Dr. Newcomer is the founding Dean of the Honors College and Professor of Physics at James Madison University (JMU).  He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Physics in 1988 from Juniata College.  He also received his Master of Science degree in Physics in 1991 and his Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences in 1996; both from Wright State University.  Most recently, Dr. Newcomer completed an MBA at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) just prior to stating his position here at JMU on July 1, 2015. 

Prior to coming to JMU in 2015, Dr. Newcomer developed and directed numerous school- and university-wide honors programs while at UAB.  Specifically, he founded the School of Health Profession’s Honors Program in 2005, founded and directed UAB’s Experiential Learning Scholars Program in 2009, provided interim directorship of UAB’s Global and Community Leadership Honors Program in 2011, and was the founding director of the UAB Honors College in 2011.