Course Title: Operating at the Interface Between Science and Society - Mechanical Engineering
Department: Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Email: kschaaf@ucsd.edu

Education

Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering, expected June 2008
Major: Solid Mechanics
Minor: Materials Science
University of California, San Diego

Candidate in Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering, November 2006
University of California, San Diego

Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Solid Mechanics, October 2005
University of California, San Diego,

Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, with honors, May 2003
Tulane University

Experience

Teaching Assistant, Winter 2008, Fall 2007, Winter 2007
MAE130A: Mechanics I – Statics

Teaching Assistant, Summer 2007, Summer 2006
MAE130B: Mechanics II – Dynamics

Course Instructor, Summer 2007
Academic Connections Program
Introduction to Mechanical Engineering

Graduate Student Researcher, 2003 - present
University of California, San Diego
Developed composite materials with integrated embedded sensing networks

Undergraduate Student Researcher, 2001 – 2003
Tulane University
Conducted experimental analysis of stable crack growth in acrylic-polyester material

Honors/Affiliations/Publications

Teaching Assistant Excellence Award, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department, 06 - 07

1st Place Student Paper Competition, Society for Experimental Mechanics, Inc. 2006

National Defense Science & Engineering Graduate Fellowship 2004 -2007

Regents Fellowship, University of California, San Diego 2003 – 2004

Society of Automotive Engineers Outstanding Member 2002 – 2003

Schaaf, K., P. Rye, and S. Nemat-Nasser, “Optimization of Sensor Introduction into Laminated Composites,” Proceedings of the 2007 SEM Annual Conf. & Expo. on Experimental & Applied Mechanics, Springfield, MA , June 3-6, 2007 (2007) 4 pgs. Rye, P.M., Y. Huang, F. Ghezzo, K. Schaaf, and S. Nemat-Nasser, “Distributed Sensing, Damage Detection, and Analysis in FRP Uni-directional Composites,” Proceedings of the 2007 SEM Annual Conf. & Expo. on Experimental & Applied Mechanics, Springfield, MA , June 3-6, (2007) 7 pgs. Schaaf, K., P. Rye, A. Starr, and S. Nemat-Nasser, “Optimization Studies of Self-Sensing Composites,” Proceedings of Smart Structures and Materials 2007: Sensors and Smart Structures Technologies for Civil, Mechanical, and Aerospace Systems, SPIE's 14th Annual International Conference on Smart Structures and Materials, Vol. 6529 (2007) 65292X-1 – 65292X-5.