Jon grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and got his B.Sc. in chemistry & biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee. He obtained his Ph.D. in pharmaceutical sciences from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he studied natural product biosynthesis. Jon completed a dual appointment postdoc under the supervision of Drs. Michael C. Jewett (Northwestern University) and Martin D. Burke (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign) where he developed a cell-free directed evolution platform and engineered enzymes for unnatural function. In his free time, Jon enjoys live music, swimming, rock climbing, and hockey - Go Canes!