Sarper Ozharar is a Senior Researcher in the Optical Sensing & Solutions Department at NEC Laboratories America, where he works on advanced distributed fiber-optic sensing technologies that transform standard communication fibers into highly sensitive instruments capable of detecting vibrations, acoustic signals, and environmental changes. Dr. Ozharar earned his B.S. in Physics from Koç University and later completed his Ph.D. in Optics and Photonics at the University of Central Florida. His academic and research background spans photonics, nonlinear optics, and sensing systems, providing the foundation for his work developing scalable fiber-optic sensing platforms. In recognition of his achievements in science and technology, he received the Achievement Award from Koç University, highlighting the impact of his research and his continued contributions to advancing optical sensing technologies.

His research focuses on distributed acoustic sensing (DAS), which enables fiber-optic cables to serve as large-scale sensor networks for applications such as infrastructure monitoring, transportation systems, environmental observation, and critical infrastructure security. By combining optical physics, signal processing, and system design, his work helps expand the role of fiber networks beyond communications into real-time sensing platforms. He has contributed to projects that demonstrate how fiber-optic sensing can reveal previously hidden patterns in natural and built environments, including innovative experiments showing that underground fiber-optic cables can detect biological and environmental phenomena, such as cicada activity. These efforts illustrate the growing potential of distributed sensing technologies to monitor ecosystems, detect infrastructure disturbances, and provide new sources of environmental data.