Nikolaus Volgenau
Operations Scientist
Goleta, California, United States
Summary
👤
Senior🎓
Top SchoolNikolaus Volgenau is an Operations Scientist with over a decade of hands-on experience running and improving astronomical observatories, combining a PhD in Astronomy with deep operational expertise. He has led instrument calibration programs, developed software tools like a Target and Observation Manager, and pioneered the use of all-sky camera data to quantify sky transparency across sites. Known for overhauling detection and troubleshooting workflows, he bridges observers, hardware, and software teams to keep complex facilities producing reliable science. Based in Goleta, CA, he brings a rare blend of research pedigree and practical operations management, with a track record of turning diagnostic insight into repeatable procedures that improve data quality.
11 years of coding experience
10 years of employment as a software developer
Doctor of Philosophy - PhD, Astronomy, Doctor of Philosophy - PhD, Astronomy at University of MarylandMaster of Science - MS, Astronomy, Master of Science - MS, Astronomy at San Diego State UniversityBachelor of Arts - BA, Physics, Bachelor of Arts - BA, Physics at Northwestern University
English, German
Github Skills (15)
backend9
portal8
calibration7
observation7
frontend5
scheduling3
django-project3
django3
sky2
catalog2
gaia2
python2
oceanography1
cosmology1
camera1
Programming languages (2)
Github contributions (5)
nvolgenau/banzai
Apr 2016 - May 2017
Contributions:8 pushes, 6 branches in 1 year
LCOGT/calibration-tom
Mar 2021 - Dec 2024
Target Observation Manager for Calibration Scheduling
Contributions:10 reviews, 22 PRs, 40 pushes in 3 years 9 months
calibrationobservationscheduling
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