Dr. Sampsa Laakso was born in the freezing north of Finland, Rovaniemi, Lapland. After finishing his matriculation exam and military service in Lapland, Sampsa was accepted in the Helsinki University of Technology in 2004 to pursue a master's degree in mechanical engineering. After his MSc. in December 2009, Sampsa started working in the university as a teaching assistant in the laboratory of production engineering. In 2010, Sampsa was accepted for doctoral education, which he completed in 2015. Sampsa was a visiting doctoral student in RWTH Aachen, in Germany during his PhD studies in 2013. After defending his dissertation, Sampsa worked in Lund University in Southwest Sweden as a postdoctoral research fellow for two years, then briefly back to Aalto University in 2018-2019 and then in Chalmers University of Technology, in Sweden as a lecturer in 2019-2021, untill he started in University of Turku.

Sampsa's master's thesis topic was:
"Finite element modeling of cutting–applications and usability"
and dissertation is called:
"Development of Material Models and Acquisition of Model Parameters for Metal Cutting Simulations"

My research focuses on simulating material behavior and process mechanics in manufacturing processes. Understanding the mechanics and material characteristics is crucial for improving the process efficiency and product quality and product lifetime.

Dr. Laakso has pedagogical qualifications from Haaga-Helia University of Applied Science (60 ECTS), from Aalto University (25 ECTS), and some (23 ECTS) assorted education courses from University of Helsinki, Aalto and Chalmers University of Technology.

Teaching responsibilities in University of Turku:

Head of mechanical engineering bachelor's degree program.

Responsible teacher in:

• Manufacturing Processes
• Finite Element Method and Analysis
• Virtual Manufacturing