William F. Neuman and Margaret W. Neuman Scholarship Fund in Biophysics and Environmental Medicine

The William F. Neuman Award is presented each year for academic, scientific and personal qualities which exemplify the imagination, enthusiasm and excellence in the pursuit of scientific knowledge which were characteristic of the life of Dr. William F. Neuman.

Dr. Neuman was an internationally recognized expert in the field of mineral metabolism, making seminal contributions to identification of bone-seeking isotopes in research associated with the Manhattan Project at the University of Rochester. He contributed major advances in the chemistry of bone matrix and function of osteoclasts and blasts, and how certain hormones altered bone structure and chemistry. Dr. Neuman and his wife, Dr. Margaret Neuman, Ph.D. co-authored the principle monograph in the field, entitled “The Chemical Dynamics of Bone Mineral” in 1958. The impact of Dr. Neuman’s scientific contributions are reflected in the fact that the oldest and most prestigious award bestowed by the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research is the William F. Neuman Award, presented annually to the leading researcher in the field.

Dr. Neuman and his colleagues formed the Department of Radiation Biology and Biophysics, and he served as co-Chair and then Chair for many years. He is considered the “father” of the very strong orthopedic research contingent at the University and is one of the School’s first Wilson Professors (1972-1981). His interests outside the laboratory included painting, and many of his works can be found adorning the Neuman room (1-6823) in the University of Rochester School of Medicine.

In addition to his strong scientific reputation in the field of mineralization of bone, Dr. Neuman strongly believed that scientists should be socially active and contributors to their department, university, and society and tried hard to hire people who were not only good scientists but also, as he said good people. This spirit of working together and serving fellow students and the department has become a strong element in the selection of Neuman Award winners.

For more about Dr. Neuman please visit our profile of him on our Featured Alumni page.

Award Recipients

• 1982 - Diego G. Restrepo
• 1983 - Robert Spalletta
• 1984 - Jeffrey P. Bond
• 1985 - Nancy Standler
• 1986 - Terrence E. Sweeney
• 1987 - Jeffrey P. Bond
• 1988 - Jeffrey S. Jones
• 1989 - Si-qiong June Liu
• 1990 - Eric Bennett
• 1991 - F. Temple Burling
• 1992 - Kenneth R. Hallows
• 1992 - Hong Li
• 1993 - Robert E. Johnson
• 1994 - Jeff P. Barnes
• 1995 - Gary B. Chapman
• 1995 - Dongsheng Liu
• 1996 - Sonya Bahar
• 1997 - Thomas Colby
• 1998 - Irene Georgakoudi
• 1998 - Matthew Yudt
• 1999 - Edward Szekeres
• 2000 - Michael G. Debije
• 2001 - Cathleen J. Cox
• 2002 - Franz Gruswitz
• 2003 - Scott Horner
• 2004 - Martha Wilkinson
• 2005 - Nathan Ross
• 2006 - Marina Roginskaya
• 2007 - Charles Mace
• 2008 - Andrew Torelli
• 2009 - Krystle Williams
• 2010 - Jessica Snyder
• 2011 - Paul Black
• 2012 - Joshua Horn
• 2013 - Nicholas Leioatts
• 2014 - Sarah Loerch
• 2015 - Rakesh Chatrikhi
• 2016 - Karl Smith
• 2017 - Louis Smith
• 2018 - Chapin Cavender
• 2019 - Leslie Salas-Estrada
• 2020 - Dan Steiner
• 2021 - Sai Shashank Chavali
• 2021 Travel Award - Ashlin Poruthoor, Emily Robinson
• 2022 - Gabrielle Kosoy
• 2022 Travel Award - Wesley Chiang
• 2023 - Joseph Bucukovski
• 2023 Travel Award - Joseph Bucukovski, Xueyang He, Ashlin Poruthoor
• 2024 - James Seuch
• 2024 Travel Award - Coleman Goenner