About

I’m Joseph Ward — a PhD organic chemist by training, software guy by inclination, and Director of Digital Infrastructure at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

This site is where I write about the spaces in between: homelab projects, custom tooling I’ve built for chemistry teaching labs, hobby distilling, and whatever else lands on my workbench. The tagline From Programming to Distilling is genuine — both happen here.

Day Job

At U-M I run instructional laboratory services for 6,800+ students a year, manage staff and budgets, and architect the digital infrastructure that keeps it running — including a custom platform called ChemStands that automates inventory, lab scheduling, and internal recharge activities. In 2026 I was selected as an LSA Staff AI Steward to help guide the ethical application of generative AI tools across the college.

Volunteer Work

I serve as Treasurer and CTO / Lead Developer for the ACS Division of Organic Chemistry, where I manage a multi-million-dollar budget and a 2,500-page web footprint reaching over a million users a year. The Division has earned two ChemLuminary Awards under the web initiatives I’ve led — most recently the 2025 Outstanding Continuing Communications Program Award. I also serve on the Board of Directors and as Lead Technical Officer for Organic Reactions.

Background

PhD in Organic Chemistry from Michigan State University (2002) — total synthesis of the proposed structure of amphidinolide A. BS in Chemistry (Cum Laude) from Lawrence Technological University (1996). Before U-M I taught general chemistry at Michigan State, and spent a decade as a tenured Associate Professor of Chemistry at Rockford University in Illinois.

Contact

Email: jward@teamwardlabs.com
GitHub: team-ward-labs