Dale Hatfield, Wife Give $2.5 Million to Endow Chair at CU Boulder

WASHINGTON, Oct. 7, 2025 — The University of Colorado Boulder has received a $2.5 million gift from longtime donors to help strengthen the future of space governance and infrastructure.

The donation from Dale and Patricia Hatfield will fund the Hatfield Endowed Professorship in Space Policy and Law, an initiative designed to bring together experts in engineering, law, and public policy. 

The position will drive interdisciplinary research with implications for national security, communications, navigation, weather forecasting and international collaboration, according to a CU Boulder press release.

Dale Hatfield, who previously worked for the Federal Communications Commission and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, now serves as an adjunct professor at CU Boulder. He and his wife have supported the university for years.

“As humanity ventures beyond our planet, space law and policy have emerged as a new frontier, offering vast opportunities to shape the future of space exploration and utilization,” Hatfield said. “The realm of space beckons a new generation to establish the legal and policy frameworks that will govern our cosmic endeavors.”

Professor Marcus Holzinger, who will hold the inaugural role, said his research merges astrodynamics and geopolitics to promote a space future grounded in democratic norms.

“The Third Space Age presents a choice: Will we build a future in space guided by proven values and foresight, or will we extend old conflicts into this new arena?” Holzinger said. “Space is already deeply integrated into our global society, but traditional approaches to preventing conflict don’t meet our emerging needs in this complex environment.”

Holzinger said the program will advance “fresh views on deterrence and cooperation.” The position will rotate to encourage collaboration across engineering, law and business disciplines.