Jake Soper

Jake Soper is Professor and Associate Chair for Operations at Georgia Institute of Technology, with research centered in chemistry as evidenced by his institutional email domain and laboratory focus.

His academic credentials include:

• B.S. from Western Washington University (1998)
• Ph.D. from University of Washington (2003)
• NIH Postdoctoral Fellowship at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2003-2005)

His research pioneers unconventional approaches to transition metal catalysis, deliberately harnessing 1e⁻ radical pathways instead of suppressing them. Key innovations span earth-abundant metal coupling catalysis (Co, Mn, Fe), metal oxyl radical reactivity for C–O bond formation, and O₂ activation mechanisms for aerobic oxidations. The group specializes in air-sensitive synthesis and advanced spectroscopic mechanistic studies to solve challenges in pharmaceutical production, energy storage, and chemical manufacturing.

His distinguished recognition includes:

• Vasser Woolley Faculty Fellowship (2013)
• Hesburgh Award Teaching Fellow (2013)
• Georgia Tech Faculty Award for Academic Outreach (2010)
• NSF CAREER Award (2009)
• DARPA Young Faculty Award (2009)
• NIH Ruth L. Kirchstein Postdoctoral Fellowship (2003)

Research funding is secured through competitive federal grants including NSF CAREER and DARPA YFA programs, supporting fundamental investigations into redox-active ligand systems. His Soper Lab maintains specialized capabilities for handling oxygen-sensitive compounds and characterizing transient reaction intermediates critical to developing next-generation catalytic methodologies.