2025 MSA Burton Medal
Photo Credit: Brooke Buchan / NREL
I'm incredibly honored to share that I've been awarded the Microscopy Society of America's (MSA) Burton Medal, a major recognition for early career achievements in microscopy. Receiving this award is a deeply humbling experience, and I'm filled with gratitude for everyone who has made this possible.
My work focuses on using artificial intelligence (AI) to advance materials science, particularly through the development of autonomous microscopy. It's been exciting to see how our research, including the development of AutoEM, is pushing the boundaries of what's possible in materials discovery. AutoEM, which recently received an R&D 100 Award, can do in one hour what used to take 1,000 hours of manual work. This has the potential to really speed up the development of new materials for important technologies.
This award isn't just a reflection of my efforts. It's a testament to the incredible support and collaboration I've been fortunate to have throughout my career. I'm especially grateful for the opportunity to work with so many talented students and early career staff. Seeing their growth and achievements is one of the most rewarding parts of my work. I’m proud that my students have gone on to leading roles at universities, companies, and research laboratories across the world.
I also want to express my sincere appreciation to my nominator, Dr. Katherine Jungjohann, and those who provided supporting letters: Prof. Sergei V. Kalinin, Prof. Rafal Dunin-Borkowski, and Prof. Andrew Minor. Their belief in my work has been a huge source of encouragement.
Looking ahead, I'm excited to continue exploring the potential of AI in microscopy and contributing to the field. I'm thankful to the Microscopy Society of America for this honor and look forward to continuing to advance the field and support the next generation of scientists!