Neelakshi Majumdar
PhD Student, School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Purdue University
Thursday, Feb. 16 | 10:00 a.m. | AERO 111
Abstract: Aerospace vehicle design is a complex and multi-disciplinary process that involves designing and engineering aircraft, spacecraft, and other aerial vehicles. In the teaching seminar, I will first introduce an overview of the aerospace vehicle design process by describing the primary phases in a general design process: (1) conceptual design; (2) preliminary design; and (3) detailed design. Then, I will discuss the conceptual design phase in more detail. Students will learn how to generate needs statements and define design requirements. The lecture will include a few examples to help the students understand the concepts. Students will also get to engage in class activities and discussions to practice writing needs statements and design requirements. The lecture will end with a note on safety considerations while designing a system. Upon completion, students are expected to understand the fundamentals of aerospace vehicle design process and define design requirements.
Bio: Neelakshi Majumdar is a PhD candidate in the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Purdue University. Her research involves modeling General Aviation accidents using historical data analysis with explicit consideration of human factors. Ms. Majumdar’s work on how training methods for General Aviation pilots can be improved was sponsored by the FAA through the PEGASAS Center of Excellence. She has been the instructor of record for six years at Purdue, where she taught two undergraduate-level courses: Design Thinking in Technology and Introduction to Aerospace Design. Ms. Majumdar has been recognized for her research, teaching, and mentoring efforts through various awards and honors, such as the FAA PEGASAS Outstanding Graduate Student Researcher Award, the Rising Stars in Aerospace, Purdue’s School of Aeronautics and Astronautics Teaching Fellowship, and the Estus H. and Vashti L. Magoon Award for Excellence in Teaching. She has also served in multiple organizations such as the Purdue Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship as a research mentor, the AIAA Young Professionals Group, and the Women in Engineering Program at Purdue University.