National Osterbrock Leadership Program Explanatory Webinar

Robert Williams (Space Telescope Science Institute) and Sandra Faber (University of California, Santa Cruz) will host an informational webinar on Wednesday, 24 June 2020, at 4 pm EDT / 1 pm PDT / 10 am HST on the new National Osterbrock Leadership Program (NOLP). Launched on 23 April 2020, NOLP provides a significant funding opportunity for participating departments that offer graduate degrees in the astronomical sciences. The program is supported by funds from the Peter and Patricia Gruber Foundation and is administered by the AAS.

The webinar should last no longer than an hour and will include time for questions. It will be recorded and posted on the AAS’s NOLP page for later reference.

Added 24 June 2020: Video (on YouTube) | Presentation (PDF)

Formal leadership training of graduate students is almost nonexistent in the United States. The Donald and Irene Osterbrock Leadership Program in UCSC’s Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics is a rare exception. Through matching funds, the NOLP will facilitate the creation of programs similar to UCSC’s on a national level. Representing a new dimension for any department training students to work in the astronomical sciences, such programs should attract a broader, more diverse spectrum of capable students who wish to develop skills that will benefit their work in every aspect of science.

The webinar is designed to inform all faculty and graduate students interested in having their graduate program participate in the NOLP. Chairs of university departments of astronomy and astrophysics, departments of physics and astronomy, and departments of Earth and planetary science are encouraged to join the webinar, as are the heads of graduate programs within their departments, graduate-student advisors, and interested faculty, postdocs, and graduate students in the astronomical sciences. The NOLP is an exciting opportunity for graduate programs with a serious interest in leadership training.

If you wish to participate in the 24 June webinar, which will be conducted via Zoom, please email the NOLP program by close of business on Monday, 22 June 2020. Rick Fienberg from the AAS Executive Office will respond in due course with details on how to connect to the event.

We look forward to your participation. If you have any questions, please email the NOLP program.