J. Gunderson was born in 1979 in San Jose, California. He was inspired to pursue chemistry as his academic field of interest by his high school chemistry instructor Barbara Kornas. In 2005, J. obtained his B.S. degree in chemistry from Washington State University. While at WSU, J. worked as an undergraduate research assistant for Dr. Alex D.Q. Li on projects pertaining to the chemical synthesis of fluorescent, macromolecular, self-assembling compounds aimed at developing nanotechnology for use as biosensors, nanoactuators and other nanotechnological purposes. Also during his tenure at Washington State University, J. was a two time National Deans List honoree. In the fall of 2005, J. enrolled at Oregon State University and conducted graduate research in the BRG directed at the development of catalytic approaches for the enantioselective synthesis of atropisomeric biaryl compounds via desymmetrization of proprochiral D2d-symmetric biphenyls. J. successfully defended his MS thesis in November 2008.