Paul Eric Geissler passed away peacefully on March 23, 2026, surrounded by his wife Nadine, his four brothers, and all his children. He felt privileged to participate in the exploration of the solar system during a career that spanned over 30 years. Paul earned his Ph.D. in Planetary Sciences at the University of Arizona in 1992. He was a Senior Research Associate at the University of Arizona’s Lunar and Planetary Laboratory until 2003, when he moved to the U.S. Geological Survey in Flagstaff, Arizona. His research focused on the surfaces of Mars and outer solar system satellites, with funding support from multiple NASA data analysis programs. He was affiliated with the Galileo and Cassini Imaging Teams and a Co-Investigator on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter HiRISE camera team. He was also selected as a Participating Scientist on the Mars Exploration Rover mission and served as a Payload Uplink Lead for the close-up cameras on the MER and Mars Science Laboratory science teams. In 2021 he was among those ranked in the top 2% of scientists in the world according to a study by experts at Stanford University. He led or co-authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications and made numerous contributions to the popular press, sharing his scientific knowledge and discoveries with the public. Moreover, Paul was always friendly and easy to work with, inspiring colleagues and students alike.

Geissler Family Obituary