Garmany was selected as a fellow at the Center for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy (CASA) at the University of Colorado in 1985. Then beginning in 1990 she joined as a fellow of JILA of the University of Colorado, while maintaining her fellowship with CASA. She also led as director of the Sommers-Bausch Observatory and Fiske Planetarium and as a research professor at the University of Colorado. As director of the observatory and planetarium, Garmany was tasked with overseeing graduate students and maintaining the mission of the facility: to support instruction, provide public education through shows and displays, and to reach out to public school groups. "