harvard design engineering
over three years, i helped teach 7 classes (3 brand new), worked across 4 schools, and managed 2 years of summer programs, understanding the world’s biggest problems as well as actively prototyping ways to potentially solve them.
tl'dr
why new classes at harvard?
- the harvard engineering school piloted new cross disciplinary classes as their 5 year mission was to create collaborative environments for students with different background understand global problems and build prototypes
- my main reason for teaching was wanting to be in these classes, even though it didn't make sense for me to take them for credit. so i found a way to help teach them.
in my role as instructor and teaching fellow
- i coached and gave feedback for 100+ projects
- i helped work with professors for conceptual curriculum development and collected feedback for data driven iterations
- i led 50+ sections, workshops, and discussions
featured projects
atlelier is rapid visual exposure for creative inspiration using virtual reality, EEG brain waves, and EOG eye tracking.
team: vivek, anesta, julian, and kenneth
read more here →
node is a mesh network to help create resilient communication insfrastructure for natural disaster response.
team: humberto, carla, jenny
read more here →
chu is a wearable continous airflow filter using biopolymer filters removing harmful particles from polluted air.
team: anesta, kate
read more here →
syncsense uses accupressure and virtual reality to help reduce motion sickness in accelerated travel in planes, trains, and cars.
team: arjun, erin, and carla
read more here →
afia is a flow cytometry-based assay using microfluidic processes to safely and cheaply detect HIV.
team: julian, kenneth, janet, kiran
read more here →
overview of classes
applied design for scientists and engineers
course catalog: es100 @ harvard extension (professional education)
team: lead instructor with anas chalah
goal: understand why 30% of food is wasted in the u.s. and develop hypotheses for how to solve root causes at scale
structure:
- local city based sprint
- state wide challenge
- country based final projects
favorite reading:
collaborative design engineering core studio I + II
course catalog: stu 1231 + st 1232 @ harvard gsd + seas (masters)
team: teaching fellow with andrew witt, jock herron, and fawwaz habbal
goal: develop hypotheses and prototypes to design a better healthcare system across services and devices
structure:
- d3.js data visualization intro for understanding big problems
- product sprint for prototyping skills and team development
- final projects for figuring out how to scale beyond prototype
favorite reading:
humanity and its challenges: systems thinking and engineering design solutions
course catalog: es26 @ harvard seas (undergraduate)
team: teaching fellow with vikram mansharamani, fawwaz habbal, and cherry murray
goal: map out system wide challenges to understand leverage points for solutions
structure:
- introduction to systems thinking and mapping
- pandemics, global refugees, climate change, inequality in education, and current events
- individual choice for final projects
favorite reading:
technology, environment, and society
course catalog: espp7 @ harvard college (undergraduate)
team: teaching fellow with sheila jasanoff
goal: explore different frameworks for a critical understanding of how society creates and is influenced by its creations
structure:
- introduction to technology and technological environments
- case study: automobiles for city based infrastructure, cleaning the air, and nuclear power, and geoengineering
- politics, responsibility, and social justice
favorite reading:
seas summer programs
course catalog: active learning labs @ harvard seas (high school, undergraduate)
team: program manager and design instructor with anas chalah + active learning lab team
goal: understand different global challenges and develop prototyping skills
programs:
- introduction to biotechnology and wet lab research with a focus on cancer
- prototyping biosensors for soil with university of technology and engineering in lima, peru
- rapid prototyping drone delivery with active learning labs
- solar nanocell fabrication
favorite reading:
post mortem
what I would keep doing
- establish collaborative cultures: between sections and conversations, prioritized engagement and relationship building. won distinguished teaching fellow for esp77
- cross disciplinary and mixed ages: being able to teach design and engineering across undergraduate, masters, and professional education levels enabled an understanding across different areas of depths. and teaching across different schools opened up language transfer (understanding, hmmm)
- figure it out mindset: one of the main reasons I got each role was I established a strong reputation for figuring things out. with more than half of the courses being brand new, most other candidates didn’t want to jump into something new.
what I would do differently
- write along the way: i prioritized consistently building and did not make time for reflection. I wish I caught more reflections, insights, and favorite moments along the way for clarity of thought as well as snapshots in time. Cannot think and do at the same time, and I prioritized the latter while ironically helping create environments for the former.
- spend more time individually exploring: for each discussion, each project, and each time, I wish I spent time outside of the constructs of the class for exploring how to connect ideas to the real world, be it extra research labs, founders, or essays relevant. this is a habit I picked up as a tks director and seeing how important it is for increasing individual interest as well as making projects more inteteresting
resources to explore more
health systems mde studio book
22 featured projects from the core collaborative studio in the harvard master in design engineering curriculum, with a focus on innovation in health systems. check out the book →
systems thinking for social change: a practical guide
a road map for how to understand complex challenges from a systems lens, including unintended consequences, stakeholder analysis, and how to evaluate how well solutions work. check out the book →
earthly politics: local and global in environmental governance
drawing from the field of science and technology studies, this book explores local v global governance, relationship of knowledge and power, as well as different institutional case studies. check out the book →
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