Joel Brogan
ORNL is proud of its role in fostering the next generation of scientists and engineers. We bring in talented young researchers, team them with accomplished staff members, and put them to work at the lab’s one-of-a-kind facilities. The result is research that makes us proud and prepares them for distinguished careers.
We asked some of these young researchers why they chose a career in science, what they are working on at ORNL, and where they would like to go with their careers.
Joel Brogan
Postdoc, Electrification and Energy Infrastructures Division
Ph.D., Computer Science and Engineering, University of Notre Dame
Hometown: Orange City, Iowa
What are you working on at ORNL?
I’m working on developing virtual reality environments for data visualization and machine learning explainability. The goal is to have tools to understand why machine learning algorithms make the choices they do when analyzing complex signals in images and videos.
What would you like to do in your career?
I would like to be a part of the effort to solve complex machine learning problems that have the potential to revolutionize industry, commerce and security for the greater good. At the end of the day, I want to see that the work I am doing is helping people.
Why did you choose a career in science?
Science was not popular in my small town. In high school, I took a calculus class almost as a fluke and learned that I was good at it. My teacher was fantastic and made me feel supported; that was my gateway into engineering. Then, in college, I discovered a knack for computer programming.
