Kara Peters
Director of Graduate Programs, Associate Department Head
- Email: kjpeters@ncsu.edu
- Office: Engineering Building III (EB3) 3116
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
- 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
- Amplifying Lamb Wave Detection for Fiber Bragg Grating with a Phononic Crystal GRIN Lens Waveguide
- Wang, C.-F., Wee, J., & Peters, K. (2022), SENSORS, 22(21). https://doi.org/10.3390/s22218426
- Ballistic loading and survivability of optical fiber sensing layers for soft body armor evaluation
- Hodges, G., Noevere, A., Velasco, I., Hackney, D., Seng, F., Schultz, S., … Pankow, M. (2022), OPTICAL FIBER TECHNOLOGY, 73. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yofte.2022.103043
- Comparison of High-Speed Polarization Imaging Methods for Biological Tissues
- Wu, X., Pankow, M., Onuma, T., Huang, H.-Y. S., & Peters, K. (2022), SENSORS, 22(20). https://doi.org/10.3390/s22208000
- Demonstration of Coherent Interference between Acoustic Waves Using a Fiber Ring Resonator
- Kim, J. M., Wee, J., & Peters, K. (2022), SENSORS, 22(11). https://doi.org/10.3390/s22114163
- Guided waves based damage localization using acoustically coupled optical fibers and a single fiber Bragg grating sensor
- Soman, R., Kim, J. M., Aiton, S., & Peters, K. (2022), MEASUREMENT, 203. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.measurement.2022.111985
- Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm for Guided Waves Based Damage Localization Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors in Remote Configuration
- Soman, R., Boyer, A., Kim, J. M., & Peters, K. (2022), SENSORS, 22(16). https://doi.org/10.3390/s22166000
- Ultrasonic frequency response of fiber Bragg grating under direct and remote adhesive bonding configurations
- Navratil, A., Wee, J., & Peters, K. (2022), MEASUREMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, 33(1). https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6501/ac2fea
- Acoustic wave coupling between optical fibers of different geometries
- Kim, J. M., Marashi, C., Wee, J., & Peters, K. (2021), APPLIED OPTICS, 60(36), 11042–11049. https://doi.org/10.1364/AO.441494
- Announcing the 2020 Measurement Science and Technology outstanding paper awards
- Discetti, S., Peters, K., & Yacoot, A. (2021, November), MEASUREMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, Vol. 32. https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6501/abfc84
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
