Gretchen Mullendore has been named interim NSF NCAR director
Mullendore replaces Everette Joseph
Nov 9, 2026 - by Staff
Gretchen Mullendore has been named as the NSF NCAR interim director effective November 13. Mullendore has directed NSF NCAR’s Mesoscale and Microscale Meteorology Laboratory (MMM) since 2021.
During her time at NSF NCAR, Mullendore has championed the development of the organization’s next-generation weather model, the Model for Prediction Across Scales (MPAS), which enables regional and global high-resolution forecasts and simulations. As MMM director, Mullendore built bridges across disciplines in order to address some of the most challenging scientific problems facing society today.
“Gretchen is a trusted leader who knows how to build long-term partnerships and work across labs to enable frontier science,” said Eric Barron, interim president of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), which manages NSF NCAR on behalf of NSF. “She has a deep understanding of our organization, and I have every confidence she will provide not only continuity but the energy and leadership NSF NCAR needs to thrive during this transition.”
Mullendore is a fellow of the American Meteorological Society and former chair of the Atmospheric Sciences Department at the University of North Dakota, where she worked between 2007 and her arrival at NSF NCAR. She holds a doctoral degree in atmospheric sciences from the University of Washington and a bachelor’s degree in geophysics from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Mullendore replaces Everette Joseph, who has been the NSF NCAR director since 2019. Joseph will undertake a three-month leave of absence and plans to return to NSF NCAR in a senior role.
“Both the UCAR Board of Trustees and I want to extend our thanks to Everette for his eight years of service and his personal commitment to NSF NCAR and the university community,” Barron said. “He led NSF NCAR during some of the organization’s toughest years, including a global pandemic, with empathy and compassion. Throughout his tenure, he remained steadfastly focused on NSF NCAR’s success and on ensuring that the vital research that goes on here is as beneficial as possible to society.”