Brandeis Alumni, Family and Friends

Retired Professor Pays It Forward by Leaving $18 Million to Brandeis

January 16, 2026

The gift will create a new senior professorship in theoretical chemistry, a junior professorship in physical chemistry, and three new graduate research fellowships in the Chemistry Department. 

In the late 1930s, Hans Jordan fled Nazi Germany with his wife and young son, Peter. Formerly an engineer in Berlin, Hans helped design the city’s subway system. The family was headed for Australia, with an intermediate stop in Bolivia where Hans had a government contract, but a revolution in Bolivia and the onset of World War II scotched those plans. Instead the family managed to get visas for the United States. Settling in California in 1940, Hans struggled to find work. “He had three strikes against him,” explains his son. “He was a foreigner, he was too old (age 40), and he was Jewish.” Hans eventually found work as an engineer in the defense industry. In his free time, he designed and patented one of the first reliable garbage disposals, which became popular appliances installed in all modern post-war kitchens.

A few decades later, after earning degrees at CalTech (BS) and Yale (PhD), Peter Jordan became a chemistry professor at Brandeis University. For nearly 50 years, he conducted research in theoretical biophysical chemistry, while sharing his insights and passion for chemistry with undergraduate, graduate, and post-doctoral students.

“My becoming a professor was somewhat of a full circle moment for my father,” said Jordan, who retired in 2011 as professor emeritus. “His sacrifices helped make it possible for me to pursue a career that he once aspired to and, fittingly, at a university that was founded by the American Jewish community.”

That’s why Jordan and his wife, Barbara Palmer, have designated $18 million for Brandeis in their estate plan. “My father was very successful, and I was able to take advantage of a favorable stock market over the years. Barbara and I are thrilled to be able to share the results with Brandeis.”

The gift will create a new senior professorship in theoretical chemistry, a junior professorship in physical chemistry, and three new graduate research fellowships in the Chemistry Department. Isaac Krauss, professor and chair of chemistry, believes the gift will be transformative for the department. “It will help us to expand our research, which generates important new scientific knowledge and informs our teaching,” he explains.

The gift will also provide vital research funds. “I know from personal experience how important it is for a professor to have dedicated research funds at their disposal,” explains Jordan. “It also helps Brandeis attract and retain talented scientists."

Jordan’s research centered on theoretical biophysical chemistry, applying physical and chemical principles to understand biological systems. This interdisciplinary field is crucial for areas like drug discovery, systems biology, and nanoscience. He authored a textbook and more than 100 scientific papers. Over time, his focus evolved from fundamental chemical systems to more complex biological problems. His research team was among the first to (computationally) observe protein structural changes that control biological signaling. During the latter part of his career, his research on problems of medical significance was funded by the National Institutes of Health.

Jordan loved teaching and wanted to help his students understand why chemistry is so interesting. He especially liked teaching undergraduates who took chemistry for the fun of it. “I recall a classics major who took freshman chemistry with me. She was the best undergraduate I ever taught, because she was genuinely intrigued by chemistry.”

His wife Barbara also worked at Brandeis as associate dean of the college, university registrar, and head of institutional research. She later retired from Bentley University. 

In 2018 the couple endowed the Jordan-Dreyer Endowed Summer Undergraduate Research in Chemistry Fellowship Fund, to which they contribute annually. Peter recognized that a passion for research often begins early and wanted to enable undergraduates to work in the Brandeis labs over the summer.

President Arthur Levine lauds Jordan’s decision to make such a generous and impactful gift to Brandeis. “Not only did Professor Jordan have a long and distinguished career at Brandeis, but his very generous gift ensures that Brandeis students and faculty will continue to teach, learn, and carry out research in a world-class chemistry department.”

Looking back on his career, Jordan feels fortunate and appreciative. “I got to teach and do research in a subject that I was fascinated by. It was a privilege to make my career at Brandeis, and Barbara and I are delighted to pay it forward by providing for the future of the Chemistry Department.”