C. S. Joiner is originally from Cupertino, California, right in the heart of Silicon Valley. After graduating from Lynbrook High School, he was transplanted to LA LA Land where he attended UCLA. C. S. Joiner graduated from UCLA in 2002 as a chemistry major with a minor in mathematics and was awarded the Geissman Award for excellence in organic chemistry. As a huge Bruin fan, he felt it would be treasonous to leave UCLA, so he stuck around as a graduate student and earned his PhD with Fraser Stoddart in 2007. He is now a tenured chemistry faculty member at Moorpark College.