Rate My Professor Jessica Newman

Jessica Newman is an associate professor, Interior Design Department Head, Department Co-Chair, program advisor, and Academic Advisor at Palomar College. She has been teaching at the college level for 20 years and has contributed to the growth and development of the Interior Design program, including its relocation with the Architecture program to a new South Campus facility and the introduction of a Bachelor of Science degree in Interior Design launching in Fall 2026. Prior to focusing on academia, Newman worked for numerous architecture and interior design firms in New York, Atlanta, and San Diego, including Hirsch Bedner & Associates, the top hospitality design firm in the world. Among the diverse projects she has contributed to are public schools, private colleges, assisted living facilities, office spaces, churches, four- and five-star hotels, and private homes.

Newman earned an Associate of Arts (AA) and Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Interior Design from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, along with a Master of Arts (MA) in Interior Architecture and Design and a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Painting from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. An internationally published author, she authored the textbook Perspective and Sketching for Designers, published in English and Mandarin. She also maintains a YouTube channel by the same name featuring over 50 free instructional videos for design students. In addition, Newman is an oil painter whose works focus on cityscapes and the built environment; she exhibits regularly in San Diego and nationally. Her contributions have been recognized with the Innovation/Creativity Award at Palomar College's Employee Recognition Event.