Jennifer Wacker was born and raised in Colorado. She attended University of Redlands (CA) where she earned a B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. In 2015, she began her graduate work at Georgetown University (DC), where she worked with Karah Knope. Her thesis focused on the formation, stabilization, and crystallization of tetravalent actinide complexes and clusters. After receiving her Ph.D. in 2020, she began her postdoctoral work in the lab of Dr. Rebecca Abergel at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (CA). Currently, her research focuses on understanding the chemical behavior of the f-block elements through protein and small molecule crystallography, along with X-ray absorption spectroscopy. Her future scientific motivations include radiochemical separations and radiotherapeutics, and how to utilize these interests to encourage younger generations to pursue a career in heavy element chemistry.