Yakira M
- Research Program Mentor
PhD at University of California Berkeley (UC Berkeley)
Expertise
product design; human-computer interaction; team dynamics; design behavior; design education
Bio
Hi! I'm Yakira, an engineer, designer, and researcher focused on decision-making and bias in engineering design. I'm a current Postdoctoral Associate at MIT in mechanical engineering. I've completed my MS/PhD at UC Berkeley and previously studied materials science and engineering at Northwestern University (NU). I've participated in various research projects involving nanoparticles (NU), aircraft composites (ETH Zurich), smart apparel, and ski equipment design (Technical University of Munich). I also have work experience at large (GE Aviation, United Airlines) and small (wearables startup) companies. When I'm not in class or lab, I'm on the snow training for freeskiing events. Skiing is a large part of my life that had a significant impact on my growth as an engineer and researcher. Because of skiing, I independently designed my own skis, conducted snowboard and ski research abroad, and laid the foundation for my current PhD work!Project ideas
Product Design - 3D print your own part
In this project, we'll go over the main aspects of the design process (1. planning, 2. brainstorming, 3. prototyping, 4. testing and iterating, and 5. creating a finished product). The goal will be to create a part or any other product of your choosing. Not only will we discuss the different tools and techniques for each stage, but you'll have a finished product that you'll feel proud of!
Research on design communication with computational linguistics/NLP
In this project, you have the option to explore how to use computational linguistics to evaluate language in the damian of engineering. For example you can focus on a specific algorithm. Or you can play around with how rationale is structured to understand it's impact on communication effectiveness. Or rather you might want to focus on collecting rationale from designers in real life. Or perhaps a combination. Before getting started, we'll cover what research is and isn't along with common research approaches to be familiar with. Then we'll chose a specific question or goal. Define the approach and then it's up to you to set things in motion and get results. The deliverable would be to create a research poster or presentation.
Research on team based decision making
For example you may want to explore the interactions between participants. Or background expertise. Or the language of the feedback they provide. Outcome variables to evaluate might include team satisfaction, or quality of decisions made. The deliverable would be to create a research poster or presentation. Before getting started, we'll cover what research is and isn't along with common research approaches to be familiar with. Then we'll chose a specific question or goal. Define the approach and then it's up to you to set things in motion and get results.