Philip Garner received his Ph.D. degree from the University of Pittsburgh under the guidance of (the late) Paul Dowd. This was followed by postdoctoral training in Paul Grieco's laboratory at Indiana University. In 1983, he took up his first faculty position at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago. He moved to Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio in 1985 where he established a research program that focused on methodology for the synthesis of bioactive molecules. In 2007, he moved across the country to join the Department of Chemistry at Washington State University. Over the course of his career, Dr. Garner has trained more than fifty undergraduate researchers, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows. He has published over 100 papers. His scientific accomplishments include the development of a widely used serinal derivative that has come to bear his name. He currently holds the rank of Professor Emeritus.