Accelint’s Dylan Schmorrow Wins Leadership Award for Advancing AI and Human-Machine Systems

Dr. Dylan Schmorrow, a senior leader guiding Accelint’s AI and autonomy strategy, has been awarded the 2025 Leadership and Innovation Vanguard Award at the Applied Human Factors and Ergonomics International Conference. The recognition reflects a career centered on building human–machine systems that improve decision-making under pressure and perform reliably in real operational conditions.

From his early work in the U.S. Navy and later at DARPA and the Office of Naval Research, Dr. Schmorrow has focused on translating research into capability that serves people in the field. His programs have advanced autonomy, cognitive performance, and human–machine teaming across mission environments where uncertainty and operational tempo demand systems that reduce cognitive burden rather than add to it. This philosophy continues to shape Accelint’s approach to applied AI: technology must serve the mission, not the other way around.

This year’s AHFE conference brought together participants from more than sixty countries, highlighting global research efforts in human factors and system integration. The Vanguard Award recognizes leaders whose work delivers measurable impact, improving the way people and systems operate together. Dr. Schmorrow noted that while technology continues to evolve rapidly, the core challenge remains constant: AI must be built to support people when the stakes are high, not distract from the task at hand.

Dr. Schmorrow’s operational credibility is rooted in years of direct engagement with mission programs. His initiatives have informed tactical decision support, planning under uncertainty, and large-scale integration efforts across defense organizations. Prior to joining Accelint, he served as CEO of SoarTech, a pioneer in applied AI, where he helped develop systems designed to perform in complex, fast-changing environments. When SoarTech became part of Accelint in 2024, he remained a key leader in shaping how the combined teams would deliver deployable capability rather than demonstration-grade technology.

His contributions have been recognized across government and industry, including the Department of the Navy Top Scientists and Engineers Award and the Leland S. Kollmorgen Spirit of Innovation Award, along with honors from the Naval Postgraduate School and Western Michigan University. He has also served in advisory, educational, and mentoring roles across NATO, TTCP, and the wider U.S. defense research community.

Throughout his career, Dr. Schmorrow has emphasized that success in human–machine integration depends on whether systems can withstand real-world conditions over time. Long deployments, shifting concepts of operation, sustainment constraints, and uneven communications environments all test whether AI genuinely helps operators make faster, more confident decisions. His work reinforces Accelint’s commitment to ensuring that systems integrate with existing workflows, scale to operational tempo, and maintain performance beyond controlled environments.

This recognition underscores Accelint’s focus on building technology that strengthens mission readiness. For teams exploring how to integrate credible, human-centered autonomy into programs — from early evaluation through field deployment — Accelint brings proven experience grounded in operational realities and driven by leaders who have delivered capability where it matters most.