Igor Stepanovich Surovtsev was born in family of the officer-veteran in Volsk of the Saratov region. After Volsk were Nikolaevsk - on - Cupid, Sakhalin, Syzran, Bryansk. At the end of 1954 the family moved to Voronezh. After the termination of high school No. 28 of Voronezh in 1965 arrived on physical faculty of the Voronezh State University (VSU). Graduated from the university in 1970 and it was left for work as the engineer of department of physics of semiconductors and microelectronics.
In 1984 defended the master's thesis on the subject "Research and Development of Processes of Plasma and Induction Processing of Semiconductors". In 1994 the academic status of professor is given. In 1998 defended the doctoral dissertation on the subject "High-frequency Induction and Plasma Processing of Silicon and Heterostructures".
There passed the big scientific and pedagogical way from the engineer to the vice rector for economy and programs of development of Voronezh State University. From 1995 to 1999 Igor Stepanovich held a post of the president of association of the scientific organizations of universities of the Russian Federation of Vuznauk. In 1999 continued the labor activity in administration of the Voronezh region as the chief state councilor of area, the Chairman of the Committee on work of the highest and average special educational institutions; in 2001 it was appointed the head of department of professional education and science of administration of the Voronezh region.
From 1997 to 2001 I.S. Surovtsev is a member of the planned and budget commission of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation; from 1999 to 2001 - the member of scientific and technical council of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation.
From 2000 to 2001 I.S. Surovtsev was a part of the leading council for the scientific program "State Support of Regional Scientific and Technical Policy of the Higher School and Development of Its Scientific Potential"; from 2001 to 2002 was a member of the leading council for the scientific and technical program "The Innovation Activity of the Higher School", and from 2000 to 2002 - the member of commission of experts of Committee on science, education, health care and ecology of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation of Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation.
In October, 2002 on an alternative basis Igor Stepanovich Surovtsev was elected the rector of VGASU. Igor Stepanovich Surovtsev is an author more than 300 scientific publications and 30 inventions, apart from a large number of improvement suggestions. As the inventor in 1978 and 1979 was awarded medals of VDNH of the USSR for developments in the field of the semiconductor electronics. And it was a year before mentioned by the Certificate of honor of Presidium of Central office of VOIR (All-Russian Society of Inventors and Innovators) and the sign "Inventor of the USSR".
Igor Stepanovich Surovtsev is married, brought up two sons.
Area of scientific interests, directions and engineering activity:
- development of fundamental bases nano - and a submicron technology for dimensional processing of materials using chemically active plasma of atmospheric and low pressure;
- researches on influence of the electronic induced heating and HF of induction plasma on structural properties of materials;
- development of conceptual, methodological problems of higher education;
- development of theoretical and practical methods of management of the innovation activity;
- research of problems of demography, migration and security of Russia.