Kelle Cruz

With the ever-growing role of software development and computer programming in astronomical research, our community is faced with many new challenges in nearly every aspect of our profession. In this talk, I first will describe the various types of software and the many different roles it plays in the research cycle. I will also describe my personal journey —  involving Astropy, the AAS, a National Academies panel, and the 2020 Decadal Survey — which has both shaped my understanding and enabled me to influence the environment around software development.  Throughout the talk, I will highlight resources and tactics which individual researchers and teams can use to adapt to the rapidly changing landscape. I will also describe actions which could be taken to influence the prevailing culture to further recognize and value software development as a fundamental and crucial aspect of the entire astronomical research process.