Jennifer L. Nedzweckas

Jennifer began her career with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in 2014 as a Pathways Student Intern with the National Research Project – Eastern Branch, where she worked as a Hydrology Technician in the Dissolved Gas Laboratory. In this role, she provided technical support for the analysis of trace atmospheric gases using gas chromatography, prepared dissolved gas samples for analysis, managed laboratory inventory and sample logistics, maintained quality control standards, and participated in fieldwork collecting water and air samples in Shenandoah National Park.

In 2017, Jennifer joined the Eastern Energy Resources Science Center as a Physical Science Student, where she supported geologic carbon dioxide storage research and energy resource assessments. Her work focused on compiling, interpreting, and synthesizing geochemical and geologic datasets from public, proprietary, and internally generated sources. She assisted project scientists in evaluating carbon dioxide storage potential by integrating geological, geochemical, and geophysical data and contributed to database development for national assessments.

Since becoming a Physical Scientist in 2018, Jennifer has supported a diverse portfolio of projects within the Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center. Her work includes organic petrography, X-ray diffraction (XRD) mineralogy, geologic carbon storage, thermal maturity studies, and energy resource assessments. She performs laboratory analyses and sample preparation for optical microscopy and XRD, generates and interprets analytical datasets, and collaborates with project scientists to integrate mineralogical and geochemical data into scientific investigations.

Jennifer serves as Laboratory Manager for the X-ray Diffraction Coal Preparation Laboratory and manages project data for the Thermal Indices Project, overseeing database organization and ensuring data quality and accessibility. She also coordinates sample analyses for the CO₂ Mineralization Project by documenting, preparing, and distributing samples to external laboratories and organizing analytical results for assessment teams. Additionally, she contributes to the Subsurface Utilization Project by supporting the development and organization of datasets related to natural greenhouse gas sources and potential geologic energy storage resources.