Steven Espinosa brings a unique blend of technical expertise, creativity, and collaborative spirit to his work with the Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development.
Originally from Hawaii, Steven enjoyed island life before moving to South Carolina in middle school. He went on to earn his bachelors of science in Computer Science from the University of South Carolina, launching a career that blends software development, education, and research support. After relocating to Raleigh, Steven began his professional journey at a local video game development studio, where he worked across multiple teams and projects.
Driven by a passion for teaching and mentoring, Steven later joined Wake Tech Community College as an instructor in Computer Science and Game Development for the Simulation and Game Development program. During this time, he continued to sharpen his skills through contract development work, creating everything from web-based tools to mobile applications. One of those contracts—developing a digital autism screening tool for the iPad for the autism center—proved to be a turning point. Steven was inspired by the work and energized by the opportunity to collaborate with a multidisciplinary research team, leading him to join the Duke Office of Information Technology full time, where he continues to support innovative research efforts today.
Steven is currently part of Research Computing within the Duke Office of Information Technology and serves as a co-lead for Duke’s Code+ program, helping guide students as they work on real-world, impact-driven projects. Looking ahead, Steven plans to continue expanding his technical expertise to support novel research and outreach efforts across the autism center and Duke more broadly.
What Steven enjoys most about working with the autism center is the opportunity to collaborate with intelligent, curious colleagues from diverse backgrounds—all united by a shared goal of making a meaningful, positive impact for people through research and innovation.
Outside of work, Steven is a lifelong gamer with a deep appreciation for both tabletop and video games. In fact, he still owns every gaming console he’s ever had, dating all the way back to the original NES—a fun fact that speaks to his long-standing love of technology and games.
We’re thrilled to highlight Steven’s contributions and thankful for the expertise, curiosity, and enthusiasm he brings to the autism center every day.