Steven Spurgeon, 38

When artificial intelligence came on the scene, this pioneering materials data scientist did what he always does. He asked pointed questions: How do we bring this technology to the lab and, perhaps more important, how do we deploy it in the real world? That approach has led Steven Spurgeon to use AI to push the boundaries of his field and discover and design new materials at warp speed that are reshaping the technological landscape, through his role at Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colorado. At Drexel, Spurgeon learned to understand “the full life cycle” of novel coatings for metal powders used in high-efficiency motors through collaboration with industry, he says. That focus on translational research was the perfect training ground for the dozen years he has spent at national labs — first at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), and since 2024, at the National Laboratory of the Rockies (formerly the National Renewable Energy Laboratory) — developing novel materials for next-generation electronics, quantum computing and nuclear energy. “We’re looking at how very small defects, all the way down to the single atom, affect the performance of different energy technologies,” he says, citing projects that improve the energy storage of batteries, the energy efficiency of advanced computing processors and the robustness of devices used in space exploration.

“We’re looking at how very small defects, all the way down to the single atom, affect the performance of different energy technologies.” Steven Spurgeon

In each, the goal is to exploit AI as a “co-pilot helping scientists make decisions at the time of the experiment,” he says. Over his career, Spurgeon has produced more than 94 publications, seven software packages and two licensed technologies — and built a professional reputation that has attracted a number of awards. In 2025, his work earned him recognition from the Microscopy Society of America’s Burton Medal, which named him “a leader in leveraging artificial intelligence to transform materials discovery and design.” The year prior, he won the R&D 100 Award, considered the Oscars of Innovation, for developing the AI-embedded Autonomous Electron Microscope (AutoEM) in partnership with analytical instrumentation manufacturer giant JEOL. While at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, he received the 2022 Laboratory Director’s Award for Exceptional Early Career Achievement.

In his own words…

My Greatest Accomplishment:

Transforming scientific instruments from passive observers into active partners in discovery. With the R&D 100 award-winning AutoEM platform, we enabled electron microscopes to “reason” like a scientist, allowing them to connect observations at the atomic level directly to material manufacturing. This capability is critical for the future of energy, allowing us to accelerate the development of next-generation batteries and computing technologies from decades to days.

How Drexel Shaped My Path:

Drexel’s deep focus on learning-by-doing taught me that the most impactful innovation happens where disciplines collide — where theory meets practice. The community challenged me to look beyond just writing academic papers and instead focus on research that solves tangible, industrial problems. That mindset is central to my work today: ensuring our AI tools aren’t just novel experiments, but practical engines that power real-world engineering.

Where I Hope To Be in Five Years:

I envision scaling our current successes into a fully “self-driving” research ecosystem, where AI orchestrates the entire scientific process — from idea to creation — without human bottlenecks. My goal is to establish this as the new global standard for materials science, fundamentally redefining the speed at which we solve our energy needs. By training a new generation of scientists fluent in both physics and AI, I hope to build a future where our only limit is our imagination. DM