Joseph Elected Chair of University Corporation for Atmospheric Research Trustees' Board

Trustees guide 110-member university consortium for atmospheric and Earth system research

New UCAR Board Chair Everette Joseph (Photo by Mark Schmidt)

BOULDER, COLO. (February 17, 2017) -- The University at Albany's Everette Joseph has been elected to serve as the chairman of the board of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), which manages the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR).

Joseph, who serves as the director of UAlbany's internationally recognized Atmospheric Sciences Research Center, was also elected to serve for a second three-year term on the board, which guides the 110-member university consortium for atmospheric and Earth system research.

"The University of Albany, a UCAR member since 1970, is proud of Dr. Joseph’s appointment as chair of the UCAR Board of Trustees and fully supports his service in this important role in the earth sciences community," said James Dias, Vice President for Research. "Through the work of our world class atmospheric science faculty and researchers, UAlbany has a long and rich history of partnership with UCAR and contribution to the community — this builds on that history."

Joseph will be joined by five new trustees on the board: Susan Avery, president emerita of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution; Raymond Ban, managing director of Ban & Associates; Shuyi Chen, professor of meteorology and physical oceanography at the University of Miami; Sherri Goodman, senior fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center; and Harlan Spence, director of the University of New Hampshire's Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space. At this week's meeting, UCAR President Antonio J. Busalacchi and Joseph thanked outgoing Chair of the Board Eric Betterton for his outstanding leadership, dedication, and commitment to UCAR.

Outgoing chair Eric Betterton, who has presided over the board since 2015, said he was delighted to see Joseph assume the role. "Everette is exceptionally well placed to take over as chair, having served as vice chair since 2015. He has a deep understanding of UCAR, most recently evidenced by his leadership last spring of the successful search for a new UCAR president," Betterton said.

"Eric is a tough act to follow, but I am looking forward to working with the new and returning trustees to ensure that UCAR continues to be regarded as one of the world's leading resources in the atmospheric and related Earth system sciences," Joseph said.

The UCAR member universities also re-elected two sitting trustees to additional terms: Betterton, who is the director of the University of Arizona's Department of Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences; and Romy Olaisen, a vice president of enterprise ground solutions at Harris Corp. Eleven board members have continuing terms in a staggered-term system that assures continuity.

UCAR is a nonprofit consortium of 110 North American colleges and universities focused on research and training in the atmospheric and related Earth system sciences. UCAR manages the National Center for Atmospheric Research for Atmospheric Research with sponsorship by the National Science Foundation. UCAR's community programs offer a suite of innovative resources, tools, and services in support of the consortium's education and research goals.

About ASRC Director and UCAR Chair Everette Joseph

Joseph has been the director of the Atmospheric Sciences Research Center at UAlbany since 2014. His current projects include research to improve extreme weather resiliency and the development and deployment of ground-based and satellite observing systems. In his prior position as director of the Howard University Program in Atmospheric Sciences, he helped Howard become a national leader in graduating African American and Latino Ph.D.s in atmospheric science.

About the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research

The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research manages the National Center for Atmospheric Research under sponsorship by the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings and conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

About the Atmospheric Sciences Research Center

The Atmospheric Sciences Research Center was established on February 16, 1961 by the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York, as a SUNY system-wide resource for developing and administering programs in basic and applied sciences related to the atmospheric environment.

Founded by Vincent Schaefer, a General Electric protégée of Nobel Prize winner Irving Langmuir, ASRC’s world-class researchers study the physical and chemical processes of the atmosphere, land, and water systems, and apply that knowledge to explore the interaction of chemical, physical, geological and biological processes that impact our environment. Through technology transfer and collaboration with state, federal and industrial partners, ASRC enhances New York State’s scientific capacity and infrastructure, while advancing the quality of life and economic well-being of its citizens.

Research and development at ASRC spans a broad spectrum of scientific areas, including: advanced sensor development; laboratory and field experiments in atmospheric chemistry, atmospheric physics, and aerosol microphysics; remote sensing of the environment; global aerosol forecasting, air quality, climate change, dispersion modeling; high performance computing, and data & visual analytics.

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