The annual Meet and Greet event is a great way to kick off the summer internship program through networking and collaboration. It provides a chance for interns, faculty sponsors, NCESR staff, and NPPD liaisons to connect while interns share their summer research projects and learn more about one another’s work. Interns also gained insight into the mission and work of NCESR and NPPD, along with the history of NCESR’s summer internship program.
The program is named in honor of Mr. Darrell J. Nelson, who served on the Custer County Public Power District and Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) boards for 41 years, from 1970 to 2011. A strong advocate for lifelong learning, Mr. Nelson proposed a partnership in 2005 between NPPD and UNL to advance energy sciences research. With the support of NPPD and UNL, NCESR was established the following year, creating valuable opportunities for research, innovation, and student engagement in the energy field.
The 2026 summer interns gathered on May 15 for this year’s event, marking the start of what promises to be another exciting summer of research and discovery.
Through the partnership between the UNL Summer Research Program (SRP) and NCESR, interns have an opportunity to attend summer seminars, workshops and social events on the UNL campus, if interested. These activities allow interns to engage with students conducting research in the sciences, technology, engineering, and other disciplines, while also building friendships with students from across the country.
Interns are scheduled to tour NPPD’s Cooper Nuclear Station on July 15, which has been a highlight for past summer interns.
Interns will wrap up their summer by presenting a poster at the UNL Summer Research Symposium on August 5, 2026, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. at the Nebraska Union City Campus. The top NCESR intern poster will receive a $500 award and a certificate. Each intern will also submit a thank-you letter, a summary report describing their accomplishments and/or the results of their work experience in energy sciences research, and a testimonial to support future internship recruitment efforts.