Dr. Michael New, Deputy Associate Administrator for Research
Dr. Michael New is the Deputy Associate Administrator for Research within NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. Principal responsibilities encompass: ensuring scientific quality and integrity of research processes, including oversight of SMD scientific competition processes for research awards and flight programs; representing SMD research goals, policies and programs inside and outside NASA; overseeing SMD’s relationship with the National Research Council; and managing Directorate-level coordination of suborbital-class flight programs.
Previously, Dr. New was the Astrobiology Discipline Scientist and Discovery Program Lead Scientist in the Planetary Science Division in the SMD. In these positions, he led teams and provided expert advice on strategies, technology development, grant and mission selections, and program assignments to the Agency’s senior leaders to enable timely and well-informed decisions related to Planetary Science programs and strategic plans.
Before coming to NASA Headquarters, Dr. New performed research in the Exobiology Branch of NASA’s Ames Research Center in northern California and served as the Acting Deputy Branch Chief for that organization. Dr. New’s research interests are very wide, encompassing the biophysics of basic life processes, the statistical analysis of complex ecological experiments, machine learning, bio-informatics and the application of complexity theory and computer science to the origin of life.
Dr. New graduated summa cum laude from Yale University in 1988 with a BS degree in Chemistry. He earned his Ph.D. in Chemical Physics at Columbia University with Dr. Bruce Berne and has performed post-doctoral research at UC Berkeley (with Dr. David Chandler) and UC San Francisco (with Dr. Andrew Pohorille). He is an Eagle Scout.