Kilic's primary research focus lies in advancing the field of space robotics, emphasizing the development of computationally efficient state estimation techniques. His research explores cooperative localization, perception, planning and robot-terrain interactions in challenging and visually constrained environments. Kilic obtained his Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from West Virginia University, concentrating on localization techniques for Mars and Moon rovers. Kilic is a past recipient of the Fulbright Scholarship, WVU Statler Fellowship, and NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory JVSRP Fellowship.