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Qinxian (Chelsea) He

Ph.D. Candidate
Department of Aeronautics & Astronautics
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
77 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02139

E-mail: qche [at] mit [dot] edu
Office: Rm 37-442 (map)
Phone: (617) 253-8367
Curriculum Vitae
     

Teaching

Courses

  • 16.003/16.004 Unified Engineering III/IV, MIT AeroAstro
    Graduate Teaching Assistant for Systems & Labs, Spring 2013
    A sophomore-level required course in AeroAstro focusing on the interdependencies and applications of several aerospace-related disciplines: Materials and Structures, Fluid Mechanics, Thermodynamics and Propulsion, and Signals and Systems. The connections among the disciplines are emphasized through various hands-on laboratory activities, such as construction of a remote-controlled aircraft, airfoil design, wind tunnel testing, circuit building, and flight testing. These labs culminate in the annual Unified Engineering Flight Competition.

    • Scenes from the Unified Engineering Flight Competition, May 2013 (Video credit: Bose Corporation)

  • Hands-On Aerospace, MIT AeroAstro
    Course Co-Developer and Co-Instructor, IAP 2012 & IAP 2013
    A week-long non-credit course introducing freshman and sophomore students to a variety of disciplines in Aeronautics and Astronautics through lectures, hands-on activities and laboratory tours. Students work in teams to explore one activity in detail, including assembling a hands-on demonstration and explaining key concepts through a team presentation. Activities have included building an miniature wind tunnel for streamline visualization, programming target-tracking robots, assembling lightweight gliders to illustrate aerodynamics concepting, and testing the structural properties of various materials and composites.


    • Hands-On Aerospace students and intructors holding balsa wood gliders, January 2013 (Photo credit: Bill Litant)

Engineering Outreach

Since early 2012, I have organized and participated in a number of engineering outreach activities through the Women's Graduate Association of Aeronautics & Astronautics. Some examples include:
  • Cambridge Science Festival at the MIT Museum, Cambridge, MA
  • National Engineers Week at the MIT Museum, Cambridge, MA
  • AAAS Family Science Days at the Hynes Convention Center, Boston, MA
  • Wind tunnel demo for 3rd graders at the Baldwin School, Cambridge, MA
  • Career day at Blake Middle School, Medfield, MA
  • After school program for middle school students at the Curley School, Boston, MA
  • Summer science program for high school girls at Ursuline Academy, Dedham, MA
  • Science and Engineering Program for Teachers at MIT, Cambridge, MA


Using a mini wind tunnel and sublimating dry ice to explain lift, drag, stall, and the importance of cambered airfoils at AAAS Family Science Days, February 2013 (Photo credit: Bill Litant)


A close-up of the mini wind tunnel, which was built by a student team in the January 2012 Hands-On Aerospace course (Photo credit: Bill Litant)


Paper airplane contest at AAAS Family Science Days, February 2013 (Photo credit: Bill Litant)