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        • About Us

          URA is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) academic consortium composed of over 94 premier research universities across the United States, United Kingdom, Italy, and Japan headquartered in Washington, D.C. supporting government lab management and operation in the national interest.

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        • Member Universities

          URA fosters valuable university research partnerships through membership. URA presents members with research opportunities at national engineering and physics labs, engagement with laboratory leadership and management, and recognition of academic achievements.

        • Lab Management

          Since 1965 URA has been an integral part of the management of Fermilab, overseeing the management and operations of the lab and bringing the expertise of our 94 member universities to bear on the challenges facing the Fermilab.  URA supports scholars and interns doing research at Fermilab and recognizes outstanding contributions.  In 2007 URA became part of the organization that manages and operates Sandia National Laboratories and since then has worked to support the scientific and technical demands of Sandia by supporting external calibration of science, technology and engineering (ST&E) programs; aid in ST&E programs’ strategic planning; and assist in development of university partnerships and diverse workforce talent.

        • Science & Research Policy

          URA strives to engender an awareness of the current national science policy issues among its members and early career scientists. This is achieved through a variety of platforms at URA, including science policy and communication training, connecting scientists and policymakers, and policy town halls and workshops. URA’s goal is to facilitate effective science communication to promote the public’s understanding of scientific discoveries, foster trust in scientific institutions, and facilitate informed decision-making by policymakers and the public.

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        • High Energy Physics User Community

          URA has been a supporter, convener, and integral part of the high energy physics User Community since Fermilab’s creation. Currently approximately seventy-five percent of the university-based users at Fermilab come from URA members. URA members represent the best scientific expertise the nation has to offer. Through our leadership, oversight, and programs URA is committed to ensuring that the full range of expertise from around the Nation and the world contributes to Fermilab’s scientific challenges and the user and affiliate community remains the vital part of the lab’s research base that it has always been.

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Board of Trustees

Home | About Us | Leadership & Management | Board of Trustees | Eric Barron

URA Board of Trustees

ERIC BARRON, CHAIR

President Emeritus, Pennsylvania State University

Dr. Eric Barron, President Emeritus, Pennsylvania State University is the Chair of the URA Board of Trustees. Previously he served as the 18th President of Pennsylvania State University and the 14th president of Florida State University and director of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colorado.

Prior to these positions, Dr. Barron was a faculty member, and became dean, of the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences at the Pennsylvania State University, from 1986 to 2006. He also served as dean of the Jackson School of Geosciences at the University of Texas at Austin before becoming NCAR director in 2008.

Barron is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and has served as chair of numerous National Science Foundation, NASA, and United States National Research Council (NRC) 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.

Dr. Barron holds a Bachelor of Science in geology from Florida State University and two postgraduate degrees in oceanography, a Master of Science and a PhD, both from the University of Miami.

Mr. Barron is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and has served as chair of numerous National Science Foundation, NASA, and United States National Research Council (NRC) committees and panels