MARK LITTMANN
CURRICULUM VITAE
(Updated to March 2017)
GENERAL BACKGROUND
EDUCATION
Northwestern University
Doctor of Philosophy (English), 1969
Hollins College
Master of Arts (modern literature and creative writing), 1962
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Bachelor of Science (chemistry and literature), 1961
POSITIONS HELD
Professor, Julia G. and Alfred G. Hill Chair of Excellence
in Science, Technology, and Medical Writing [inaugural fulltime appointment]
School of Journalism and Electronic Media
UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE
Knoxville, Tennessee
January 1991 to present
College of Communication & Information Board of Visitors Professor
UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE
Knoxville, Tennessee
July 2015 to present
Adjunct Lecturer
Department of Physics and Astronomy
UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE
Knoxville, Tennessee
January 1992 to May 2000
President
STARMASTER COMPANY (occasional educational publications and NASA contractor)
Knoxville, Tennessee
January 1982 to present (now inactive)
Adjunct Faculty (astronomy)
LOYOLA COLLEGE
Baltimore, Maryland
August 1988 to December 1990
Science Communicator (Director of Public Affairs)
SPACE TELESCOPE SCIENCE INSTITUTE
Baltimore, Maryland
April 1985 to February 1987
Member, Honors Program Faculty
March 1979 to April 1985
Adjunct Associate Professor of Physics (Astronomy)
July 1979 to June 1982
Adjunct Assistant Professor of Physics (Astronomy)
July 1973 to June 1979
Special Lecturer in Astronomy
December 1965 to June 1973
Special Lecturer in English
January to May 1970
UNIVERSITY OF UTAH
Salt Lake City, Utah
Host: "The Dr. Mark Littmann Show"
KZJO (now KTKK) RADIO (talk show)
Salt Lake City, Utah
January to September 1984
Director
HANSEN PLANETARIUM
Salt Lake City, Utah
June 1965 (founding) to July 1983
Distinguished Visiting Scholar
September 1976-April 1985
Special Lecturer in Astronomy
September 1967 to August 1976
WESTMINSTER COLLEGE
Salt Lake City, Utah
Lecturer in Physics/Astronomy
September 1970-June 1973
BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY, SALT LAKE CENTER
Salt Lake City, Utah
Science Columnist ("StarWatch")
August 1983 to July 1984
Drama and Dance Reviewer
January 1966 to November 1967
SALT LAKE TRIBUNE (daily newspaper)
Salt Lake City, Utah
Staff Meteorologist
September 1971 to September 1972
Special Science Reporter
September 1971 to September 1973
KCPX (now KTVX) TELEVISION (ABC)
Salt Lake City, Utah
PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES
American Astronomical Society (full member since 1978 – by election of professional astronomers)
and its Historical Astronomy Division
National Association of Science Writers
Society of Environmental Journalists
Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication
and its Science Communication Interest Group
Society of Professional Journalists
and its East Tennessee Chapter
SCHOLARLY PUBLICATIONS AND CREATIVE ACTIVITY
BOOKS
Totality: The Great American Eclipses of 2017 and 2024
by Mark Littmann and Fred Espenak
New York: Oxford University Press, 2017
Eclipse 2017
(for students ages 8-14)
by Mark Littmann
DPZ Technology, 2017
Telling the Stories of Science – Acclaimed Science Writers Share Their Insights
edited by Mark Littmann and Marlene Taylor
[Editing completed – searching for publisher: Anthology of Hill Lectures
Expected publication: 2018
Totality: Eclipses of the Sun
Third edition, hardcover
by Mark Littmann, Fred Espenak, and Ken Willcox
Oxford University Press, 2008
356 pages; ISBN 978-0-19-953209-4
[9 of 21 chapters are new, all others and 4 appendices revised slightly to greatly; three-quarters of
the 180 illustrations are new]
Note: Ken Willcox’s name remains on the book as co-author in honor of his friendship.
Third edition, updated paperback
by Mark Littmann, Fred Espenak, and Ken Willcox
Oxford University Press, 2009
358 pages; ISBN 978-0-19-956552-8
[Differs from the 2008 hardcover edition because of a new chapter on the total eclipses of 2012,
2013, 2015, and 2016, with 8 new illustrations. This chapter replaced the one on the eclipse of
2008.]
Second edition
by Mark Littmann, Ken Willcox, and Fred Espenak
Oxford University Press, 1999 (hardcover and paperback)
286 pages; ISBN 0-19-513178-9 (hardcover); ISBN 0-19-513179-7 (paperback)
[3 of 15 chapters new, 5 new appendices, all other chapters revised slightly to moderately, all new
color illustrations, many new black-and-white photographs and diagrams, mostly new or revised
appendices]
Note: Ken Willcox’s cancer recurred as work on the new edition commenced and he was unable to make any
contribution to this edition. He died just before it was published.
First edition
by Mark Littmann and Ken Willcox
University of Hawaii Press, 1991 (paperback)
240 pages; ISBN 0-8248-1371-5
Note: Ken Willcox was stricken with cancer as writing of this book commenced and he was able to make only a small
contribution to the work.
The Heavens on Fire: The Great Leonid Meteor Storms
by Mark Littmann
Cambridge University Press, 1998 (hardcover), 1999 (updated paperback)
1998 (hardcover) 359 pages; ISBN 0-521-62405-3
1999 (updated paperback) 359 pages; ISBN 0-521-77979-0
Planets Beyond: Discovering the Outer Solar System
by Mark Littmann
John Wiley & Sons, 1988 (hardcover), 1990 (updated paperback)
1988 (hardcover), 300 pages; ISBN 0-471-61128-X
1990 (updated paperback), 333 pages; ISBN 0-471-51053-X
Dover, 2004 (reissue, paperback), 333 pages; ISBN 0-486-43602-0
Comet Halley: Once in a Lifetime
by Mark Littmann and Donald K. Yeomans
American Chemical Society, 1985 (hardcover and paperback), 182 pages
Hardcover: ISBN 0-8412-0905-7
Paperback: ISBN 0-8412-0911-1
Theme and Structure in Thornton Wilder's Drama
University Microfilms, 1969
PLANETARIUM PROGRAM
(Recent – see separate list below for planetarium programs written and directed 1965-1984)
Eclipse—The Sun Revealed
by Mark Littmann
Produced by Sudekum Planetarium, Adventure Science Center, Nashville, 2017
for international distribution
PLAYS – FULL-LENGTH
Halley and Newton [working title]
by Mark Littmann
Writing in progress, expected completion 2018
An accurate full-length play about Edmond Halley (1656-1742) and how he brought Isaac Newton to the attention of the world
Little Lessons for Lina
by Mark Littmann
The story of Caroline Herschel, the first woman professional astronomer: a historically and scientifically accurate play in two acts, completed summer 2008, revisions continuing
Two staged dramatic readings
October 17, 2014: 55-minute adaptation of the play with UT student actors
StarFest (amateur astronomer conference), Bays Mountain Park Planetarium, Kingsport, TN
October 16, 2014: 55-minute adaptation of the play with UT student actors
West High School, Knoxville, Tennessee
Principally funded by the Journalism & Electronic Media Chair of Excellence Fund
Two dramatic readings of a 55-minute adaptation of the full-length play, funded by UT SARIF
EPPE grants
May 2, 2012: With professional actors Biz Lyon and Steve Fitchpatrick for Orion Astronomy
Club, Grove Theater, Oak Ridge, Tennessee
May 14, 2012: With professional actors Anne Millett and Steve Fitchpatrick for UT Jewish
Faculty Lecture Series, Arnstein Jewish Community Center
Independent, producer-funded partially staged reading in New York City at the Inwood Library:
October 17, 2009, produced by Donna Stearns and Jason Kendall, directed by Jerry Marco,
using actors from the Moonbeam Theatre Company, with special music composed by
Donna Stearns
The New York City Stearns/Kendall-produced reading was:
§ An official event of the International Astronomical Union’s International Year of
Astronomy 2009
§ An official event of the International Astronomical Union’s “She Is an Astronomer”
Program
§ An official event of Jason Kendall’s Galilean Nights Festival, part of the International
Year of Astronomy 2009
Dramatic reading:
October 11, 2009 under the direction of Tom Parkhill, Artistic Director of the Tennessee Stage
Company, using TSC actors, funded by a University of Tennessee SARIF EPPE grant.
Two dramatic readings:
December 9, 2008 and February 8, 2009 under the direction of Terry Silver-Alford, UT
Theatre Department/Clarence Brown Theatre play director, using actors in the
Department’s MFA program, funded by a University of Tennessee SARIF EPPE grant.
PLAYS – SHORT
Vashti – A Purim Play (one-act play)
by Mark Littmann
Performed as a staged dramatic reading by Heska Amuna Synagogue in March 14, 2015
Performed as a staged dramatic reading by South Baldwin Jewish Center, Baldwin, New York,
March 15, 2014 (Contact: Betty Arzt)
The Story of Bel and the Dragon Auditions for the Bible (one-act play)
by Mark Littmann
Read as part of Shavuot observance at Heska Amuna Synagogue on May 26, 2012.
Read as part of Rosh Hodesh (Knoxville Jewish women’s organization) program on June 20,
2012.
Jonah: The Reluctant Prophet
by Mark Littmann
Read at Heska Amuna Synagogue on September 29, 2011. Also performed
separately by Heska Amuna Religious School students on September 29, 2011.
Four Who Survived the Holocaust – A Reading [dramatic reading]
by Mark Littmann
[The stories of Trudy Dreyer, George and Helen Messing, and Arthur Pais]
Written for Heska Amuna Religious School students for Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Memorial
Day) to honor four Knoxvillians who survived the Holocaust.
Two performances on May 1, 2011 (with me as director): the first for the Heska Amuna Religious
School students; the second for the Knoxville Jewish community’s commemoration of the Holocaust (with the survivors in the audience).
Surviving the Nazis – The Mira Kimmelman Story: A Dramatic Reading
by Mark Littmann, adapted from the book Echoes from the Holocaust: A Memoir by Mira Ryczke
Kimmelman
Written for the Heska Amuna Synagogue and Temple Beth El Combined Religious Schools
students for Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Memorial Day) to honor Oak Ridge Holocaust survivor Mira Kimmelman. Two performances on Sunday, April 11, 2010 (with me as director):
the first for Temple Beth El Religious School students; the second for Heska Amuna Religious
School students.
The Nazis and the Jews – A Holocaust Presentation [dramatic reading]
by Mark Littmann
Written for the Heska Amuna Synagogue and Temple Beth El Combined Religious Schools
students for Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Memorial Day). Two performances on April 19, 2009
(with me as director): the first for Temple Beth El Religious School students; the second for
Heska Amuna Religious School students.
MONOGRAPHS
American Newspapers and the Great Meteor Storm of 1833: A Case Study in Science Journalism
by Mark Littmann
Journalism & Communication Monographs volume 10, number 3 (autumn 2008), page 249-284
SHORT BOOKS AND BOOKLETS (partial list)
Hubble Space Telescope Handbook for Amateur Astronomers
by Mark Littmann
Space Telescope Science Institute, 1986
Halley's Comet: An Observer's Guide
by Mark Littmann
Jason/Empire, Inc., 1985
Comet Halley: Once in a Lifetime – Curriculum Integration Guide
by Mark Littmann
American Chemical Society, 1984
The Dawn of Astronomy
by Mark Littmann
Hansen Planetarium, 1983
Skywatchers of Ancient Mexico
by Mark Littmann
Hansen Planetarium, 1982
Springtime of the Universe
by Mark Littmann
Hansen Planetarium, 1980
The Universe of Dr. Einstein
by Mark Littmann
Hansen Planetarium, 1980
Footsteps
by Mark Littmann
Hansen Planetarium, 1979
The People: Sky Lore of the American Indian
by Mark Littmann
Hansen Planetarium, 1976
The Unisphere
by Mark Littmann
Hubbard Scientific, 1972
The Solar System (reference chart)
by Mark Littmann
Hansen Planetarium, 1970
Chart of the Heavens
Cartography by Mark Peterson, text by Mark Littmann
Hansen Planetarium, 1967
MAJOR ARTICLES (partial list)
“Crowdsourcing, the Great Meteor Storm of 1833, and the Founding of Meteor Science”
by Mark Littmann and Todd Suomela
Endeavour, Volume 38, Number 2 (June 2014), pages 130-138
(DOI: 10.1016/j.endeavour.2014.03.002)
“Training Science Graduate Students to Communicate Science”
by Mark Littmann, Russel Hirst, Marlene Taylor, Kenneth J. Levine, and J. Robert Legg
In revision: IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
“La pédagogie et les Planétariums américains”
by Mark Littmann
Translated into French by Laurence Demond and Agnès Acker
Planétariums 2010 (publication of Association des Planétariums de langue française), May 2010, pages
39-40.
[Adaptation of “Voices from Educational Planetariums” – school planetarium directors sound off
on digital and optical-mechanical planetariums. Article commissioned by the editor in chief of
Sky & Telescope magazine to accompany my feature story “Not Much Eyesight, Plenty of
Vision,” Sky & Telescope magazine, December 2009. “Voices from Educational Planetariums”
appeared electronically only.]
“Not Much Eyesight, Plenty of Vision”
by Mark Littmann
Sky & Telescope, December 2009, pages 32-37
About a legally blind planetarium director and the advanced technology at her planetarium in
Nashville. Feature story commissioned by the editor in chief of Sky & Telescope magazine
“Planetarium Shows: Interactive vs. Participatory”
by Mark Littmann
Sky & Telescope, December 2009, page 37
Sidebar for “Not Much Eyesight, Plenty of Vision”
“How Many Planetariums Are There?”
by Mark Littmann
Sky & Telescope, December 2009, page 34
Number and types of planetariums in the United States and the world; sidebar for “Not Much
Eyesight, Plenty of Vision”
“Voices from Educational Planetariums”
by Mark Littmann
Sky & Telescope, December 2009, electronic version only
School planetarium directors sound off on digital and optical-mechanical planetariums; sidebar
commissioned by the editor in chief of Sky & Telescope magazine to accompany my feature story
“Not Much Eyesight, Plenty of Vision”
“Do Planetariums Teach?”
by Mark Littmann
Sky & Telescope, December 2009, electronic version only
Sidebar for “Not Much Eyesight, Plenty of Vision”
“Media Treatment of Plant Biotechnology”
by C. Neal Stewart, Jr. and Mark Littmann
Agricultural Biotechnology (on-line peer-reviewed journal)
January 2008; updated March 8, 2008
“Dark Beasts of the Trans-Neptunian Zoo”
by Mark Littmann
[article commissioned by the editor in chief of Sky & Telescope magazine]
Sky & Telescope
November 2007, pages 26-29
“From Theory to Reality”
by Mark Littmann
(sidebar for “Dark Beasts of the Trans-Neptunian Zoo”)
Sky & Telescope
November 2007, page 29
“From Chaos to the Kuiper Belt”
by Mark Littmann
[article commissioned by the editor in chief of Sky & Telescope magazine]
Sky & Telescope
September 2007, pages 22-28
“Planetary Slingshots”
by Mark Littmann
(sidebar for “From Chaos to the Kuiper Belt”)
Sky & Telescope
September 2007, page 26
“Courses in Science Writing as Literature”
by Mark Littmann
Public Understanding of Science
Volume 14, Number 1, January 2005, pages 103-112
"The Discovery of the Perseid Meteors"
by Mark Littmann
Sky & Telescope, August 1996
(later published by Sky & Telescope on the Internet)
"Where Is Planet X?"
by Mark Littmann
Sky & Telescope, December 1989
"The Triumphant Grand Tour of Voyager 2"