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:
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)