Meet Peter Vanier
Peter Vanier
When Peter Vanier was growing up in St. Kitts in the West Indies, his father was both a studious lawyer and an industrious beekeeper who taught his three sons how to use a variety of woodworking and metalworking tools in their basement workshop.
“That probably influenced my decision to pursue science, ”he said recently. “I was fascinated by the inner workings of mechanical and electronic devices.”
Vanier and his two brothers all won full scholarships to Cambridge University, graduating with degrees in natural sciences. His sister graduated from the University of the West Indies in Jamaica, and later earned a master’s degree from London University. Both of Vanier’s brothers are also scientists: one is a retired chemical engineer and information technology specialist who lives in France and is currently writing a book. The other is a chemist who specializes in nanoparticles at Pittsburgh Plate Glass.
Vanier earned a Ph. D. in physics from Syracuse University in upstate New York, where he met his wife of 37 years, Bonnie, who was at the time studying political science as an undergraduate at the Maxwell School. He came to Brookhaven30 years ago in the materials science division, and worked on developing semiconductors, which can be used both for photovoltaics and for radiation detectors.
“These fields of physics lend themselves to several different practical applications,” he said.
Besides his development of neutron imaging systems, Vanier has also worked on the measurement of gamma-ray spectra for an international arms control project, and for the Department of Homeland Security’s Regional Reachback program (see Community Outreach sidebar).
Vanier used to be an avid tennis player, winning the Brookhaven Lab doubles tournament several times. Nowadays, he spends most of his diminishing free time on home-improvement projects. His daughter, Sophie, is a 26-year-old actor who has been featured in many regional theater productions.
