Ken Haenen elected as 2026 MRS Fellow
"It is a wonderful recognition, especially because it's elected by absolute experts in the field. But above all, this is proof of many years of effort within our research group,” says Prof. Dr. Ken Haenen.
MRS Fellows
Since 2008, the international Materials Research Society (MRS) has awarded the exclusive title of Fellow to members with leading research achievements and years of dedication to the global materials community. To receive the title, candidates must be nominated by a member of the organization, and their candidacy must be supported by two additional people.
Working together across disciplines
“That is what makes this Fellow title so valuable to me,” says Ken Haenen. “It is very rewarding to receive recognition from peers who can truly assess the scientific value of your work. Especially because I strongly support the mission and vision of the Materials Research Society, with its focus on interdisciplinary collaboration, knowledge sharing, and stimulating innovation within materials science. This vision closely aligns with our own approach within IUMAT and, among others, our Materiomics master’s programme. Todd Osman, the Executive Director of MRS, even contributed input during the preparation of this master’s programme.”
Within MRS, Ken Haenen has been actively involved for many years through various committees, publications, and the organization of conferences and symposia. The recognition also takes into account activities outside the MRS framework, including the annual Hasselt Diamond Workshop, SBDD, which will celebrated its 30th edition in 2026.
“What started as a very good idea from colleague Prof. Dr. Miloš Nesládek grew into the world’s largest CVD (Chemical Vapour Deposition) diamond conference. As a research group, we are rightfully very proud of that,” says Ken Haenen.
International collaboration as a strength
And that research group played an important role in obtaining this recognition, Ken Haenen emphasizes.
“This is, of course, the result of the many efforts of people who are or have been part of my group. I would also like to explicitly mention Prof. Dr. Paulius Pobedinskas, who, since I became vice rector, has expertly taken on the daily organization of our research group. In addition, this Fellowship demonstrates the strength of international collaboration. Although MRS is an American organization, more than half of its members come from outside the United States. This creates new insights and opens doors. Internationalization has therefore always been a major focus within our group.”