Sarah Pritchard has been named chief legal officer for the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR). Her first day will be January 3, 2022.

Pritchard will report directly to the UCAR president and provide both general business expertise and critical legal guidance for the organization. As chief legal officer, she will have primary responsibility for all legal and regulatory compliance, intellectual property protection, patent activities, technology transfer, research security, export compliance, privacy, and other legal-related activities, ensuring that UCAR is fulfilling its responsibilities as manager of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), which is sponsored by the National Science Foundation.

Pritchard has considerable familiarity with UCAR, as she served as the organization’s associate general counsel and then deputy general counsel from 2005 to 2016. Most recently, she served as senior associate university counsel for the University of Colorado Boulder, advising on a range of legal and business matters with a particular focus on sponsored research transactions and research compliance.

Overall, Pritchard has more than 20 years of extensive experience as a legal counsel for nonprofit, governmental, and commercial organizations. A graduate of the University of Colorado School of Law, she clerked for former Colorado Supreme Court Justice George E. Lohr and Boulder District Judge Murray Richtel, formerly with the 20th judicial district, and recently served as Director of the Boulder Bar Association Board of Directors.

“Sarah’s outstanding legal background and her detailed knowledge of our organization will be a major asset for UCAR and NCAR,” said UCAR President Antonio Busalacchi. “She has a deep understanding and respect for the importance of research, which will prove vital as we continue to prioritize the advancement of science in ways that serve society.”

“I am deeply honored to be selected for this leadership position,” Pritchard said. “I am very much looking forward to returning to UCAR and supporting its crucial missions of research, education, and diversity.”

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