About
Our Team
Lorean A. Barba
Faculty Director and CO-Principal Investigator
Professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering
Geneva Henry
CO-Principal Investigator
Dean of Libraries and Academic Innovation, Vice Provost for Libraries and Information Technology
David Lippert
Open Source Program Office Director
Michael Rossetti
Software Developer and Open Source Evangelist
What is an OSPO?
An Open Source Programs Office (OSPO) is a structure used in technology companies to manage OSS strategy and activities in the organization and to engage with the broader community. Google’s OSPO, founded nearly two decades ago, helped it become a powerful influence in the software industry. Beyond its iconic programs like Google Summer of Code and Google Season of Docs, the OSPO helped steer value-generating projects like Android, TensorFlow, and Kubernetes. Google’s OSPO also stands out because of the scale and diversity of its initiatives, and its impact as a result. The strategic importance placed by the company on OSS proved a wise decision, as in recent years the pace of innovation in OSS has accelerated major innovations in technology that now are based on open source software.
A similar scenario is forging in scholarly research and education, where open data, open software, open science, and open education are spreading rapidly. Governments and funding agencies are enacting policies and devising incentives for transforming science and all scholarly activities to a default of openness. Given the rapid adoption of open research practices (open data, open-access publishing, open- source software, and more), new organizational structures are needed to support researchers in complying with funder policies, navigating intellectual property and licensing questions, and developing strategies to better manage data and software
Goal
GW has establish a university-wide OSPO to foster a culture of networked collaboration, promoting open-source software development, open data, and open access in research and education, and to support the university community in adoption of open practices.
Objectives
- Create a centralized organizational entity for open practices initiatives.
- Develop and implement policies, processes, and guidelines for open-source software and open scholarship.
- Provide training, tools, and resources to support open-source software, open data, and open access.
- Build a strong local community.
Proposed Activities
- Recruit a program manager
- Meet with stakeholders from across the university to canvas needs
- Develop programming including formal and informal learning, workshops and events to build capacity in open development and best practices
- Establish partnerships and collaborations with external organizations
- Support undergraduate student groups and develop opportunities for co-op and internships related to software
- Produce micro-learning content
- Develop a website, informational material, guides and checklists to support open research practices.
Expected Outcomes
- Improved awareness and adoption of open-source software and open practices across the university
- Enhanced infrastructure and tools supporting software development and open educational resources
- A diverse and inclusive open-source community at the university
- Strengthened partnerships and collaborations in the open source ecosystem.
We are here to support you
Students, faculty, staff, and community members, please don't hesitate to get in touch to talk about anything related to "open"