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MIT Department of Materials Science and Engineering
MIT Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Jason Sparapani | February 11, 2026

C. Cem Tasan promoted to full professor

By watching metals as they deform and fail, the metallurgist and his team are laying the groundwork for stronger, more damage-resistant alloys.
Categories: Faculty, Department News
C. Cem Tasan joined MIT as assistant professor in 2015 and earned tenure in 2022.
Photo: Adam Glanzman

C. Cem Tasan, the POSCO Associate Professor of Metallurgy in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering (DMSE), has been promoted to full professor, effective July 1.

Tasan studies how metals behave under different conditions, with the aim of developing exceptionally high-performance new alloys. His team uses in situ electron microscopy to observe materials as they are heated, stressed, or otherwise tested—watching changes unfold in real time. In recent years, his research group has developed new methods for studying the detrimental effects of hydrogen in steel and has also created new, greener ways of metal recycling. His work also includes the design of high-entropy alloys, a family of advanced materials known for their strength and durability.

“Professor Tasan is a leader in in situ mechanical characterization approaches for structural materials, especially metals and alloys,” said Department Head Polina Anikeeva. “He made foundational contributions to the design of high-entropy alloys and to understanding the mechanisms of failure in structural metals.”

Tasan earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in metallurgy and materials engineering at Middle East Technical University in Turkey. He moved to the Netherlands for graduate school, earning his PhD at Eindhoven University of Technology, and then to the Max Planck Institute for Iron Research in Germany in 2010, where he began as a postdoc and later led a research group studying metal behavior and developing alloys with unique properties.

After five years in Germany, he joined MIT as assistant professor in 2015 and earned tenure in 2022. He was part of the inaugural group of newly tenured faculty members who gave Tenure Talks—presentations reflecting on the challenges of seeking tenure and the lessons learned along the way. Tasan devoted half of his talk to what he called “little adjustments and small pleasures,” highlighting strategies for success alongside the small joys that make for lasting, happy memories.

As speaker for DMSE’s Wulff Lecture in spring 2024, Tasan presented on the havoc tiny hydrogen atoms can cause in steel and on novel ways to repair and prevent such damage.

Tasan is also a gifted instructor, Anikeeva said, having developed classes on the mechanical properties of materials, and a dedicated mentor. He has led numerous committees in DMSE, including the graduate admissions committee, and last year became director of MIT’s Materials Research Laboratory, an interdisciplinary hub supporting research in nanotechnology, quantum materials, energy storage, and more.

“We are deeply honored to have Professor Cem Tasan in our DMSE community, and we look forward to working alongside him for the decades to come,” Anikeeva said.