AstroTech is an initiative to make the field of astronomical instrumentation more inclusive, beginning with a one-week summer school for undergraduates and graduate students.
The AstroTech community comes together every summer for a 1-week series of workshops that includes new participants, returning participants, and instructors. Participants work in small teams to design, build, and test an optical instrument that meets their own science goals. Everyone at AstroTech becomes part of a community committed to advancing the field of instrumentation and the workshop is just the beginning.
The AstroTech 2025 program will be held at the University of California, Berkeley
Program dates: Monday June 23 – Friday June 27, 2025
Upcoming Events:
AstroTech at AAS Conference January 2025
AstroTech will be organizing an alumni event during the 245 American Astronomical Society (AAS) Conference in National Harbor, Maryland held January 14-16 2025. More information to follow. If you plan on attending AAS and would like to join us, please contact astrotech@ucsc.edu. Hope you can come!
“Amazing, seeing so many diverse people, with different backgrounds and are currently in different paths within instrumentation was so important to me, and it helped me see the diversity that should continue to be in this field.”
Unique aspects of AstroTech
Astronomical Instrumentation:
A Hands-On Approach
Career Networking
AstroTech summer school includes a career networking session and a partner event with people working in instrumentation: industry, academia, and government sectors. AstroTech leadership plans to host events for alumni at SPIE and AAS conferences to keep the community thriving and engaged long after summer school.
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
Part of a Community
Participants who join AstroTech become part of a community that values inclusion and equity aims to increase and supports the participation of women and under-represented groups in the field of instrumentation. Learn more about the AstroTech instructional team.
Professional Development for Instructors
AstroTech supports instructors, early career scientists and engineers, in their career development. AstroTech provides funds for instructors to attend the ISEE Professional Development Program. Instructors that attend the PDP learn about and practice: inclusive curriculum design, effective teamwork, assessment, and facilitation.
AstroTech Leaders
Jessica Lu
Co-Director
Associate Professor of Astronomy, University of California (UC) Berkeley; instrumentalist, including Project Scientist for the Keck All-Sky Precision Adaptive Optics (KAPA) instrument.
Candice Brown Pacheco
Co-Director
Assistant Director, Institute for Scientist & Engineer Educators (ISEE) at University of California Observatories; ISEE has been developing and offering programs like AstroTech for 20 years, and has earned the highest U.S. award for STEM mentoring .
AstroTech Funding
AstroTech is funded by the Heising-Simons Foundation. Past funding has come from the National Science Foundation through the Keck All-Sky Precision Adaptive Optics(KAPA) project (AST#1836016)
ISEE
Led by the Institute for Scientist & Engineer Educators (ISEE) at University of California Observatories
https://isee.ucsc.edu
Contact Us
Individuals with questions about AstroTech should contact: astrotech@ucsc.edu