Jim Newton joined the A. James Clark School of Engineering in 1981 and served as the first director of the Center for Minorities in Science and Engineering (CMSE). Mr. Newton has had an enduring impact on the Clark School in general and CMSE in particular. It began in 1976 when he became the founding advisor to the Black Engineers Society and his legacy continues through the James N. Newton Endowed Scholarship.
As director of CMSE, Jim changed the face of engineering at Maryland. From 1982-1987 the underrepresented minority enrollment increased from 7.5% to 8.8%; the number of URM students earning B.S. degrees annually increased from 10 in 1981 to over 35 in 1987. Jim also did much to change the climate for underrepresented minority students in engineering. In CMSE he created a space that was safe and welcoming. Through programs, activities, organizations and other efforts Jim Newton championed diversity in engineering in the college, around the campus, across the state and nationally. He represented the college on committees such as the Benjamin Banneker Scholarship Committee and the campus-wide Retention Committee; he worked with the Baltimore Voluntary Council for Equal Opportunity, Inc. This organization was the umbrella for the Engineering Pipeline, a network of schools and interested industries that worked to get Baltimore students interested in and prepared for engineering careers. He served on the Advisory Board for the statewide Maryland Mathematics, Engineering, and Science Achievement Program (MESA). He was an active member of the National Association for Minority Engineering Program Administrators (NAMEPA), serving as Region A Chair and National President.
The James N. Newton Endowed Scholarship is awarded annually to students affiliated with CMSE, members of the Black Engineers Society, or the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, with a priority to support students from Baltimore. The James N. Newton Endowed Scholarship was established by CMSE alumni to honor the legacy of Mr. Newton.