Driven by her passion for science, Marlyn Newhouse has enjoyed a long and fruitful career as a chemistry educator and consultant. She started in her field before she even graduated college, serving as a chemical research technician for the Unidynamics Division of the Universal Match Corporation from 1967 to 1968 and as a graduate teaching assistant, lab assistant, and stockroom clerk for the Department of Chemistry at Northern Arizona University from 1969 to 1971. Dr. Newhouse earned a Bachelor of Science in education and a Master of Arts in teaching from the school in 1971 and 1976, respectively. Since then, she has thrived in positions like teacher, science fair coordinator and service club sponsor for Page Schools in Arizona, teacher at Florida College, and graduate teaching assistant in the Department of Chemistry at the University of South Florida and in the Department of Chemistry and Physics at Middle Tennessee State University. She has also served as a teacher at Dysart Junior High School, chemical analyst of electroplating solutions for Techmatic, Inc., and assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry at Union University in Tennessee.
With an array of unique experiences behind her, Dr. Newhouse decided to found Newhouse Consulting in 2017. There, she will provide consulting services to area schools and businesses on chemical safety and hygiene training. Further, Dr. Newhouse will continue to lend her talents to Union University, this time as an associate professor of chemistry. In her role, she teaches the fundamentals of chemistry and physical science, which a special interest in the preparation of science education majors.
Always advocating that a teacher should be physically in front of a student, Dr. Newhouse changed her course during the devastating tornado at the university in 2008, when one student was injured and needed to recuperate at home. She had a web cam installed in the lecture room to allow the student to view all her lectures. She then became an advocate of flipped chemistry, which incorporates flipped, blended, and active learning into the classroom. She uses videos and worksheets to benefit her students’ learning.
Another one of Dr. Newhouse’s notable achievements was contributing to the creation of “Green Chemistry Labs,” a manual containing 24 experiments geared toward the high school level of education, with several other colleagues at Union University. Green chemistry is the design of chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate the use of hazardous substances. Dr. Newhouse was also proud to earn a Doctor of Arts in chemistry from Middle Tennessee State University in 1995.
In recognition of her contributions to her field, Dr. Newhouse received the 2017 Who’s Who Lifetime Achievement Award. She is also featured in Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in the World, and Who’s Who of American Women.