Prof. Shashadhar Samal was born on 7^th April 1954 in Jajpur district, Odisha. He obtained his B.Sc. degree from Sambalpur University (Rourkela Science College) in 1973 and M.Sc. degree in Chemistry from Utkal University (Ravenshaw College, now Ravenshaw University) in 1975. He was a university topper in both B.Sc. and M.Sc. examinations. He joined the Orissa Education Service in 1977 as a Lecturer in Chemistry in M.P.C. College, Baripada, Odisha. While teaching at Bhadrak College (1977-1992), he established a research laboratory with assistance from the University Grants Commission, New Delhi. Research work carried out here under the joint guidance of Late Prof. Gangadhar Sahu and Prof. P. L. Nayak led to his Ph.D. degree from Utkal University in 1985. He became a Reader in Chemistry in 1990. He served Ravenshaw College from 1992 to 1999. During this period, he was awarded several major research projects from Govt. and private funding organizations. Seven students were awarded Ph.D. degree under his guidance based on the work carried out at Ravenshaw College. In 1999 he moved to South Korea as a Brain Pool Fellow of the Brain Korea 21 program in the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), where he worked with Prof. Kurt E. Geckeler on fullerene-cyclodextrin bioconjugates. Subsequently, he moved to Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) as a Research Professor to work with Prof. Kimoon Kim on synthetic macrocycles, the cucurbiturils. He returned to the GIST after a couple of years as an Invited Professor, where he taught the M.Sc. and Ph.D. students on IT materials and guided several students in the advanced areas of chemical sciences. During this period, he collaborated with Prof. Jae-Suk Lee in the field of anionic polymerization, nanomaterials, and molecular electronics. He was awarded D.Sc. degree in Chemistry by Utkal University in 2014 based on his work carried out in South Korea. His areas of research interest are molecular electronics, quantum dots and nanoparticles, natural and synthetic macrocycles, self-assembly, macro- and poly-fullerenes for biological and biomedical applications, and specialty polymers. He has over 100 publications in major international journals and 15 World/US/Korea patents. He has authored several book chapters and topical reviews. His research work has been highlighted in diverse media, including in Science and Nature. He is an Associate Editor of the Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (JNN), published by American Scientific Publishers, USA. He has also edited a special issue of the JNN on Fullerenes and Carbon Nanotubes. He served as the Principal of Sashi Bhusan Rath Govt. (Autonomous) Women’s College, Berhampur, from where he retired in 2012. He received the prestigious Justice Raj Kishore Das Memorial Award for his contribution to science for the year 2010 and V.S.R. Gupta Best Teacher Award from the Odisha Chemical Society in 2012. Post-retirement he moved back to South Korea as a Visiting Professor of Gachon University Department of Bionanotechnology to work with Prof. D. K. Yi, and since then continues inter-university ties for advanced research with Gwangju Institute of Science & Technology and other universities and institutes in Korea.