Dr Michel Prassas was born in Serres (Greece) in April 1953. He received his PhD degree on "Solid state physics" from the University of Montpellier in December 1981. At 1982 joined the department of Ceramics at the University of Florida where he has worked for nine months and started a Sol-Gel research group under the advice of Professor L.L. Hench. 
He joined the materials department at European research Center of Corning in France in September 1982 where he spent 12 years on glass research for optical and ophthalmic applications. He has developed a wide range of new glass compositions including high refractive index, photochromic and photosensitive glass, non stick  & high hydrophobic coatings for consumer applications, erbium doped materials and fibers for large bandwidth applications for optical telecommunications. Since 1995 Dr Prassas is a Research Associated in the Photonic Department
Dr Prassas is the author of 27 patents and 35 papers. He is member of the American Ceramic Society, Materials Research Society, Optical Society of America, The French "Nanotechnology Club", Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE), and member of the editorial board of the Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology"

He was a pioneer in the area of  aerogels derived monolithic silica glasses of large size obtained by hypercritical drying.