Jacob Grygus (G5)

Jacob was born and raised in Mokena, Illinois, receiving his Bachelor’s in Chemistry at the University of Arkansas in 2021. As a 2019 NSF-REU student and later a transfer student to the University of Arkansas, Jacob worked under the direction of Dr. Nan Zheng. Exploring his interests in organic chemistry, Jacob investigated the cleavage of strained “cyloaminal” compounds using hypervalent iodine reagents and photocatalysis as a method to achieve selective C-H functionalization. In the fall of the same year Jacob enrolled in Texas A&M University’s Chemistry Department as a graduate student, joining the Gutierrez Research Group where he does synthetic work in multicomponent iron-catalyzed cross coupling reactions and further explore his interests in synthetic organic chemistry. In Spring 2025, Jacob joined the Thomas group at Texas A&M as a joint student. In the free time he can find, Jacob enjoys reading, going on hikes, cooking, baking, exploring history and talking to family.

“It is common sense to take a method and try it: If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something.” - Franklin D. Roosevelt