Dr. Eric Barron is a renowned geologist and oceanographer who has made significant contributions to the field of Earth System Science. His interest in geology began as early as third grade, and he pursued this passion through his undergraduate studies at Florida State University, where he also had the opportunity to take graduate classes in oceanography. He continued his academic journey at the University of Miami, where he completed his graduate studies in oceanography. Dr. Barron's career took a significant turn when he received a call from a Harvard professor, Dick Holland, who was assisting Penn State University in organizing and seeking a Director for their brand-new Earth System Science Center. Despite his initial doubts about his qualifications, given that he was only five and a half years out of his doctorate, Dr. Barron was offered the position of Director. Throughout his career, Dr. Barron has held several prestigious positions, including dean, director of a national lab, and president of a university. His approach to leadership and vision development is characterized by setting clear goals and identifying concrete actions to achieve them. Dr. Barron's doctoral dissertation, which crossed the disciplines of geology and atmospheric sciences, was recognized for its creativity. His work has consistently demonstrated the value of interdisciplinary research in Earth System Science, as evidenced by his efforts to bring together scientists from different disciplines to work on important problems.

Scope and Content Note
This interview with Dr. Eric Barron, conducted on July 1, 2010, in Tallahassee, Florida, provides a detailed account of his career and contributions to the field of Earth System Science. The interview was conducted as part of the NASA Headquarters Earth System Science at 20 Oral History Project, which aims to gather experiences from those significantly involved in the efforts to launch and foster the concept of Earth System Science. In the interview, Dr. Barron discusses his early interest in geology and oceanography, his academic journey, and his unexpected appointment as the Director of the Earth System Science Center at Penn State University. He also shares his approach to leadership and vision development, emphasizing the importance of setting clear goals and identifying concrete actions to achieve them. Dr. Barron also discusses his doctoral dissertation, which was recognized for its creativity due to its interdisciplinary nature, crossing the fields of geology and atmospheric sciences.