Dr. Eric Kunhardt, His Legacy in Science, Academia & Patents

Erich E. Kunhardt Grullón (May 31, 1949 – August 4, 2014) was a Dominican-American physicist and engineer whose life blended scientific rigor with community, innovation with identity, academia with entrepreneurship. Born in Monte Cristi, Dominican Republic, he moved to the U.S. in 1956, and built a career that stretched across teaching, research, patenting, industry, and mentoring, always rooted in both excellence and a sense of responsibility.

Early Life & Education

• Born May 31, 1949 in Monte Cristi, Dominican Republic.
• Immigrated to the U.S. as a child.
• Earned Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from New York University.
• Completed a Ph.D. in Electrophysics at the Polytechnic Institute of New York University.
• In 1992, awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Electrophysics.

Major Roles & Positions

• Professor of Electrophysics and Physics at the Polytechnic Institute of NYU.
• Director of the Weber Research Institute at Polytechnic.
• At Stevens Institute of Technology: Dean of the Arthur E. Imperatore School of Sciences and Arts, also George Meade Bond Professor of Physics.
• In 2006, appointed Provost of Polytechnic University, a role he held until 2009.
• Later served as advisor on “invention, innovation, and entrepreneurship” (i²e) to the President and Provost of NYU Polytechnic.

Research & Innovations

• Specialized in particle physics and plasma physics, bridging fundamental science and applied technology.
• Co-developed “Atmospheric Pressure Capillary Discharge Plasma” technology with Dr. Kurt Becker at Stevens.
• Co-founder of PlasmaSol Corporation in 1999, which commercialized plasma-based environmental remediation technologies.
• PlasmaSol’s work focused on cleaning pollutants, generating ozone, pre-treating air for combustion, destroying organic compounds, and sterilization.

Commercial & Recognition Milestones

• PlasmaSol was acquired by Stryker Corporation in 2005 for $17.5 million.
• Finalist in Discover Magazine’s Innovation Awards (2001), Environmental Category.
• Awards included the Thomas A. Edison Patent Award and the Halliburton Foundation Excellence in Research Award.

Legacy in Education & the Latino Community

• Champion of Technogenesis at Stevens, a model where students, faculty, and industry worked together to bring inventions from concept through commercialization.
• Emphasized mentoring and teaching excellence, winning awards such as the “Outstanding Faculty Teaching Award” at Texas Tech.
• As a Dominican-American scientist, he became an inspiration to Latino students, proving that they belong in the lab coats as much as anyone else.

Publications, Patents & Contributions

• Authored dozens of scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals.
• Held more than a dozen patents or patentable inventions tied to plasma technology and environmental remediation.
• Co-founded companies and helped spin out technologies through academic entrepreneurship.

Challenges & Legacy

• Despite his accomplishments, Kunhardt died relatively young, at age 65, on August 4, 2014, in New York.
• He left behind not just inventions and patents, but a vision of innovation that fused education, science, and entrepreneurship.
• His story continues to inspire young Latinos in STEM, reminding them that science is not an exclusive club, but a frontier open to anyone with brilliance and drive.

Accomplishments at a Glance