University of California Observatories Employee Directory
Higher EducationCalifornia, United States11-50 Employees
University of California Observatories (UCO) is a multi-campus research unit within the higher education system that coordinates astronomical research across UC campuses. It operates Lick Observatory and the technical laboratories at UC Santa Cruz and UCLA, and it serves as a managing partner of the Keck Observatory in Hawaii. It also serves as the UC center for participation in the Thirty-Meter Telescope (TMT) project. Through these roles, UCO provides access to large facilities, shared instrumentation, and governance structures that support observational astronomy for UC researchers. Headquartered in Santa Cruz, California, the organization functions as a focused, collaborative unit within the UC system. Recent developments include the appointment of Wes Ryle as the observatory's new astronomer in May 2024, reflecting ongoing personnel updates as the research program evolves.