UCAR adds two board members, elects new chair

By: InnovatioNews Tuesday November 25, 2014 Tags: Boulder, Eric Drummond, NCAR, Steve Berens, Thomas Bogdan, UCAR, UCAR Foundation, Vivian Dullien

 

BOULDER - The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) Foundation is adding two new members and a new chair to its board of directors.

New board members are Steve Berens, founder of Boulder-based companies Clear Comfort and Energized Strategy, and Eric Drummond, a partner in the Denver-based law firm of Fairfield and Woods.

Board member Vivian Dullien, a Boulder-based entrepreneur with experience in commercializing medical products, was elected new board chair.

"We have a great team in place who each bring their unique business experience to the foundation, along with the ability to drive new technologies in atmospheric observing and forecasting to the marketplace," said Thomas Bogdan, UCAR president.

"Our board members have their fingers on the pulse of groups across the country that will be interested in weather and climate technologies."

The UCAR Foundation works to commercialize knowledge and technology developed at UCAR and the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), which UCAR manages on behalf of the National Science Foundation .

Examples of past commercialization of UCAR and NCAR research include a wind energy forecasting system that has saved Xcel Energy ratepayers nearly $40 million, and specialized instrument packages called dropsondes that are released from aircraft to provide targeted, high-resolution soundings near storms or in remote regions.

UCAR is a nonprofit consortium of more than 100 colleges and universities offering degrees in the atmospheric and related sciences.