Rob Schurko, who is originally from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, is currently a Professor of Chemistry at the Florida State University and Director of the Magnetic Resonance User Program at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (MagLab). He is internationally recognized for pioneering solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) methodologies that have greatly expanded access to elements across the Periodic Table, particularly through the study of quadrupolar and low-gamma nuclei that are unreceptive to the NMR experiment. His research integrates fundamental NMR spin physics and quantum chemical computations with applications in materials chemistry, including pharmaceuticals, catalysis, and nanomaterials. He has also been instrumental in advancing state-of-the-art solid-state NMR techniques, including NMR crystallography and ultra-wideline NMR methods.

Dr. Schurko’s contributions have been recognized with numerous honors, including his election as a Fellow of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance (ISMAR) in 2025, the 2023 Regitze R. Vold Memorial Prize for outstanding contributions to solid-state NMR spectroscopy, and numerous visiting professorships around the world.

As a passionate educator and mentor, he has trained dozens of undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral researchers, many of whom now hold leadership roles in academia and industry. In his current role at the MagLab, Dr. Schurko helps guide the scientific direction of high-field NMR development, fosters collaboration with a global user community, and leads outreach initiatives that engage students, from high school to graduate level, in hands-on research experiences.