Moves quickly, but covers everything and is very clear, tests are hard but fair.

boring classes.

Dr. Newman was my favorite teacher ever. Everytime I had a question, she made 100% sure I understood her, even if it took a few different ways of explaining things. Don't complain about all the info and notes- your classes won't get any easier!

Easy to understand lectures

I had Dr. Newman when she first started at Pitt. Indeed she wasn'the best teacher, but the material is boring to begin wtih. She used very effective techniques to clarify concepts. Also, she was ALWAYS available for help outside of class. She's nice.

Dr Newman taught me to really appreciate the world around us. Sure it was kind of boring, but the information was presented in an organized manner and she was always available to help with understanding the material.

Her tests are VERY hard. She expects everyone to be a BioChemist! I have a hard time remembering fine details and unfortunately, her tests are on the fine details. Hope I pass this one.

Dr. Newman is a great teacher, especially after Franzen. She is really enthusiastic and clear about all of her material.

Great, great teacher. Actually likes teaching and presents the material in a clear and easy to understand manner. Very visual teacher. If your worried about writing, she puts all her notes on courseweb now

i thought she was great when i had her - made me really consider being a bio major (curto cured me of that)

She is a very good teacher. If you do not understand a thing about biology, definitely get her. She will explain the world to you, and she has so much patience for a college professor. DO NOT TAKE ROBERTS.... SHE IS WORSE THAN THE DEVIL!

A very good prof, she knows what she teaches to a great extent and explains with good visuals. Though she may not be 100% knowledgeable of ALL Bio, she answers what she can out of her field and isn't afraid to say she doesn't know.

Very good teacher, explains things in a way that's easy to understans. She's interested in what she teaches and isn't afraid to say when she doesn't know something. Tests can be hard, but if you put time into it they're not too bad. Great teacher to take for Bio 1!

Great teacher, simplifies the course material for the students, sometimes too much, but supplimenting lectures with the text is highly reccommended. Tests are very hard, so thoroughly understand the concepts and terms presented in the book and lecture notes.

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I think that Newman is an o.k. teacher. She has nice notes and she makes it clear. Just read the book and go by her notes on what to focus on and you'll be fine. She has great office hours and she tries to help whenever it is needed.

I learned a lot in her class which was organized and interesting enough. I think she has the best teaching ability in Bio 1, but I have compared her tests with friends from Roberts's and Sherwin's classes and there is unanimous agreement that she is the most difficult. I also had Roberts myself. Newman is tougher but explains things much better.

Very nice lady. Lots of demonstrations to clarify concepts, but they're a bit too simple sometimes. A lot of people hate her becuse she tries to dumb the info down too much, but it's not that bad. Tests aren't terribly hard, but don't wait until the last minute to study or you're screwed. Nice curve at the end of the year.

I love this class and I love the analogies she uses. What do you mean she doesn't know biology? She knows a lot more than what is in the book. But you can't expect her to know everything! Give her credit for not trying to BS you with a made-up answer! I plan on taking Newman for bio 2 this spring. She rocks!

I have grown to like Dr. Newman. Although she does simplify things with analogies, there is plenty of difficult material in the textbook if that suits your fancy. She does her job well, which is to help her students understand the material and guide them through the text. Her questions are intuitive, and require actual application of knowledge.

The mouse trap was an analogy for signal transduction. analogy: noun ( pl. -gies) a comparison between two things, typically on the basis of their structure and for the purpose of explanation or clarification : an analogy. If you don't recognize an analogy when you see/hear one, who granted you admission to Pitt? Dr. Newman is an excellent teacher!

Newman is a good teacher, if you study and keep up with the material you'll do fine. She uses a lot of analogues, which obliviously work because everyone remembers them. She makes complicated and uninteresting things seem more practical.

To do well on her tests, you have to understand the material, not just memorize your way thru. Okay, she has an odd sense of humor. But she's getting us ready for med school for sure. If you want to learn your stuff, take Newman for sure.

This is the second time I've taken Bio0150, (first I had Roberts, earlier this year I had Curto--both also Bio0150 teachers) This course GENERALLY is NOT easy. Her tests are from the DEPARTMENT and if you have a problem with a question, she will let you challenge it. Her notes are clear and she's good-spirited. Much better than the alternatives.

Foundations of biology is a difficult class regardless of who is teaching...she is an excellent,excellent teacher,dont believe everything you read on rate my professor about this lady,she gives excellent notes,and has helpful recitations.She gives great comparisons between concepts and real life things,which helps to really clarify whats happening.

I don't what kind of crack pipe some of my classmates are smoking out of. She is one of the better professors I've had. Her office is always open if you have questions and she is approachable. She is organized and professional. Many of my classmates failed this class multiple with other teachers; don't blame her for chosing to drink over studying.

Don't be scared off by the negative comments from the college freshmen. They're not used to actual work. This woman is a fine teacher with connections and experience in the industry. If you want to know your stuff, pick Newman. Her tests can be a little quirky at times, but nothing too bad.

Personally, I liked Newman a lot. While her tests are sometimes tricky with the wording, that can easily be avoided if you're careful when taking the exams. She uses diagrams in class from different sources which really helps you understand if you're having difficulty picturing what she is talking about. Read the chapters and you'll do fine.

She's tough, but fair. Yeah, you work hard. But I learned so much in this class. I didn't to well at first, even though I was putting in the hours. Went to see her, got study tips so I knew how to study better. It turned my grades around! I know how to study now, and I pulled up my scores. Thinking about switching my major 'cause of Dr.N. Take her!

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She is good at making it clear how concepts tie together, and she tries to make the information relatable with a lot of good examples and analogies. She is very helpful, but as others have said, she can be rather condescending.

Presents material thorougly and is readily available during recitation and in office hours. Her exams are very detailed but doable through heavy studying.

Unfortunately, I did not enjoy have Dr. Newman at all. She started out the year really well but her lectures soon became very fast and confusing and it got to a point where I couldn't comprehend her and take notes at the same time. The exams are very hard.

Dr. Newman is a fantastic teacher--if you're willing to work in her class. Her tests are difficult because she makes you apply the things you've learned--not just regurgitate them. If you like Biology and really want to learn a lot, I highly recommend her.

Dr. Newman makes biology very interesting and easy to understand, although she will destroy you on exams. Find old exams and use them- questions are repeated. There must've been a big curve cause I had a low B exam average but got an A- in the class.

Foundations is a hard class regardless of who you have - I took it twice. However, Newman is very organized and presents the information in a manner that it makes sense to learn it unlike the book. The best advice I can give is ask questions during lecture, because it will force her to clarify herself; just be aware that she can be condescending.

OK HERES the scoop on newman, if u've read other comments on Newman u've prob heard that she is Very hard or Very easy....the truth is this SHE IS HARD, DO NOT BE FOOLED, is she a good teacher, shes a great teacher by all means take her, but be prepared to study ur asssssssss off, if u dont no hwo to study college material taking her will help

This is college, youre obviously working harder for your grades. I'd say I'm an average student though I never had to study in HS. This class was FULL of studying-- read chapters, notes & worksheets. She often went too fast to take good notes but if you find other people in the class just share. Attend all lectures, she makes them interesting!

Bio is hard so go to lectures, recitations, do the worksheets, read. She's entertaining and very available if you need help (she has a copy of the text at home so she can answer e-mails any time). I went to the recitations and did the worksheets and did fine, knew someone who didn't, they failed. Know the stuff thoroughly and you'll be alright.

interesting use of examples to explain things

Dr. Newman is a great TEACHER, but you do have to learn the material very thoroughly, read the book, use the bioportal on the internet, and focus all of your energy on the exams. She can be vague in her test questions at times, which is a negative. If I had to do it all over again, I probably would not take her, but she is still a solid teacher.

By no means is Prof. Newman an easy professor but I found her very approachable and helpful with questions outside of class. She does move fast and her tests are extremely difficult. The important thing is not to try and memorize but practice thinking past the text and how it would be used in a real setting.

Dr. Newman is awesome and tries so hard to make learning fun. You'll work hard, but you'll learn a lot!

Newman is a great teacher, but is very tough and expects a lot out of you. Her exams are tricky though; a lot of the multiple choice options seem the same or like they can all be right but she gives you the chance to argue them afterwords. She's not an easy teacher, but definately worth taking; I learned a lot.

Tests are average I would say. If you pay attention in lecture and make sure to ask questions about the material, the class seems more enjoyable. Watch out for test and clicker questions. She always seems like she's trying to trick you.

Very hard teacher. Do not take her. You will regret it.

Prof. Newman is a good teacher, in comparison to the other choices. However, her test are really tricky and confusing. It's not that you don't know the material, it's just that during the test you always have to ask yourself,"What would Prof. Newman Pick?" I do recommend her if you have good studying skills...if you dont your wasting your time.

her exams are much more difficult when compared to other professors.

Dr. Newman is a good teacher. She expects a lot from her students. She is very approachable after class or in office hours. You must study very hard (and 1-2 weeks ahead) to pass this class. The tests are tricky, but not impossible. Take advantage of iclicker questions. You'll definitely learn a lot, which in the long run, is very beneficial.

This class is touch! Don't be afraid of bio because of Professor Newman, but more so because of the volume of material. Professor Newman is good and tries to explain things cleaerly. The tests are difficult because there is SOOO much material, not because professor Newman is trying to trick us.

Obviously you aren't going to like Newman if you did poorly in her class. She's a great professor and is really easy to talk to. It's intro bio, people, it's supposed to be difficult.

Very tough course by nature. Newman helps explain and teach the material very well but her exams deliberately try to trick you. If you want to learn, take Newman, but if you'd like a good grade, consider another professor

Not everyone likes Dr. Newman. Although I had heard this prior to, I went into the class with an open mind, and I actually truly liked her. She was always helpful to me. Everyone that says her lectures don't make sense...it is because you didn't read the book before class. If you do, THEN her lectures are crystal clear and help you enormously!

To everyone who complains about this class... suck it up. People say that this professor is mean, unapproachable, or purposely likes to trick or fail students. That's garbage. 90% of the people complaining on here or in general are spiteful of their bad exam grades because they didn't try hard enough. Dr. Newman does her job well. Very well.

Tests are not that difficult. She does not try to trick you like some people suggest. All questions can be answered using topics and ideas gone over in class. She does talk about her kids a bit much, and she may be unclear with some explanations. Also, Bio 0150 is a weeder course for want-to-be med students. It's supposed to be hard.

Don't be intimidated by Dr. Newman. She definitely knows what she's talking about, and genuinely tries to be accessible and encouraging. She provides a lot of supplemental materials to the text. Her tests are tricky, but the class is hard by nature, and is used to 'weed out' pre-health field students. Go in with an open mind and you'll be fine.

I was very nervous going into this class, but got a B. Having said that, I worked EXTREMELY hard, and managed to fail one test, but she drops your lowest. ALL bio classes at Pitt are very difficult, not just Jackie's but keeping up with notes and the test is extremely important. Go to her office hrs, she's much more approachable there.

Very helpful professor and class. A lot of work for two credits but you'll get a lot out of it and Dr. Newman does her best to make it as painless as possible.

Dr. Newman is a very good professor that is very good at making her points clear. Requires a lot of work in order to receive a good grade, but this is the case with any bio class. Uses a lot of analogies in her teaching. Very strong personality, but she seems pretty nice as long as you have an open mind.

Dr. Newman is an excellent teacher, and one of the best that you can get for the "Foundations" Biology courses. All of the foundations classes are hard, but her lectures are clear and she is very clear about what she wants you to know. You have to work for your grade, but I think that she's a great teacher. Very under-appreciated.

I'll be honest. Newman is a ****. She's probably got one of the worst personalities in existence. She's a terrible human being and I would hate my life if she was my mother. *BUT* she is a wonderful teacher. She is extremely clear, comprehensive, and straightforward. If you want to learn bio, take her, but be prepared.

Here's the deal, she claims to be protecting against "rote memorization" which is fine, but the end result is, she doesn't test based on what she has lectured OR what is in the text. Some questions are based on NEITHER, which isnt fair. It's like connect the dots, but only a bio enthusiast will suceed, not someone who simply needs the class.

Very good teacher. Took bio150 with Roberts last semester and failed to even score above a 60 on one test. Aced every test with newman so far. hard overall course no matter the teacher. she needs to go on what not to wear though.

Dr Newman does an excellent job of teaching and getting point across. Interesting lectures. But her tests are so so very hard, and pretty unfair. Other than that complaint, I really loved her as a teacher.

Newman is an excellent teacher with a lot of enthusiasm and intellect. Her notes were very clear and she made great use of examples. Now if only she based her tests off of her notes/the book. Her tests questions can come out of the blue and she expects you to be a Biology genius. Oh and her attitude sucks.

well ended up getting a d in the class. absolutely no curve. shes an excellent teacher. but after retaking bio and comparing the tests ive taken newman's are by far way more difficult. don't ask a question unless you expect her to put you down. take a different teacher. definately. stupid clicker points actually graded for correctness

The first day of class Dr. Newman stated that she has been known as the most difficult Bio professor in Pitt's history. I totally agree. Exams are very difficult but as long as you score above the class avg you will be fine bc she curves grades at the end of the semester based on the class avg. Outstanding lecturer and you will learn so much.

Expect to study lots or take a low grade.

Excessive use of analogies, sometimes to the point where it confuses more than helps. Very enthusiastic. Has an attitude, but the majority of her comments are sarcastic. Tests are difficult but not immpossible by any scheme. Be prepared to do work.

Love this class and love Dr. Newman. The only "attitude" she has is passion for helping students. She makes fun of herself in lecture and invites students to ask questions. Wish she taught 160!

Don't believe the negative stuff. I went to see her and she was so nice!

Not an easy class, but not super hard either. A lot of memorization. She does have a passion for teaching, and does a good job at it, but possesses a bit of a superiority complex. Can be somewhat condescending, at times treating the class like children. Finds her own ideas to be fascinating and almost never faulty.

Dr. Newman was one of the best professors I've had. She is an excellent teacher and makes sure you really understand the information. If you pay attention in lecture and read the book you'll do fine. She has a good sense of humor and keeps lecture interesting.

Great instructor! She makes great use of examples to clarify and is extremely approachable. She really makes an effort to connect science to everyday life and engage her students.

Great teacher. Uses great down to earth analogies Don't believe the stuff you hear about unapproachable. If you visit her office, she is willing to drop what she is doing to help, but you have to make the effort.

She is very friendly and approachable outside of class. In class, however, she doesn't really give good answers to questions. Her class is hard. You MUST read the book and study a lot. Wording on questions can be tricky but she will let you challenge an answer if you think you are right. I would recommend her but be prepared to work HARD.

The class really isn't hard as long as you read the book and focus on the things she emphasizes in lecture. Her tests are extremely fair and straight forward. She's not the most pleasant person in class, but in all, the class isn't as difficult as other bio 1 teachers. I would recommend, but, like any bio class, be prepared to put in a lot of work.

I hear a lot of bad things about Newman's class, but I didn't think it was that bad. She teaches the material very well. She definitely knows what she is talking about. Tests are challenging but that is to be expected.

The class is hard & the tests have difficult and deceiving questions. It's a weed-out foundational class, that's the way it is. What frustrated me is that my AP Bio notes from high school prepared me for exams better than my lecture notes. I'd have been in trouble without prior biology knowledge.

Newman is the best for biowriting! Helpful every step of the way, makes it clear what you have to do to make the grade!

Her tests are insane and tricky. Each test covers alot material and they're very tricky. I took AP Bio and I did Okay but I didn't do well in her class. Avoid taking her class if you can.

Don't let the other ratings scare you away. I really liked her! i ended up getting a B, but it did take a LOT of work. but thats any bio150 class, not just newman. I am taking her again next semester and i know a lot of other people who are too. You can tell the passion she has for teaching and the material. I would recommend her

Not the nicest professor I've ever had, but her lectures are crystal clear. If you read the book before lecture, it makes even more sense. She doesn't mince words and knows her material like the back of her hand. I would recommend her just for the sake that she is a great lecturer.

Newman is a very hard teacher, but she is very clear on what material will be on the test. I ended up with a B+ in the class. It is harder because she makes you UNDERSTAND the material rather than just memorize facts. She can be a tad rude, but it is to make it fair for everyone. Go to office hours and she will help you out

Professor Newman is very enthusiastic about what she teaches and loves to see her students get enthusiastic about the material, also. However, I do not recommend her because her tests seemed very unfair to me. I studied a ton for her tests, but her questions are very ambiguous and there always seemed to be two answers to every question.

Hard but fair. better than other bio profs. Seems strict in lecture but much nicer if you go to office hours. Tests were challenging but there is a chance to argue your point. MUST go to class, makes questions from things she says in lecture. Hard to take notes because she goes really fast. Must UNDERSTAND for tests, not just memorize.

tough teacher, but office hours are definitely helpful. tests are hard--you need to really know the material and not just memorize from the book. recitations are important and it's basically manditory because of the clicker points. knows what she's talking about.

I was terrified of Newman going in after all I had heard, but she was great. You have to go to lecture and pay attention, and you have to REALLY study the book, but if you put in the effort you'll do fine. Read her test questions REALLY slowly.

great teacher. everyone says her tests are impossible, but if you know the basics of the material and know how to think and apply it, you'll do fine.

Dr. Newman is a great instructor. However, Writing in the Bio requires soooo much time and effort no matter who your instructor is. I learned a lot in this course but would recommend taking a different W course.

She's a great lecturer, but her exams are unfair. It's a weed out class, but I'm pretty sure she fails more kids than she needs to. She can be intimidating as well so it can be tough getting yourself to go to her office hours.

Great lecturer, straightforward information. Tests are rough, with several answers that are right, but one is more right than the others. An A is almost impossible but with hard work and a bit of luck you can recieve a B or B+

She is an amazing lecturer. Her explains and ways of thinking are easy to understand and down to earth. However when it comes to test time she gives you 45 in depth Q's in 45mins. I managed a C with a decent amount of work but with hard work a B/B+ is possible. Also she has clicker Q's which is her way of making you go to lecture and recitation.

I'm not going to lie, Newman is a tough professor and her exams are really tricky. No matter how hard you study, there will be a few exam questions that still stump you. However, I have never learned so much in a course and if you are really struggling, Newman's ALWAYS willing to help you during office hours. I would strongly recommend taking her!

I personally do not know where all the negative reviews are coming from. She is a wonderful professor!!! I took her during summer session, and I always felt that she was very willing to answer all of our questions and she explained concepts EXTREMELY thoroughly. Her tests make you THINK,but they're completely doable. I highly recommend.

For Biosc 1010 (online), Newman is not bad at all. She is an extremely tough grader but is fair. You have to make sure all your drafts are written like final drafts, this means showing evidence and developing your main points. In all do as she says and you'll be fine.

She gets a bad rap because she is really difficult and her tests are extremely tough; however, she knows what she's talking about, she uses great examples that help you remember concepts, and she pushes you to actually learn and not just memorize stuff. If you are a pre-med major, I recommend you at least try taking her for one class to try it.

A lot of people don't like her and she's definitely tougher on Bio 1 students than Bio 2. For Bio 1 she's probably the best option though. A lot of work though.

I really enjoyed Newman. She was tough, but she taught you how to study well! I won't lie, you do need to study and read the text. However, I feel she breaks down the concepts into easy to understand terms and analogies during lecture! I would recommend definitely.

She was pretty clear in lecture in explaining different concepts, and would answer everyone's questions. Some of her exam questions (especially those about ecology) were tricky. She emphasizes the case studies covered in lecture and recitation a lot, so be sure to read them. Not as bad (for Bio 2, at least) as everyone says she is.

Dr. Newman's tests are very hard and almost all of your grade is determined by exams and the final, but she is an excellent teacher. Her lectures are enjoyable and her expectations are clear. She is incredibly helpful in office hours. If you want an easy A, take another teacher. If you want an interesting class and to learn biology, take Dr. Newman

SHE'S NOT THAT BAD! Yes it is a hard course, yes her tests are hard. I worked fairly hard and I still got a C even though I almost failed every test. If you are willing to work hard you will do well. I deliberately took her again because SHE. IS. NOT. THAT. BAD!!!!

People who say that she is awful were probably looking for an easy A... and no matter who you look for in a foundations teacher, it isn't going to happen. The class is challenging. The exams are challenging. If you study (and seriously not just read the book and go to class), you can do well. It comes down to what you put into it... fact.

For writing in the bio sciences she was a fairly hard grader at first. She grades easier at the end to make it seem like the papers improved drastically (my opinion). I found this class REALLY helpful, and Dr. N was really easy to talk to and approachable. She really cared about this subject. If you want to become a better writer take this class.

Dr. Newman was amazing at teaching introductory bio 1 and 2. She explained concepts clearly, she regularly had inventive and engaging in-classrecitation exercises, and she was always helpful if one sought out her advice. The only criticism I would levy was that many of her exam questions were focused on the unimportant minutiae of topics covered.