Recent News
Application for 2026 Harvard SEAS Collaborative Field Program in Lima, Peru in conjunction with Universidad de Ingenieria & Tecnologia (UTEC)
Topic: Developing Technology for OneHealth Research in the Amazon Rain Forest
Instructors: Joost J. Vlassak, Mónica Santa Maria
PROJECT DATES: January 5-16, 2026 Winter Session
WHO: All Harvard Undergraduates are eligible to apply
CONTACT: Melissa Majkut <mmajkut@seas.harvard.edu>
Application closes on October 26 at 11:59 PM
Chosen participants will be notified by email.
Link to application:
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Happy Birthday Joost and Happy 25 years at SEAS! You have been able to steer the SEAS ship and lead the VLASSAK LAB effortlessly.
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A very hearty congratulations to the Vlassak Lab's Ben Schafer, who was just named one of the Forbes List of 30 Under 30 for his company, Rarefied. Read more about it here:
https://www.forbes.com/profile/benjamin-schafer/
https://www.forbes.com/30-under-30/2025/energy-green-tech
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Farewell lunch for Jong-hyoung Kim with Vlassak Lab. Over the last five years, Jong-hyoung has done fantastic research in the lab. We wish you all the best in the future! ___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Farewell lunch for Quan Jiao with Vlassak Lab. We thank Quan for his amazing work in the lab over the years and wish him all the best!
Group photo in November 2021 on the Harvard campus._________________________________________________________________________________________________
Congratulations to Vlassak Lab member Juanjuan Zheng who successfully defended her thesis at Huazhong University of Science and Technology on July 31, 2019.
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Dinner in October 2018 in Madrid, Spain at Society of Engineering Science 55th Annual Technical Meeting with former Vlassak lab postdoctoral fellows, Prof. Matt Pharr of Texas A&M University and Prof. Gidong Sim of KAIST.
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Congratulations to Haitao Zhang for passing his Ph.D. Defense in China on Friday, June 1, 2018!
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Farewell Lunch for Haitao Zhang with Vlassak lab on November 29, 2017. It has been wonderful working with you, Haitao and we wish you all the best!
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Vlassak group gathering during 2016 SES conference at University of Maryland. Attendees were Nanshu Lu, Matt Pharr, Kejie Zhao, Joost Vlassak, and Gi-Dong Sim
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Congratulations to former Vlassak Lab member, Jianyu Li and his wife on the birth of their son, Jinghan on September 25, 2016!
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Group lunch after Javier's talk on August 26, 2016
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Dr. Dongwoo Lee, Prof. Joost Vlassak, and Dr. Kechao Xiao at Commencement on May 26, 2016.
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Congratulations to Dr. Dongwoo Lee who successfully defended on Feb 3, 2016. Pictured with Dongwoo are Professor David Clarke, Professor Joanna Aizenberg, Professor Joost Vlassak, Jaewon (Dongwoo's son), and Professor Frans Spaepen.
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Congratulations to Vlassak lab Graduate Student, Dongwoo Lee and Professor Vlassak, along with former Vlassak Lab member Kejie Zhao (current Professor at Purdue University) on receiving the Outstanding Presentation Award at MRS in Boston for their work! The presentation was entitled, "Combining nanocalorimetry and ab-initio calculations for multilayer reaction studies." You can download the abstract here. http://vlassakgroup.seas.harvard.edu/files/vlassakgroup/files/mrs_2015_fall_award.pdf?m=1448899199
Congratulations again!
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Farewell Lunch for Vlassak Lab members on July 15, 2015.
Congratulations to Dr. Kechao Xiao who successfully defended on June 1, 2015. Pictured with Kechao are Professor Frans Spaepen, Professor David Clark, Dr. Kechao Xiao, Professor Joost Vlassak, and Professor Katia Bertoldi.
Widusha Illeperuma, Postdoctoral Fellow gave a wonderful inaugural talk as a Harvard Horizons scholar at the Harvard Horizons Symposium at the Sanders Theatre on May 6, 2015. Widusha, everyone in the Vlassak lab wishes you a hearty congratulations!
Congratulations to Widusha Illeperuma, who defended on April 28, 2015. With Widusha are Professors Jennifer Lewis, Zhigang Suo, Joost Vlassak, and Katia Bertoldi.
Congratulations to Jianyu Li, who defended on March 26, 2015. With Jianyu are Professor David Mooney, Professor Joost Vlassak, Professor Zhigang Suo, and Professor Neel Joshi.
Congratulations to Kechao Xiao who won the MRS Poster Award at the 2014 MRS Fall Meeting and Exhibit in Boston, MA. Below is his winning poster.
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Farewell lunch for Vlassak Lab Postdoc, Gidong Sim on September 22, 2014. Attending the lunch from left to right: Melissa Majkut, Widusha Illeperuma, Dongwoo Lee, Jianyu Li, Gidong Sim, Professor Joost Vlassak, Kechao Xiao, Yanhui Chu, Mingyu Li, Gayatri Cuddalorepatta.
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High school students Micheal, Ruben, and Charlotte working in the Vlassak Lab in the summer of 2014
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Vlassak Lab Lunch on August 26, 2014 attended by Yanhui Chu, Mingyu Li, Widusha Illeperuma, Yong Seok Choi, Dongwoo Lee, Gidong Sim, Gayatri Cuddalorepatta, Kechao Xiao, and Professor Joost Vlassak
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Congratulations to Libin Gao who received her Ph.D. from UESTC in July 2014.
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Professor George Matthew Pharr IV, Dr. George Matthew Pharr V, Baby George Matthew Pharr VI, and Professor Joost J. Vlassak at Commencement on May 29, 2014.
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Another note of congratulations to Vlassak Lab member, Matt Pharr and his wife on the birth of their son, Mathew on May 4, 2014!
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Congratulations to Matt Pharr who defended on April 4, 2014. With Matt are Professor Jim Rice, Professor Joost Vlassak, and Professor Zhigang Suo.
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Congratulations to Kechao "Charlie" Xiao on the birth of his son on March 24, 2014. Everyone in the lab wishes you well!
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Congratulations to Dongwoo Lee on the birth of his son on February 10, 2014. Everyone in the lab wishes you well!
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High school students Maya Strod and Ruben De Fraye preparing tough hydrogels during a summer research program at Vlassak's lab
Foreground -- Darren Dale at CHESS, Cornell
9/18/12 Vlassak Group Photo
08/27/12 Congratulations to Dr. Lu!
Dr. Nashu Lu was named one of MIT Technology Review's top innovators under 35. http://www.technologyreview.com/tr35/profile.aspx?trid=1326
Kejie Zhao gave his defense on June 14, 2012
Congratulations Kejie!
Dr. Hu Graduates
Dr. Yuhang Hu and Professor Joost Vlassak on Commencement Day.
Congratulations to Dr. Hu!
Yuhan Hu successfully defended in August 2011.
8/2/2010
Congratulations to Patrick McCluskey for winning the GRC poster award at the 2010 Thin Film and Small Scale Mechanical Behavior Gordon Research Conference held July 25-30, 2010 in Waterville, ME.
7/1/2010
Prof. Vlassak was appointed Area Dean of Materials Science and Mechanical Engineering.
Congratulations to Dr. Li!
Han Li successfully defended and graduated in May 2010.
(with Profs. Spaepen, Aizenberg, and Vlassak)
Vlassak Group at Nanshu's wedding
5/21/2009
Materials scientist helps academia and industry understand how materials stand up to a variety of conditions (Harvard Gazette article on Prof. Vlassak).
Congratulations to Dr. Lu!
Nanshu Lu successfully defended and graduated in May 2009.
(with Profs. Aziz, Hutchinson, Suo and Vlassak)
Congratulations to Dr. Wang!
Xi Wang successfully defended and graduated in May 2007.
(with Profs. Ramanathan, Suo, Hutchinson and Vlassak)
5/25/2007
Prof. Vlassak appointed tenure.
Congratulations to Dr. Lin!
Youbo Lin successfully defended in March 2007.
(with Profs. Suo, Vlassak and Hutchinson)
Congratulations to Dr. Xiang!
Yong Xiang and Prof. Vlassak on Commencement Day 2006.
Congratulations to our MRS Spring 2006 Poster Award Winners!
Patrick McCluskey and Youbo Lin both won poster awards at the Spring 2006 Materials Research Society meeting. Patrick received the MRS Best Poster Award (one of three selected from over 300 posters!) and Youbo received the Symposium Graduate Student Best Poster Award (and was also nominated for the MRS Best Poster Award).