Joseph Conner

This summer, Joe traveled to Tennessee to conduct research at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the largest national lab in the U.S. Department of Energy’s national laboratory system. He presented this research at the American Chemical Society's annual conference in August 2026. Joe has previously worked in Dr. Gift’s chemistry lab at UNO, improving the design of 3D printed light spectrometer parts. As a 2024 Scott Scholars Design Studio intern, Joe worked with the U.S. Air Force and National Security Innovation Network (NSIN). He is skilled in spectroscopy (UV-Vis, IR, Mass), data collection/analysis (MATLAB, Excel, Python), High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), and experiment design. At UNO, Joe serves as the president of Chemistry Club and is a member of Quizbowl Club and the Scott Scholars Leadership Council's Outreach Committee. Following graduation, Joe plans to pursue a PhD in either chemistry or nuclear engineering to work on the development and implementation of advanced power generation systems. Currently, he is particularly interested in nuclear power and next-generation reactor designs.