Rachel A Carter

Dr. Carter joined the University of Kansas as an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering in January of 2026.  Prior to that she conducted research at the US Naval Research Laboratory (NRL). At NRL, Dr. Carter focused on safer and more effective uses of conventional Li-ion batteries, as well as batteries made from more abundant materials.  Dr. Carter received her Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Vanderbilt University in 2017.  Her dissertation research focused on material and processing challenges for alkali-sulfur batteries.

In her 10+ years as an energy storage researcher, she has published 67 peer-reviewed articles and obtained 5 patents.  In January 2025, Dr. Carter received the highest honor given by the federal government for early career scientists, the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientist and Engineer (PECASE). She was also honored among the C & EN News' 2024 Talented Twelve.  In 2019, Dr. Carter was recognized by Nature as a top five emerging material scientists.