Steven DenBaars is director of the Institute for Energy Efficiency and director of the Solid State Lighting and Energy Electronics Center, which he co-founded. A pioneer in gallium nitride semiconductor technology, DenBaars has advanced energy-efficient LEDs, lasers and optical communications, with applications spanning next-generation displays, AI data centers and emerging photonic technologies. Elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2012, he is also a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, IEEE and Optica. His honors include the 2026 IEEE Nick Holonyak, Jr. Medal and Optica's 2026 Nick Holonyak Jr. Award.