Peter Michael Eisenberger

Dr. Peter Michael Eisenberger (July 20,1941- February 5, 2025)

Dr. Peter Eisenberger, a pioneering physicist, environmental visionary, and devoted mentor, passed away at the age of 83. His remarkable career spanned decades of groundbreaking scientific research, business and civic leadership, and cross-disciplinary educational and entrepreneurial innovation, all driven by his relentless curiosity and life-long commitment to using his mind, energy, and relationships to help humankind successfully navigate the future.

Born in Queens, New York, to Austrian immigrant parents who fled Nazi Germany, Peter's early love of science and nature shaped a career that left a lasting impact on multiple fields. An intellectual and systems thinker, he earned a B.A. in Physics from Princeton University and a Ph.D. in Applied Physics from Harvard University before launching his research career at Bell Laboratories in 1968. There, he not only pioneered several advances in the use of synchrotron radiation to study the fundamental properties and structure of complex materials, but successfully helped advocate for the expansion of synchrotron research facilities worldwide. While at Bell Labs, he also strongly supported the recruiting of talented scientists from communities that were historically under-represented, an endeavor he actively supported throughout the rest of his career.

Peter's passion for ideas and new perspectives took him from managing pure science efforts at Bell to applied energy research at Exxon in 1981, where he led Exxon's Physical Sciences R&D laboratory and a multi-year, multi-million dollar study that correctly estimated - in the late eighties - that solar energy could be ready for mass deployment by 2012. After several years working in corporate research while also serving as a consulting professor at Stanford University's Applied Physics Department, Peter turned fully to academia, returning to Princeton University as a tenured Professor of Physics in 1989, where he founded the interdisciplinary Princeton Materials Institute, dedicated to the design and synthesis of advanced materials. Among his other notable projects there, he led efforts to drive collaborative academic, corporate, and governmental research on environmentally-advanced materials at a national level.

Recognizing his leadership in this area, Peter was then recruited to Columbia University in 1996, where he became Vice-Provost, Director of the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, and founding Director of the Columbia Earth Institute, Columbia's well-known umbrella for its many leading climate and environmental programs. Peter served at Columbia until his passing as a Professor of Earth & Planetary Sciences and taught a course for decades that explored the interaction between human and natural systems and how we can better design our stewardship of the planet, a role he treasured for the ongoing interactions with students it afforded.

By the early 2000's, Peter's growing focus on earth systems inspired an interest in applying his materials science expertise to the climate challenge. Convinced that removing large amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere was needed to avoid the threat of catastrophic climate change, Peter co-founded one of the world's first Direct Air Capture (DAC) companies, Global Thermostat, in 2006. Serving as its Chief Technology Officer, he developed and patented several key innovations in the field, drawing on his decades of experience exploring how materials and surfaces interact as a solid-state physicist. The Direct Air Capture field has since grown to hundreds of companies.

A profound and enduring relationship in Peter 's life was his collaboration with his son, Nicholas, in their shared mission to combat climate change through technological and market innovation. Over more than 30 years, father and son were thought and business partners-challenging, inspiring, and pushing each other to think bigger. Their work, culminating in advancing Direct Air Capture solutions and helping to cultivate a diverse, global ecosystem of climate technology companies, investors, corporates, and civil society advocates, was shaped by countless conversations with each other and fellow innovators around the world. Sometimes intense, their never-ending dialogues and debates were fueled by deep respect and an unshakable belief in each other. Together, they built more than ideas; they built a legacy of hope and possibility for a more sustainable world.

A fellow of the American Physical Society and the American Association of the Advancement of Science, Peter served on numerous science advisory boards, including for members of Congress, the Governor of his long-time home state of New Jersey, and other leading US and international governmental and academic scientific institutions. He held multiple prestigious scientific affiliations, published over a hundred peer-reviewed papers and held over twenty-five patents for his inventions.

Beyond his professional achievements, Peter was a passionate advocate for interdisciplinary collaboration, always seeking to bridge science, business, policy, and even seemingly incompatible perspectives to imagine a society worthy of passing on to future generations. He fundamentally believed, as he frequently said, that we are all "earthlings" who share common aspirations. As a scientist, he also believed that harnessing knowledge was the key to unlocking that future, but warned against the temptation of pursuing new technologies merely because they are possible. Instead, he was an evangelist for the idea that knowledge should only be used with the intention to better the human condition and the planet on which we rely. The true challenge to achieving that positive vision, Peter felt, lies in changing ourselves to act with more empathy to the needs and perspectives of others. Indeed, his favorite phrase was "Change your perspective," which was emblazoned on his much loved, well-worn cap.

Peter's fierce intellect, forceful advocacy, and unconventional thinking challenged and inspired colleagues, students, and friends alike. At the same, while he was clearly captivated by serious subjects, Peter was also noted for his less serious side. With an evident twinkle in his eye, an Einstein-esque shock of untamed hair, and his irrepressible glee in preparing and sharing hearty meals, Peter's unique and irreverent joy for life was contagious.

Those who knew Peter best will remember his love of deep conversation and intellectual sparring, hot tubs, and incredible natural views - as well as his big dreams and relentless optimism. He was happiest walking through the forests he so carefully tended around the unique glass house he designed overlooking the Pacific in Northern California, debating ideas about the future of humanity and the planet, and bringing people together to imagine a better future. His legacy lives on in the scientific breakthroughs he championed, the communities he built, the landscapes he tended, and the many lives he touched.

In addition to Nicholas, Peter is survived by his first wife, Sarita Cooke Garner, his daughter-in-law Robin, and his cherished granddaughters Elise, Penelope, and Daphne. Throughout his life and specifically laterly, an important circle of friends, collaborators, students, and assistants shared in and supported his dreams. A celebration of his life will be held in the coming months to honor his memory in the way he would have wanted-surrounded by nature, laughter, and bold ideas.

In lieu of flowers or donations, friends and family are encouraged to join in Peter's lifelong mission of supporting deep thinking and collaborative action directed at healing the earth. Peter's most earnest wish was not only that we would continue to work together to make a better future - but that we would act like the future depends on it.