Pankaj Ghildiyal

Pankaj Ghildiyal is an accomplished professional with extensive experience in the fields of chemistry and technology. Currently serving as an Activate Fellow at Activate Fellows since June 2025 and the Chief Technology Officer at 4th State Energies since September 2022, Pankaj has a strong research background. Previous roles include Graduate Research Assistant at the University of California, Riverside from January 2019 to September 2022, where Pankaj focused on the development of aerosol- and laser-assisted processes for nanostructured materials under Professor Michael Zachariah. Additionally, Pankaj completed a PhD in Chemistry at the University of Maryland College Park, where research involved the synthesis and characterization of nanomaterials, alongside teaching responsibilities in bioanalytical and organic chemistry labs. Pankaj's career began as a Chemistry Teacher at Heritage Valley - The Indian School, instructing high school students in accordance with the CISCE curriculum. Academic qualifications include a PhD from the University of Maryland and a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from St. Stephen's College, Delhi.