Dr. Gilliard is a native of Hartsville, South Carolina. Currently, he is engaged in joint postdoctoral research projects at ETH Zürich (Zürich, Switzerland) and Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland, Ohio, United States). He earned his Bachelor of Science from Clemson University and doctorate from The University of Georgia, both in chemistry. Gilliard specializes in the synthesis of novel molecules for energy, biomedical, and materials chemistry applications. He is the coauthor of 15 publications and has received numerous honors and awards. In 2013, he received the Martin Reynolds Smith Prize for best chemical research publication from The University of Georiga's chemistry department and was one of a select group of young American scientists chosen to represent the United States at the 63rd Nobel Laureate Meeting in Lindau, Germany. In 2014, Gilliard was awarded a $92,000 UNCF-Merck Science Research Fellowship to synthesize a new class of molecules with applications in optoelectronics, biosensors, and drug discovery. In 2015, Gilliard was named Ford Foundation Fellow by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, receiving $45,000 to explore bioactive and materials applications in phosphorus chemistry. Recently, in a special Forbes Magazine issue on the brightest young entrepreneurs, breakout talents and change agents, he was named one of Forbes '30 under 30' in science honorees. - See more at www.robertjgilliard.com