History made.

Dr. Gillens made history at Clemson University in 2011 when she became the first African-American admitted into the university's Environmental Engineering and Science Doctoral program.

Standing proud.

In 2016, Dr. Gillens graduated becoming the first African-American to earn a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering and Science from Clemson University.

Trailblazing success...

Dr. Gillens shares her story at the L.G. Rich Environmental Laboratory at Clemson University's Research Park.

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Reknown research...

Dr. Gillens' research focused on the characterization of tributyl phosphate, an organic chemical used to extract plutonium from uranium in nuclear reprocessing.