January 22, 2015 – The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), which provides unique exhibits on weather and climate, has been accepted to join a leading group of national museum and cultural organizations as an Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution. The affiliation establishes a long-term collaborative partnership between the two institutions.
UCAR's exhibits in the Mesa Lab of the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder are a destination for thousands of tourists and school children each year.
As an Affiliate, UCAR will have access to Smithsonian resources such as its collections of 138 million objects, artworks, and specimens; professional development opportunities; and membership benefits. UCAR and the Smithsonian Institution will also have the opportunity to develop important collaborations, such as collecting oral histories from communities that are being affected by climate change and developing traveling exhibits that will highlight weather, climate, and other aspects of the atmospheric sciences.
UCAR joins 199 museums and educational and cultural organizations in 44 states, Panama, and Puerto Rico that are in association with the Smithsonian.