. This is the first wind turbine avian risk model that estimates the number birds at risk and/or potentially killed by wind turbines.

As a part of his experience with threatened and endangered species, Dr. Newman has prepared biological assessments and management plans including Habitat Conservation Plans and Safe Harbor Agreements for endangered wood storks, other wading birds, bald eagles, manatees, endangered scrub-jays, and other wildlife species. Dr. Newman has also provided endangered species policy instruction including training and seminars on federal and state endangered species and their conservation.

Dr. Newman has conducted numerous land acquisition and management studies including river basin management plans for local, regional, state, and international governments. These studies include vegetative and wildlife surveys, analyses of ecological and landscape characteristics and quality, development of land acquisition ranking methodologies, and recommendations for management and conservation of these lands.

He has conducted numerous environmental assessments for siting and licensing studies of power plants, transmission lines, gas pipelines, and landfills. His expertise in environmental impact assessments of this type along with his international project experience has resulted in his authoring environmental assessment guidelines for the World Bank, US Agency for International Development (USAID), and the Governments of Pakistan and Jamaica for power plants, transmission lines, oil and gas pipelines, recreational and other types of development projects. He has trained USAID and a number of host country environmental officials in environmental assessment policy implementation and methodologies.

Dr. Newman is an expert in the ecological effects of air pollution on wildlife and ecosystems. He has conducted more than 150 air quality risk assessments for power plants, chemical facilities, off shore drilling facilities, and other industrial facilities. He was awarded three National Academy of Science research exchange grants to study the effects of air pollution in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. He has taught courses in ecological risk assessment to United States and international state government officials.

Dr. Newman is professionally active having published over 30 peer-reviewed articles, reports, and book chapters on wildlife management, endangered species biology, air pollution toxicology, and environmental management. He holds professional memberships in a number of ecological and conservation societies including the Wildlife Society, Society for Conservation Biologists, The Waterbird Society, The International Society of Landscape Ecologists, and the Audubon Society.