The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) will become the new home for programs run by the Consortium for Ocean Leadership (COL), which is set to dissolve at the end of September.
The transition marks an historic partnership between the oceanic and atmospheric science communities and will help researchers advance the study of Earth as an interconnected system. The programs will be housed in a new Center for Ocean Leadership, which will reside within the existing UCAR Community Programs.
Antonio Busalacchi, UCAR president, said, “As an oceanographer by training, I am personally and professionally committed to maintaining the legacy of COL and growing the new Center for Ocean Leadership in ways that will continue to support the ocean science community. This new center creates a strong foundation for cross-disciplinary research and observation that is unparalleled in the Earth system science community and will further enable our community to address the great environmental challenges of our time. We look forward to supporting the many important initiatives COL was stewarding in support of ocean science.”
Monty Graham, interim president and CEO of COL, said, “This partnership is an unprecedented opportunity for the ocean and atmospheric science communities to collaborate in new and innovative ways. For years, COL programs have been cornerstones of Earth and ocean literacy, in addition to leading the community on crucial topics in ocean observation and research. I have the utmost faith that UCAR and their new Center for Ocean Leadership will be an environment in which the programs COL ran will continue to flourish and grow.”
UCAR is a nonprofit consortium of 120 North American colleges and universities focused on research and training in Earth system science. UCAR manages the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) on behalf of the National Science Foundation.