Building a Sustainable World: Alumni Spotlight with Jonny Gordon ‘03

Can you share more about your current role and how your experience at Oakwood helped prepare you for this path?

I am the Head of Research and Development at Ambercycle. Ambercycle is a startup company that regenerates end-of-life textiles (old clothing and such) into new yarns.  Our goal as a company is to end the ongoing and amounting waste produced in the fashion industry. I found my passion for STEM in my Chemistry class at Oakwood. Oakwood was always a school that pushed its students to lean into subjects that inspired them, and I found out quickly that Chemistry was something I was very interested in. Oakwood taught me to be curious, and I’ve applied that same curiosity in my practice at work. Even more specifically, I still use the notes I took in my AP Chemistry class from sophomore year! Even today, my employees and I were discussing “rate laws,” as we looked into developing a kinetic model for one of the byproducts in our process. 

When you graduated from Oakwood, did you already know what you wanted to focus on or did your interests evolve?

Yes. Although I wasn’t sure I was going to major in Chemistry, I was sure I was going to go into Science. But once I got into college and took a few classes it became really clear that I was going to major in Organic Chemistry. 

Were there any experiences or activities at Oakwood that, while not directly related to your current work, helped shape who you are today?

I am a very opinionated person and I learned to strengthen my voice at Oakwood. Not without a few visits to the Principal’s office of course, but Oakwood always seemed to support my opinions and pushed me to keep up that passion. I definitely apply the tools I learned at school to my professional and social life today. 

Did you have a favorite class or teacher at Oakwood that influenced your approach to research or your career in general?

Garrett Biehle, who was my teacher for Physics and AP Chemistry, has been a major influence on my approach to research and in my career. Like Garrett, I received my PhD from Caltech.

What excites you most about your current career?

My favorite thing about my job is the creativity and freedom I’m given to set the direction of our tech initiative. My favorite part of research is the creativity and curiosity needed to solve problems. Not many people realize being a Chemist is a creative job, but it requires a lot of imagination and dedication to make things work and to problem solve.  

What advice would you give to young people looking to pursue a career in scientific research or R&D?

Never talk yourself out of an experiment. Just because theory tells you something won’t work, doesn’t mean it actually won’t. In my experience, most theories are limited in scope and every substrate is different. The biggest scientific breakthroughs come from observing an experimental result we didn’t expect to observe in the first place. That’s what I mean about Chemistry being a practice of curiosity and imagination! 

What has been a standout moment or professional highlight in your career so far?

Wearing a garment made from regenerated textiles that were recycled using the process I designed.

Do you have any memorable moments or fun stories from your time at Oakwood that you’d like to share?

Most of my memories at Oakwood elementary school are set on Margo’s time-out bench. I was a highly ADHD kid, and sitting was not my strong suit (or not talking when the teachers would teach me to “shhh”). The good news is that my ADHD has benefited me in my adult life, since I now spend most of my time thinking and stewing over reactions on another bench—the one in my lab.