John P. Connell is a first-generation college graduate who earned his PhD in experimental psychology from the University of Tennessee in 2024. He also received his BA (2015) and MA (2020) in psychology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

During his doctoral studies, Connell served as a graduate teaching associate for four years, an experience that sparked and shaped his passion for teaching. In this role, he developed a student-centered approach grounded in understanding, active engagement, and mentorship, with the goal of fostering the next generation of scholars and contributors to the scientific community.

Connell joined the UT faculty in 2025, having previously served as an adjunct professor at the University of Tennessee and Cleveland State Community College. His research examines the development of reaching in infants, focusing on how early life experiences and individual differences influence the onset and mastery of reaching. Although he does not currently operate a lab of his own, he continues to conduct research through the Infant Perception-Action Lab at the University of Tennessee, exploring how spontaneous postnatal exploration contributes to the acquisition of motor milestones in the first year of life.