Dr. Stella Karafagka holds a Diploma in Civil Engineering (2012), a Master of Science (MSc) in Earthquake-Resistant Design of Structures (2013), and a PhD (2019), all from the Department of Civil Engineering at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH). Since March 2026, she has been serving as Assistant Professor at the Department of Civil Engineering of the University of the Peloponnese. She has extensive and continuous research experience, having participated in more than 15 European and national research projects. Her research focuses on Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering, Soil Dynamics and Engineering Seismology, soil–structure interaction, as well as seismic vulnerability and risk assessment of structures and critical infrastructures. She has made substantial contributions to research activities, while also playing an active role in the design and submission of competitive research proposals, the organization of scientific events, collaboration with partners and stakeholders, and the preparation of project deliverables and technical reports. She was a doctoral fellow of the State Scholarships Foundation (IKY) at AUTH (2017–2019). She has a strong scientific publication record, with more than 50 publications in peer-reviewed international journals, conference proceedings and book chapters, and over 500 citations to her work. She is also actively involved in the international scientific community as a reviewer for journals and conferences. From 2014 to 2022, she was a member of the Permanent Working Group on natural, technological and other hazards of the Technical Chamber of Greece – Central Macedonia Section (TEE/TKM). Since 2020, she has been a member of the Young Members Presidential Group (YMPG) of the International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE), representing the Hellenic Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (HSSMGE) at the international level. Since 2017, she has collaborated as a consultant with the World Bank on disaster risk assessment and disaster risk management, contributing to resilience-oriented policy development at the international level. Finally, since 2026, she has been appointed as a member of the national committee of the Earthquake Planning and Protection Organization (EPPO/OASP) for the development and update of the Seismic Hazard Maps of Greece.

• Geotechnical Engineering and Soil Mechanics
• Soil Dynamics and soil behavior
• Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering
• Soil–Structure Interaction (SSI)
• Engineering Seismology
• Nonlinear soil behavior
• Soil liquefaction
• Seismic vulnerability assessment (site response, liquefaction, tsunamis)
• Seismic risk and resilience of critical infrastructure
• Seismic behavior of monuments with emphasis on soil–structure interaction and cultural heritage preservation