Peter Godart holds SB degrees in mechanical and electrical engineering and an SM degree in mechanical engineering from MIT. From 2015-2017, Peter held a research scientist position at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where he managed the development of water-reactive metal power systems for a Europa lander and wrote software and supported daily operations for the Curiosity Mars Rover.
Currently, Peter is a PhD candidate in mechanical engineering at MIT, where his research focuses on improving global sustainability in the Anthropocene by using abundant aluminum waste to power desalination and water purification and generate electricity. Through this work, he aims to provide communities around the world with a means of improving both waste management and climate change resiliency. In addition to his research, Peter is an avid educator engaging students in the design of sustainable systems through project-based learning. As an instructor for 2.013 and 2.014, capstone design courses in mechanical engineering, he has led students in successfully designing, building, and testing systems ranging from an aluminum-powered BMW i3 electric vehicle to a carbon-neutral cooling system implemented directly on MIT’s campus. Outside of academia, Peter is an accomplished jazz pianist and composer and travels the world to foster collaboration across disparate communities through the power of art and music.