BOULDER - The National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder named Eric J. Barron as its new director today.

Barron will begin his new job on Aug. 1, replacing former NCAR Director Timothy Killeen who left the position to become the assistant director for the geosciences at the National Science Foundation.

Barron is currently the dean of the Jackson School of Geosciences at the University of Texas in Austin. He also holds the Jackson Chair in Earth System Science.

"Eric is an outstanding scientist and educator with real vision and a deep understanding of NCAR based on career-long ties," said Richard Anthes, president of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, which manages NCAR for the National Science Foundation.

Anthes, who announced the appointment this morning, noted that the breadth of Barron's expertise will be especially important as NCAR extends its role in the Earth sciences through such undertakings as the creation of an Earth system computer model that will incorporate processes that take place as far away as the Sun.

Barron has authored or coauthored more than 120 peer-reviewed papers in geology, oceanography and climate. He has chaired numerous NSF, NASA and National Research Council committees and panels, including the NRC Climate Research Committee, the NRC Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, and NASA's Earth Observing System Science Executive Committee.

Barron's ties to NCAR range from student visitor to staff scientist, university collaborator, and most recently, chairman of the UCAR board of trustees. He will step down from that latter position when he begins as NCAR director.

Barron began his scientific career at NCAR as a geology graduate student. Since moving to the university community he has remained a frequent collaborator with and scientific visitor to NCAR.

Before joining the University of Texas, Barron was dean of the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences and professor of geosciences at the Pennsylvania State University and prior to that served as an associate professor at the University of Miami. He received a bachelor's degree in geology from Florida State University, and a master's degree and doctorate in oceanography from the University of Miami.