Renee Sneed has been selected to serve as Chief Human Resources Officer of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), effective June 3. Sneed comes to UCAR from Tulane University, where she has overseen Human Resources programs since 2017.

“I could not be more excited to be joining the outstanding HR team at UCAR, supporting scientific research that is having a measurable impact on society,” said Sneed. “Human resources is a people-focused field, and helping enable the world-class science happening at this organization could not be a more people-focused endeavor.”

As CHRO, Sneed will help lead efforts already underway to help UCAR transform its HR services in response to a changing internal and external landscape, including the Scientific Appointment Modernization (SAM) initiative, performance evaluation enhancement, HR process and procedure updates, and more.

“Renee brings extensive experience in a similar working environment at Tulane, along with a dedicated focus on people in her work,” said UCAR Chief Operating Officer Alisha Swofford. “I could not be more excited to have her join our organization. In her interview, Renee said, ‘Every open position is an opportunity to elevate the organization,’ and I believe we’ve done just that with her hire. Renee is a humble leader who not only brings incredible experience in HR leadership, but she also brings kindness, sincerity, resolve, and a commitment to excellence that will dramatically impact our organization from day one.”

As assistant vice president of human resources and institutional equity at Tulane, Sneed transformed HR for the university, introducing innovative compensation, benefits, workforce planning, recruitment, performance management, and employee relations practices. She also made inclusivity a priority, launching cultural awareness programs and diversifying talent acquisition.

Prior to Tulane, Sneed was the CHRO for a global architectural and interior design firm, where she championed employee resource groups (ERGs), developed flexible work policies years before the COVID-19 pandemic, and introduced employee satisfaction and pulse surveys over her tenure of nearly 20 years.

“We believe Renee brings the perfect combination of creativity and experience to this important role at a transformative time for UCAR HR,” said UCAR President Antonio Busalacchi. “Her track record in higher education and finding innovative ways to evolve HR services — while providing a steady guiding hand to her teams — make this news a big win for our whole organization.”

UCAR is a nonprofit consortium of 126 North American colleges and universities focused on research and training in Earth system science.

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