Summary
Paul McFarlane is the Director of Fleischmann Planetarium and Science Center. McFarlane is an 1990 alumnus of the University of Nevada, Reno, where he was honored as a Herz Gold Medalist for outstanding scholarship. He also was selected as the Outstanding Student Teacher in the College of Education and Senior Scholar of the College of Arts and Sciences. He has studied astronomy and astrophysics at the University of Nevada, Reno’s Department of Physics, doing coursework and research using the MacLean Observatory telescopes at the Redfield Campus. McFarlane also trained at Johnson and Kennedy Space Centers with aerospace and NASA experts in astronomy, engineering and planetary science. His work experience includes the Challenger Learning Center of Northern Nevada.
McFarlane also taught kindergarten-college students for more than 25 years in the Washoe County School District. McFarlane represented Nevada as the Honeywell Educator at Space Academy with teachers from more than 27 countries and 41 other states, being selected as one of just seven Mission Commanders.
When asked by students, McFarlane says he would gladly go to the moon someday if ever given the chance.