Our Mission

ISEE prepares current and future professionals to advance in astronomy, engineering, astronomical instrumentation, observatory careers, physics, and other STEM fields through innovative programs that build valued skills and create enduring communities.

Our Work

ISEE’s expertise is in developing, leading, and evaluating programs that complement formal educational pathways, and fall into what ISEE’s calls “workforce development.” ISEE’s main focus is on building an effective workforce for astronomical observatories, including the people that make scientific discoveries, build technology, and operate telescopes. ISEE works with undergraduates, graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and professionals. Programs offered through ISEE begin with intensive, experiential workshops that are often transformative for participants, and simultaneously build skills and establish a community that will continue after the workshops. ISEE focuses on skills that are highly valued, but rarely taught: mentoring, teaching, leadership, collaboration, and the reasoning skills involved in doing science and engineering. 

OUR PROGRAMS, BY AUDIENCE

Undergraduates

Graduate students and postdocs

Professionals

The Institute for Scientist & Engineer Educators (ISEE) is part of California Observatories
https://isee.ucsc.edu

​Contact Us

Lisa Hunter,
ISEE Director and, UCO Associate Director for Education & Workforce Development
lhunter@ucsc.edu