Elliot Berman ’51, of New York City; Oct. 15, as a result of kidney failure. He was a photochemistry pioneer. After Brown, he earned his doctorate in chemistry from Boston University and went on to work with the National Cash Register Co. (Ohio) and Itek Corp. (Mass.). But it was in 1973 that he began the work that would define his career, founding Solar Power Corporation in Braintree, Mass., in affiliation with Standard Oil Company of New Jersey (later known as Exxon), driven by a belief that he described this way during a 2019 interview with NPR: “Here’s the sun. Here are the people. All you have to do is figure out a way to put the two things together.” Berman’s groundbreaking research into solar photovoltaic technology, which converts sunlight into electricity, came about in the context of soaring demand for oil in the 1960s followed by the U.S. oil crisis of 1973. Oil companies looked all the way to space, where the first solar panel had been deployed in 1958, for ways to diversify. With Exxon’s financial support, Berman designed a cheaper and more efficient solar cell, bringing the price down from $100 per watt to $20 per watt—enough to make it useful in extreme settings such as ocean oil platforms, or for uses such as powering wells in remote villages, says NPR. Then a different oil company—Los Angeles–based Atlantic Richfield—acquired a solar company, renaming it ARCO Solar, and Berman joined as chief scientist. During his tenure, ARCO [later aquired by Siemens] invested in further efficiency and durability boosts, quickly making it the world’s largest solar manufacturer and laying the foundations for the ultra-reliable solar panels of today. Berman was often cited for his advances in the technology. John Perlin, author of Let It Shine: The 6,000-Year Story of Solar Energy, told NPR: “I think Elliot’s most brilliant thing was to delineate all the markets that existed for solar at even the relatively high price that it was,” and credits him “with planting the flag of solar photovoltaics throughout the world.” Among his many awards and professional affiliations, Berman was a 50+ year member of the American Chemical Society and a recipient of the Boston University Arts and Sciences distinguished alumni award, having been instrumental in founding Boston University’s Institute for Sustainable Energy. In addition to his scientific interests, he was a founding member and president of Temple B’Nai Shalom in Braintree and enjoyed art, music, gardening, sports, and the opportunity to visit many museums during his worldwide travels. He is survived by his wife, Ann; two sons; 10 grandchildren; 15 great-grand-children; brother Ned ’63; and a sister-in-law.