The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) has named Eric Barron to serve as interim president beginning May 4. Barron will succeed current UCAR President Antonio Busalacchi, who will transition to president emeritus and special advisor to the interim president before retiring on June 4.

Busalacchi, who successfully led UCAR for almost a decade, is stepping down three months earlier than the end of his term due to ongoing health reasons. 

“Given the extraordinary demands of the UCAR presidency at this moment and the health challenges Tony is facing, he and the board agreed that now is the right time to move up the leadership transition,” said Shuyi Chen, chair of the UCAR Board of Trustees. “Appointing a highly qualified and respected interim president will also allow us the time needed to conduct the search for UCAR’s next president with the care and deliberation this decision requires.”

Barron has deep ties to UCAR, a nonprofit consortium of 129 North American universities that manages the U.S. National Science Foundation National Center for Atmospheric Research (NSF NCAR) on behalf of NSF. He first came to NSF NCAR in 1980 as a postdoctoral research fellow and stayed on as a scientist until 1985. He was the NSF NCAR director from 2008-2010 before leaving to serve as president of Florida State University from 2010-2014 and then president of Pennsylvania State University from 2014-2022, when he retired. He also served on the UCAR Board of Trustees for 12 years, including a stint as board chair. 

“We can think of no one more suited than Eric to provide the stability and strong leadership needed to guide UCAR through its immediate challenges,” Chen said. “The board would also like to thank Tony for his incredible service to our organization. Under his leadership, UCAR has become stronger, more effective, and better positioned to meet the nation’s needs.”

Barron is an accomplished atmospheric scientist and oceanographer who deeply understands the importance of Earth system science and the scientific missions of UCAR and NSF NCAR. Among his many honors, he is a fellow of the American Geophysical Union, the American Meteorological Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the Geological Society of America. 

“While the organization faces unprecedented challenges in this moment, difficult times also present opportunities, and I'm a firm believer in identifying those,” Barron said. “My sleeves are rolled up, ready for this challenge.”

Busalacchi leaves a lasting legacy at UCAR and across the Earth system science community. During his time as UCAR president he strengthened and modernized the organization, broadened and deepened its member community, and championed the importance of understanding the Earth as a coupled, interconnected system.  

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