John Berry started his educational journey at Virginia Tech, earning a degree in both chemistry and music theory and composition in 2000. After completing postdoctoral research in Germany, Berry became a faculty member within the Department of Chemistry at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 2006. His research program, the Berry Group, seeks to uncover new chemistry of the transition elements using processes such as synthesis, spectroscopy, and computations. The Berry Group also focuses on the "Nitrogen/Ammonia Economy," which aims at exploring how to distribute and store ammonia through national and global infrastructure as a zero-carbon energy source. When not engaged in his research, Berry continues to write music. He plays the violin, viola, and piano.