Robert W. Boyd (BSc in Physics at MIT, PhD Physics at UC Berkeley) joined the University of Rochester in 1977, and in 2001 became the M. Parker Givens Professor of Optics and Professor of Physics. In 2010, he became the CERC in Quantum Nonlinear Optics at uOttawa.

Professor Boyd has written two books and published over 400 research papers (amassing approximately 66,000 citations). His awards include the APS Schawlow Prize, the OSA Townes Award, the Quantum Electronics Award of IEEE Photonics Society, a Humboldt Research Award, and the Lamb Award for Laser Science and Quantum Optics. Prof. Boyd has served on multiple boards and is a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, AAAS, APS, OSA, IEEE, and SPIE.

His research includes quantum optics and imaging, nonlinear optical interactions, and photonic devices.