Designing the Future of Aerospace Engineering
Khushi Shah, E’25 and MS’26, mechanical engineering, realized her love for designing and building in high school. Since studying at Northeastern, she has been able to fuel her passions with two amazing co-op experiences in the aerospace industry and a life-changing study abroad trip to Panama.
After taking an honors engineering course and subsequently mentoring younger students during high school, Khushi Shah immediately gravitated towards the subject. She attributes discovering a novel approach to problem-solving and developing more insightful critical thinking skills to that particular class. Before she was even in college, Shah combined her interests in engineering and music to create a robot with color-sensing abilities. Inspired by the board game, Candy Land, Shah took paint samples and arranged them to look like a Candy Land board and assigned each color tile to a different note on the A scale. The robot detected which color it was driving over and would play the corresponding note, allowing Shah to compose simple tunes. This project made Shah realize she loves both designing and building, and cemented her decision to study mechanical engineering.
Shah and her classmates presenting at their Senior Year Mechanical Engineering Capstone Showcase.
In addition to her mechanical engineering major, Shah has a minor in business administration. She contends that her business coursework offer specific advantages towards a successful career in the engineering industry. She believes her combination of technical engineering skills and business acumen positions her well for challenging roles that require both analytical problem-solving and strategic thinking.
Shah decided to pursue a master’s degree in mechanical engineering with a concentration in mechanics and design through the PlusOne pathway Northeastern offers. She said that the PlusOne program has made her transition from undergraduate to graduate classes seamless. Shah loves that staying within the Northeastern network for graduate school allows her to take full advantage of the resources and connections she developed during undergraduate years.
Co-op Experiences
Shah completed two co-op experiences as an undergrad. Her first co-op was interning as a mechanical engineer at Draper, a non-profit engineering company. At Draper, Shah worked in the aerospace program, where she independently designed fixtures for assembling and testing space hardware. Her designs prioritized manufacturability to support efficient low-rate production. Shah also had the opportunity to conduct independent design reviews for the team, which helped strengthen her presentation skills and gave her the confidence to share her input. Shah said she loved her experience at Draper not only because of the unique projects she worked on, but also the variety of teams she worked with, which helped her hone her time management skills.
Shah also contributed to a machine learning algorithm project at Draper, working on defect detection for stitched MEMS devices. She augmented data sets to train ML algorithms and developed a graphical user interface (GUI) to make the system more accessible—a skill she found invaluable. She appreciated that the company immersed her in all of their projects and wanted her to learn the ins and outs of the industry.
For her second co-op experience, Shah worked as a mechanical engineer at Revolution Space. With enormous interest in the aerospace industry, Shah was thrilled for the opportunity in that sector. Shah designed fixtures for flight propulsion systems—work she found deeply rewarding. “It was inspiring to work on cutting-edge technology like ionic propulsion while experiencing the fast-paced entrepreneurial energy of a start-up environment,” she says. She learned a lot about the manufacturing process because the technology was designed and built in-house, giving her the ability to sit with technicians and learn directly from them. During this project, she collaborated with the technical team and was able to prototype a protective sleeve for the firing face of the propulsion system.
Additionally, Shah designed the system layout determining where the iconic propulsion system would fit on the satellite. This project was in collaboration with Northrop Grumman, and the satellite’s name was Cygnus 23, which launched on the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Shah was deeply involved in the design process, which included making various CAD configurations and working with the lead system engineers from Northrop Grumman. In September, Shah got to watch the livestream launch of the Falcon 9 rocket carrying the system interface she designed. She said it was a full circle moment for her, and gratifying to see her work contribute to an impactful project, currently residing at the International Space Station.
Dialogue in Panama
Shah and her fellow classmates in Panama.
An experience that stands out to Shah when reflecting on her time at Northeastern is the Dialogue of Civilizations program she participated in that took place in Panama. This particular program was titled “International Applications of Fluid Mechanics” and it focused on studying current and future engineering projects in Panama, specifically looking at the Panama Canal and Penonomé Wind Farm.
Shah said it was incredible to travel to see these sites to see how the fluid mechanics material she was studying in class is applied to real-world projects. She said the opportunity was incredibly unique and was able to learn so much about the technical aspects of engineering projects, as well as learn about and experience a new culture.
Extracurriculars
In addition to her rigorous academic schedule, Shah also made time for meaningful club activities. She was the philanthropy director for one semester while a member of Phi Sigma Rho, the STEM sorority. Shah considers Phi Sigma Rho a huge part of her journey at Northeastern, claiming it has enriched her college experience and provided her with lifelong friendships and opportunities for personal and professional growth.
Shah with Phi Sigma Rho volunteering at the CambridgeSide Half Marathon.
Extremely passionate about giving back to her community, Shah is a mentor in Northeastern’s Science Club for Girls chapter. As a mentor, she runs hands-on experiments each week to spark curiosity and make STEM feel welcoming and accessible for young girls. Shah is also a part of Northeastern’s Community Volunteers Program, where she tutors middle schoolers in English and math at 826 Boston, preparing them for their college applications. In addition to that, she worked at the Hernandez After-school Program, a Boston Public youth development program, supporting young students’ primary education. Shah’s favorite volunteering experience thus far has been volunteering for the CambridgeSide Half Marathon. She says, “I am incredibly grateful for all the memories and experiences I have had through volunteering.”
Future Perspectives
Shah will complete her master’s degree in mechanical engineering in June 2026. Shah appreciates her co-op opportunities, and their influence on her future career as a mechanical design engineer in the aerospace industry. Shah can not praise the co-op program enough, saying, “I loved the breadth of knowledge and technical skills that I have gained. It has truly shaped me into the engineer I am today.” Shah is excited for the journey ahead and claims she is ready to take everything she has learned at Northeastern and apply it in the real world for a long, successful engineering career.