Antonio J. Busalacchi serves as president of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, a nonprofit consortium of 122 North American colleges and universities focused on research and training in Earth system science. An internationally recognized expert in Earth’s climate system and ocean-atmosphere interactions, Busalacchi earned his Ph.D. in oceanography from Florida State University. He has advised policy makers and testified to Congress on the importance of advancing research in ways that help save lives and property, strengthen the economy, and safeguard national security.
Prior to his appointment at UCAR, Busalacchi served as director of the Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center at the University of Maryland, where he helped coordinate research into the oceans, atmosphere, and other aspects of the Earth system. He was also a professor in the University of Maryland’s Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science.
Busalacchi has served extensively on National Academy of Science/National Research Council activities, including as chair of the Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, chair of the Climate Research Committee, chair of the Committee on Earth Science and Application: Ensuring the Climate Measurements from NPOESS and GOES-R, and co-chair of the Committee on National Security Implications of Climate Change on U.S. Naval Forces. The recipient of numerous awards and honors, he was elected to the National Academy of Engineering and is also a fellow of the American Meteorological Society, the American Geophysical Union, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.