Zak obtained his B.S. in chemistry at Juniata College where he began research in organic synthesis, focusing on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and donor-acceptor semiconductors, under the guidance of Prof. I. David Reingold. He spent three months abroad at the University of Cambridge, UK, working on the synthesis of novel conjugated polyelectrolytes under the advisement of Prof. Wilhelm Huck. After graduating from Juniata, Zak carried out his Ph.D. studies in the laboratories of Prof. Todd Emrick at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. His doctoral research focused on the synthesis and characterization of novel conjugated polymer zwitterions, and their integration into organic solar cells. In 2015, he began his postdoctoral research with Prof. Craig J. Hawker at the University of California Santa Barbara, studying photochemical transformations in the areas of organic electronics and 3D printing. Zak began as an assistant faculty member of the Chemistry Department at the University of Texas at Austin starting July 2018, with continued research interests in the broad fields of macromolecular synthesis and materials science. Zak is also on the Graduate Studies Committee for Chemical Engineering and the Texas Materials Institute at UT Austin to directly advise graduate students in the associated programs.