Mark Reed has been the Director of the Peter F. Hurst Planetarium since 1993 and has taught Astronomy at Jackson High School for the past 23 years.  During his tenure as the director, the planetarium has been able to modernize its audiovisual capabilities so that a variety of educational experiences can be offered to visitors of all ages.

Mark earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Earth Science from Michigan State University and a MAE in Physics from Ball State University.  In addition, Mark is an active member of the Great Lakes Planetarium Association (GLPA), Amateur Astronomers of Jakcson, and is affilitated with the operation of the telescopes at Camp McGregor.

From the classroom, to the simulated skies of the Hurst Planetarium, or beneath the real stars at night, Mark has a passion to help people appreciate both the beauty of the Universe and the science that describes how it works.