Leake, David (1961-) | University of Illinois Archives

David Leake (1961- ) was born in Decatur, IL. After graduating from Decatur High School in 1979, Leake was admitted to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign where he studied physics. After graduating with a degree in physics in 1983, he worked for six years as a production specialist at APL Engineered Materials in Urbana, IL. In 1985, he began teaching adult education courses in astronomy and in 1986 he founded the Champaign-Urbana Astronomical Society. When the William M. Staerkel Planetarium opened at Parkland College in 1989, Leake began leading live shows and was hired that same year as a planetarium specialist. In 1995 he earned a masters degree in secondary education with a science focus from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. In 2000, he was named the director of the Staerkel Planetarium, teaching classes in astronomy and physics at Parkland College until his retirement in 2019.

During his career as a science educator, Leake recorded several radio and television shows. Between 2003 and 2007, he served as the host of "Live and Learn" on PCTV, which was followed by "Surrounded by Science," which ran from 2006 to 2013. From 2008 to 2010, he served as a co-host with Ed Keiser on WILL's program "Sky Guys." Beginning in 2021, Leake served as a co-host with Larry Fredrickson for the program "HomegrownKIO" on WKIO 107.9, a weekly podcast that featured interviews with and historic recordings by bands and musicians from the Champaign Urbana area.