Convergence Research Seminar Series: Steven R. Sturgeon, PhD (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory)

Abstract: Artificial intelligence (AI) promises to reshape scientific inquiry and enable breakthrough discoveries in areas such as quantum computing, energy storage, and advanced manufacturing. While it is now possible to produce materials in almost limitless configurations, engineering of desirable functionality depends on precise control of structure and defects across scales. Complex synthesis pathways can lead to significant deviations from idealized structures, which occur at length and time scales that are challenging to probe experimentally and theoretically. Mastery of materials is therefore predicated on the ability to acquire and act on complex, heterogeneous, and fast-evolving microscopy data streams, a task uniquely suited to emerging AI and machine learning methods. Here I will discuss our research efforts to develop a new framework for materials discovery, leveraging embedded automation, domain-grounded analytics, and predictive control for human-like reasoning. I will show how AI is transforming the present and future of materials discovery and design, allowing us to richly manipulate matter for emerging technologies.

Bio: Dr. Steven R. Spurgeon is a senior materials data scientist in the National Security Directorate at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, with an affiliate appointment as an Associate Professor of Physics at the University of Washington. He serves as thrust lead for PNNL’s Adaptive Tunability for Synthesis and Control via Autonomous Learning on Edge (ATSCALE) and Chemical Dynamics (CDi) Initiatives. His research focuses on developing artificial intelligence-guided synthesis, characterization, and modeling of materials for next-generation electronics, quantum computing, and energy storage. He has published over 75 journal articles and serves as editor for the international journal Microscopy and Microanalysis. He has received awards from the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation, the Materials Research Society, the Microscopy Society of America, and the Department of Defense. Prior to joining PNNL, he received his Ph.D. in Materials Science from Drexel University and his B.S. in Materials Science from Carnegie Mellon University. In 2022, he received PNNL’s Ronald L. Brodzinski Award for Early Career Exceptional Achievement.