Director of Prizes and Special Programs
Eric Marshall, Ph.D., is director of Prizes and Special Programs at The Kavli Foundation. He joined the foundation in 2016 to build the foundation’s strategic efforts in public engagement, communications and prizes. He developed the framework and recruited expert staff to lead these programs. His efforts with Public Engagement with Science Program launched new networks to support public engagement professionals, including science engagement network leaders, science communication trainers, funders and scientific professional societies. Eric now focuses his attention on continuing to increase the impact of The Kavli Prize, other prize activities and special programs, such as Kavli Science and Education – Norway.
Eric is a physicist and educator who has a long track record of creating strategic partnerships and systemic transformation in science and society. He received his Ph.D. in applied physics from the University of California, San Diego and began his career in nanoscience, exploring novel and useful electronic materials as a research staff member at IBM. While there, his public engagement activities were recognized on the cover of Physics Today and with IBM’s support for his creation of an education research group. He then went on to dedicate his career to support public engagement with science at a broad array of organizations. At IBM, he launched the IBM CEO’s international Reinventing Education initiative. He next moved into leadership positions in the field of informal science education, helping create the new California Science Center as Curator of the Creative World. Subsequently, he created a global partnership initiative and website (in nine languages) to bring the best experiences from science museums to millions around the world. Serving as Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and Innovation at the New York Hall of Science, these efforts included the development of strategic partnerships and online support for engaging parents, teachers and students with scientists and engineers.
Before joining The Kavli Foundation, Eric returned to IBM as a scientist, where he investigated solar energy materials, was responsible for development of 14nm semiconductor chip processes driving today’s fastest supercomputers and launched the IBM Watson Client Executive Center. Eric has published and presented over 100 book chapters, papers, patents and presentations which are still garnering active citation.