Jacob Rubel has worked as a PhD student in the Surface and Interface Engineered Materials (SIEM) at KU Leuven since December 2023. Prior to this, he graduated with a bachelor's in chemical engineering from Texas A&M University and a master’s in Advanced Materials and Processes from Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg. During his master's Jacob focused on nanomaterials and advanced processes working with several research groups on projects covering metal-organic frameworks, nanosynthesis, and heterogenous catalysis. Now, his research focuses primarily on sustainable water purification and novel materials for zinc-ion batteries.