Mark moved to Oak Ridge in 1981 after graduation from Iowa State University with a degree in Chemical Engineering. Fate brought Mark into the same Vacuum Engineering Support Group as VTI co-founder George Solomon. Mark immediately began to use and develop his skills as a PC programmer by automating test equipment and running Monte Carlo simulations of gas flow in vacuum systems. His ability in mathematics and computer simulations led to his co-authoring several papers on gas flow in vacuum with Dr. Don Santeler.

In the fall of 1986 Mark grew tired of the frustrations of working on government projects and he jumped ship, becoming VTI’s first full-time employee. George followed shortly thereafter and together with Michelle, they began to build the infrastructure for VTI and its initial products, including calibrated leaks and the first PC controlled AERO VAC Mass Spectrometer/RGA. Mark’s range of knowledge in multiple areas including physics, chemistry, electronics, computers, and mathematics has made him VTI’s Chief Scientist.