Anna Hiszpanski

Research scientist Anna Hiszpanski’s career has been built on developing new materials with properties needed to drive innovation. As a Staff Scientist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), she serves as the Group Leader of the Functional Materials Synthesis & Integration (FMSI) Group within the Physical & Life Sciences (PLS) / Materials Science Division.

Growing up in a family of engineers in Valencia, California, Hiszpanski’s childhood included a wide variety of interests, from physics and math to dance and art. This eclectic mix of passions eventually led her to pursue a degree in chemical engineering, with a particular focus on materials. As she reasoned, "materials are in everything—so I could do anything!" This guiding philosophy has allowed Hiszpanski to tackle a variety of problems rooted in materials science.

After completing her doctorate in Chemical and Materials Engineering at Princeton University, Hiszpanski joined LLNL as a postdoctoral researcher. Her initial interest in the Laboratory was driven by its goal of "science in service to the Nation" and its location in her home state of California. An in-person interview solidified her decision. “I was impressed by the intelligence, humility, and kindness of the people at LLNL, as well as the growth opportunities provided to postdocs,” said Hiszpanski.

In her current role, Hiszpanski leads several projects that use machine learning to solve problem in materials science. Her work uses natural language processing approaches to extract valuable information from scientific texts and developing models to predict molecular and polymeric properties of interest for energetics. Hiszpanski is deeply involved in the design and development of optical and electronic materials for applications across the electromagnetic spectrum, with a specific focus on infrared detectors, antireflective surfaces, and electromagnetic shielding materials.

Hiszpanski's dedication to her work is driven by a combination of curiosity and a sense of responsibility to her colleagues and sponsors, since the scientific challenges they face require the input of many talented individuals. "All my work is done in teams, and successes simply are not possible without others,” she explains. 

Hiszpanski’s scientific and technical contributions to the Laboratory were recently honored with an Early and Mid-Career Recognition (EMCR). Now in its tenth year, the EMCR grants awardees institutional funding to pursue research activities in their area of interest. Hiszpanski expects to use the award to advance her research in the automation and robotics space for chemistry and machine learning. As she explains, "Much of the machine learning for materials work we do is in the digital domain, but end of the day, we still need physical materials, and it’s the actual making of materials that is oftentimes the bottleneck."

Looking ahead, Hiszpanski hopes to incorporate more automation and robotics into her experimental work, paired with machine learning. Achieving this goal requires procuring advanced robotics and automated equipment, along with laboratory space to accommodate these systems. She is optimistic about the future, noting that many at LLNL share her vision and that progress is being made on multiple fronts.

Hiszpanski's story is a reminder that being a successful scientist requires more than just technical expertise. It demands creativity, effective communication, and the ability to work collaboratively across disciplines. Her work not only supports LLNL's mission but also pushes the boundaries of what is possible in materials science, paving the way for future innovations.