The Osterbrock Leadership Program in the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics at UCSC is designed to fill this gap. It is named in honor of Donald E. Osterbrock, eminent former Professor of Astronomy at UCSC and skilled mentor of numerous graduate students, and his wife Irene. Don pioneered the study of gaseous nebulae and originated the classification scheme for active galactic nuclei. His steady hand on the helm as Lick Observatory director guided the UC astronomical community through the turbulent period when the Keck Telescopes were taking shape. Don was a gifted teacher, and the many doctoral students he advised comprise a significant portion of today’s astronomical leadership. Irene worked tirelessly to help establish the UCSC Library’s Mary Lea Shane Archives of the Lick Observatory as a world-renowned repository of U.S. astronomical history, for which she was named Patron of the American Astronomical Society. 

Together, the Osterbrocks’ leadership accomplishments set the standard for our program and continue to inspire students in the PhD today.

As far as we know, the OLP is unique – there is no other program like it in in the nation.  If interested, please contact Program Director Sandra Faber (faber@ucolick.org) to learn more.

Osterbrock activities teach basic leadership concepts and expose grads to examples of outstanding leadership both inside and outside science.  Visits to Osterbrock partner organizations take students outside the “department bubble” and introduce them to PhDs now serving in different kinds of leadership positions. OLP partner organizations include the Space Telescope Science Institute, the Carnegie Institution for Science, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the California Council on Science and Technology. The highlight of the year is the annual week-long visit to the Space Telescope Science Institute and Washington, DC, where students sit in on TAC meetings for HST and (in future) JWST and meet with government and business leaders who convey the importance of injecting scientific data into policy discussions and the challenges of doing that.   Attendance is also encouraged at external workshops, classes, and seminars where principles of leadership are taught, and support exists within the budget to cover travel, living expenses, and registration fees. The Mandel Communications Workshops, offered annually by Osterbrock Mentor Steve Mandel, help students hone their presentation skills to communicate with audiences more effectively. 

Osterbrock events advertise the importance of PhD leadership training and seek to improve its quality both within the Astronomy department and more widely in the UCSC community.  In 2016-17, the annual Osterbrock Distinguished Leadership Lecture was inaugurated, which invites distinguished scientific leaders from around the nation to address the campus community.  Previous OLP Distinguished Lecturers include Dr. Robert Kirshner, head of Science Programs at the Moore Foundation, and Rush Holt, former Congressperson and CEO of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.  

Osterbrock Mini-grant projects are the core of the OLP training experience.   Selected and managed by the Fellows and supported by small grants from the OLP endowment, Mini-grants are 12-month-long projects that offer unique opportunities for hands-on leadership training. All students in the Astronomy department are eligible to propose for a Mini-grant.  The Advisory Council selects the winners, awards the budgets, and provides oversight and guidance. A list of previous Mini-grants is given on a neighboring page.

A further unique feature of the Osterbrock program is mentorship by accomplished leaders.  Three UCSC Astronomy faculty serve as Senior Fellows and interface closely with the Fellows to run the program. In addition, the Mentors Circle consists of external advisors from business, government, science, and education who wish to share their leadership wisdom with young scientists. It is our hope that long-term relationships between the Fellows, Mentors, and Senior Fellows foster friendships will blossom into life-long bonds.

In any given year, there are 6-7 Fellows on the Advisory Council and another roughly half dozen students who are active in Mini-grants and other activities.  Department-wide activities like the Mandel Communications Workshops, Distinguished Lecturers, and Osterbrock Pizza Lunches, which feature interviews with local leaders,  potentially touch all members of the department.