Alyssa Danielli: Creating an environment where groundbreaking research can thrive

By Mike Peña, UC Santa Cruz

Alyssa Danielli, department manager in astronomy and astrophysics, has been honored in this year’s UC Santa Cruz Science Division 2024-25 Outstanding Staff and Faculty Awards.

An indispensable impact

Danielli joined the Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics in January 2024, during a critical time when administrative support was stretched thin. Despite the challenging circumstances and limited resources, she quickly established herself as an indispensable member of the department—handling every task with remarkable competence, owing to her professional skills and personal qualities.

Soon after joining the department, Danielli was charged with coordinating the admissions process and recruitment visit for the newest cohort of graduate students. Since then, she has personally planned and coordinated department visits and orientations for the incoming cohort of graduate students. She has also played a key role in ensuring graduate students can navigate their degree requirements. In the absence of a permanent graduate advisor, Danielli handled university requirements for student qualifying exams, student funding, and graduation deadlines. 

In addition, Danielli has been essential to students’ roles as teaching assistants, from matching them to appropriate classes to managing absences. She also provides critical support for all departmental events, from major outreach initiatives such as public lectures to community activities for department members and the University of California Observatories.

The heart and brain of the department

The service Danielli and her team provide across the department spans critical operational support, including ensuring postdoctoral researchers are properly appointed, onboarded, and fully integrated into the community. “Alyssa is the heart and brain of our department,” said Professor and Department Chair Jonathan Fortney. “She makes sure that our community feels nurtured, but also ensures that deadlines are met, and that we have a productive workplace for everyone.”

Danielli said what motivates her most is the opportunity to support the extraordinary people in her department who are pushing the boundaries of discovery every day, calling their dedication “inspiring and contagious.” 

“Helping create an environment where groundbreaking research can thrive, while supporting the next generation of scientific leaders in astronomy and astrophysics, is deeply meaningful to me,” Danielli said. “Being able to contribute, behind the scenes, to work that expands our understanding of the universe is both humbling and rewarding, and I feel incredibly lucky to be part of such an innovative, dedicated, and collaborative community.”

Also honored in this year’s awards was Carrie Partch, professor of chemistry and biochemistry. Read the full story from UC Santa Cruz.