Morehead State welcomes new Star Theater director as facility receives technology upgrade

Morehead State’s Star Theater is undergoing significant changes with the hiring of a new director and upgrades to its technology.  

Dr. Pamela Clark is the new director of the Star Theater and an instructor of space systems engineering. Before coming to MSU, Clark worked for NASA at both the Goddard Space Flight Center and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. During her time at NASA, Clark was involved in analyzing and interpreting some of the first remote sensing, creating the first global-scale (lunar) database, supporting the development of instruments for solar system exploration, and working in advanced concept development for tools and instruments for planetary exploration. She also taught college courses in chemistry, geology, and physics and worked as a consultant for Flexure Engineering.   

While working at Goddard, Clark met MSU Space Science Center Executive Director Dr. Ben Malphrus and said she was impressed with the program he helped build at MSU. When the opportunity to become the new director of the Star Theater arose, Clark said it felt like a good fit for her.  

“An opening for a director of the Star Theater, which would also include working with the staff I already know in developing new missions, as well as interacting with students and teaching some of my favorite subjects, seemed like an excellent new direction for my career, as well as an opportunity to share my love for space exploration and expand opportunities to participate in it with this community,” Clark said. As she assumes her new role, Clark said she would like to develop more collaborative STEM activities between the theater, campus, community groups, and tech companies.  

Clark comes to the Star Theater at a time of transition, as the facility undergoes technology upgrades. They include new projection hardware and software that will expand the theater’s repertoire of educational programming. Clark said she also plans to start screening vintage science fiction movies at the theater regularly and is planning events for International Observe the Moon Night in October.   

“We will reopen with a brand-new system, with greatly improved performance, and be able to draw from a larger repertoire of astronomy feature shows adding to what we already have,” Clark said. “The upgrades will provide much-improved performance and less costly maintenance, access to not only additional longer feature programming, but a far larger library of short features showing astronomical phenomena for use in courses.”  

The reopening of the Star Theater is planned for September. For information, visit www.moreheadstate.edu/startheater or call 606-783-9593.