Kara Peters

Associate Department Head

  • Phone: (919) 515-5226
  • Office: Engineering Building III (EB3) 3116

In addition to her duties as Associate Department Head, Dr. Kara Peters also serves as The College of Engineerings Interim Associate Dean for Graduate Programs. 

Dr. Peters’ long-term goal is to contribute to the advancement of nondestructive evaluation and structural health monitoring techniques for composite aerospace structures. The advancements tend to increase safety and improve performance of structural systems. She served as the program director for the Mechanics of Materials and Structures program at the National Science Foundation from 2015-2018. She is an Associate Editor of the journal Smart Materials and Structures and the ASME Journal of Nondestructive Evaluation, Diagnostics and Prognostics of Engineering Systems. She is also on the editorial board of the journal Measurement Science and Technology.

Dr. Peters teaches Mechanics of Composite Structures (MAE 537). Her presentation in this course has a fundamental flavor. In this course, Dr. Peters surveys composite structures in the aerospace industry, and gives students an understanding of the current state-of-the-art. Dr. Peters teaches Aerospace Structures I and II (MAE 371 and MAE 472). In these courses, she outlines the current state-of-the-art of aircraft structures and describes some of the advancements being anticipated in the near future.

Dr. Peters works closely with her students to help them develop strong experimental problem-solving skills. Her students bridge the gap between optics and mechanics and work in a hands-on, experimental environment. They fabricate the composite structures themselves, from learning how to embed sensors into composite materials to learning how to make different kinds of optical interfaces.

NSF Sponsored Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site: Composites for Extreme Environments

Publications

Dynamic measurement of ballistic impact using an optical fibre sensor
Velasco, I., Seng, F., Hodges, G., Peters, K., Pankow, M., & Schultz, S. (2024), SMART MATERIALS AND STRUCTURES, 33(3). https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-665X/ad27fd
Extension of Fiber Bragg Grating Ultrasound Sensor Network by Adhesive Couplers
Kim, J.-M., Aboubakr, S., & Peters, K. (2023), PHOTONICS, 10(12). https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics10121366
Ferroelectric Domain Wall Engineering Enables Thermal Modulation in PMN-PT Single Crystals
Negi, A., Kim, H. P., Hua, Z., Timofeeva, A., Zhang, X., Zhu, Y., … Liu, J. (2023, April 27), ADVANCED MATERIALS, Vol. 4. https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202211286
High-speed polarization imaging for failure detection in fiber spinning
Timofeeva, A. A., Pankow, M. R., & Peters, K. J. (2023), HEALTH MONITORING OF STRUCTURAL AND BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS XVII, Vol. 12488. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2665277
Laser Doppler vibrometry measurements of acoustic attenuation in optical fiber waveguides
Marashi, C. S., Bradford, P., & Peters, K. (2023), APPLIED OPTICS, 62(16), E119–E124. https://doi.org/10.1364/AO.483827
Modeling of Ultrasonic Coupling between Optical Fibers through an Adhesive Bond for Sensing Applications
Kim, J. M., & Peters, K. (2023), HEALTH MONITORING OF STRUCTURAL AND BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS XVII, Vol. 12488. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2666031
Optical Fiber Sensors: introduction to the feature issue
Cranch, G. A., Digonnet, M., Dragic, P., Peters, K., Schulzgen, A., Wang, A., & Yang, L. (2023, June 1), APPLIED OPTICS, Vol. 62, pp. 1–1. https://doi.org/10.1364/AO.495373
Scalable and High-Throughput In Vitro Vibratory Platform for Vocal Fold Tissue Engineering Applications
Biehl, A., Colmon, R., Timofeeva, A., Gracioso Martins, A. M., Dion, G. R., Peters, K., & Freytes, D. O. (2023), BIOENGINEERING-BASEL, 10(5). https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering10050602
Special feature on measurement-based decision making in structural health monitoring
Laflamme, S., Peters, K., & Ubertini, F. (2023, March 1), MEASUREMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, Vol. 34. https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6501/aca3c4
Amplification of Lamb-Wave Detection via Fiber Bragg Gratings Using Ultrasonic Horns
Wang, C.-F., Wee, J., & Peters, K. (2022), JOURNAL OF NONDESTRUCTIVE EVALUATION, DIAGNOSTICS AND PROGNOSTICS OF ENGINEERING SYSTEMS, 5(3). https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4053582

View all publications via NC State Libraries

Grants

  • Dynamic, In-situ Characterization of Failure Modes in Fiber Spinning (NWI Core Project) - Confidential
  • Investigation of Acoustic Coupling Phenomena in FBG Lamb Wave Detectors
  • High Resolution Scanning Acoustic Microscopy System for High Throughput Characterization of Materials and Nuclear Fuels
  • High Efficiency Generation of Acoustic Modes in Optical Fibers
  • EAGER: Measurements of Bi-Material Interface Behaviors Under Dynamic Loading Conditions
  • IUCRC Pre-proposal Phase III North Carolina State University: Center for Integration of Composites into Infrastructure (CICI)
  • Design of Acoustic Couplers for Sensing Applications
  • Investigation of Lamb Wave Interactions with Guided Modes in Optical Fibers
  • 3D Micro Laser Doppler Vibrometer to Characterize Ultrasonic Waves in Naval Structures
  • Optimization of Structural Lamb Wave Coupling to Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors
Kara Peters