Jonah Jurss

Jonah W. Jurss is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry at the University of Mississippi's College of Liberal Arts. He earned his PhD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and conducted postdoctoral research at UC Berkeley. His research develops earth-abundant molecular catalysts for renewable energy applications and hydrocarbon functionalization, with emphasis on electrochemical and light-driven CO₂ reduction.

Research in the Jurss Lab focuses on translating molecular inorganic systems to electrode surfaces and understanding proton-coupled electron transfer mechanisms. Current projects explore bioinspired catalyst designs for artificial photosynthesis and selective C-H bond activation.

Professor Jurss teaches courses across the chemistry curriculum including Inorganic Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, and special topics in Energy & Catalysis. He advises graduate and undergraduate researchers in synthetic inorganic chemistry, electrochemistry, and mechanistic studies.

Laboratory facilities include Schlenk lines, glove boxes, electrochemical workstations, and microwave reactors supporting catalyst synthesis and characterization.