Leonard S. Newman

Leonard Scott Newman, Ph.D. is an esteemed Associate Professor of Psychology at Syracuse University, a position he has held since 2006. With a Ph.D. from New York University (1990) specializing in Social/Personality Psychology, he has developed a robust academic and research career, focusing on social cognition, attitudes, prejudice, and psychological defense mechanisms. His dissertation, supervised by Diane N. Ruble, examined developmental and individual differences in spontaneous trait inference. Prior to his tenure at Syracuse University, Dr. Newman served as an Associate Professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago from 1998 to 2006, following his role as an Assistant Professor at the same institution from 1993 to 1998. His early career also included a Postdoctoral Fellowship at Case Western Reserve University, sponsored by Roy F. Baumeister, funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Dr. Newman has been recognized for his teaching excellence, earning the Allport Research Mentor Award at Syracuse University in 2009 and multiple nominations for the Silver Circle Teaching Award at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He has designed and taught a wide array of courses ranging from foundational undergraduate subjects such as Social Psychology and Foundations of Human Behavior to advanced graduate courses like Attitudes and Social Cognition, and The Social Psychology of Genocide and Mass Killing. His extensive research portfolio encompasses grants and external support from organizations like the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), including a $317,706 grant for his work on defensive projection and social-cognitive models. Additional research funding has supported studies on stigma, prejudice, and psychological defense mechanisms, with his most recent work exploring stigmatization of military veterans and attitudes toward people with disabilities. Dr. Newman's scholarly contributions include numerous journal articles, book chapters, and edited volumes. Notably, he co-edited Understanding Genocide: The Social Psychology of the Holocaust (2002) and authored Confronting Humanity at Its Worst: The Social Psychology of Genocide and Extreme Intergroup Violence (2020). His research articles have been published in high-impact journals such as Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, Social Cognition, Psychological Inquiry, and Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. In addition to his research and teaching, Dr. Newman has held significant editorial roles. He served as the Editor of Basic and Applied Social Psychology from 2009 to 2013 and has been on the editorial boards of various other leading journals in the field. His expertise is also recognized through his service on professional committees and as an ad hoc reviewer for numerous psychology journals. Dr. Newman is a Fellow of the Society of Experimental Social Psychology and the Association for Psychological Science, as well as a member of several professional organizations, including the Society for Personality and Social Psychology and the American Psychological Association. His commitment to advancing psychological science through research, teaching, and professional service continues to shape his impactful career.