Chandrasekharan Vanajakshi
Teaching Experience
- 20+ years
- Astrophysics, Physics, Astronomy, Statistics, Mathematics, Chemistry; course development; Accreditation related work; Book Reviews.
- 3 countries: US, Canada, India
- Universities: San Jose State University, San Francisco State U., CSU East Bay, University of Phoenix, North Carolina State University, York University [Canada], University of Madras [India]
- Colleges: Austin Community College [Texas]; De Anza College, Foothill College, College of San Mateo, San Jose City College, Ohlone College, Menlo College, Laney College, Merritt College, College of Alameda, West Valley College, City College of San Francisco, Chabot College [Bay Area, CA]
Astronomy & Physics (F-to-F, Online & Hybrid Modalities)
Austin Community College - Astronomy, Physics
College of San Mateo – Astronomy, Astronomy Labs
Canada College – Astronomy Lecture, Labs
San Jose City College – Astronomy Lecture, Labs
San Francisco State University: Astronomy, Astrophysics, Astronomy Labs
City College of San Francisco – Astronomy
Chabot College – Astronomy
Laney College – Astronomy
West Valley College – Astronomy
Physics
San Jose City College – Physics 2A (algebra-based), Physics 4A (Calculus-based),
Physics 4B (Calculus-based)
Notre Dame De Namur University – Physics 2A and Physics 2B
Ohlone College - Physics (Algebra-based)
Merritt College – Physics (Algebra-based)
Professional Training
Online Course Design and Development, and AI
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AI in Practice: Advanced Applications in Distance Education - ACC - Fall 2025
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Problem Solving with AI - ACC - Fall 2025
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8-Week Course Design and Teaching Strategies - ACC - Fall 2024
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ACC Quality Matters Fellowship Level 1 (2021) - ACC - Fall 2025
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Distance Learning Instruction Series - ACC - Summer 2025
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QM Training - ACC - Fall 2020
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EDIT 022 - Online Course Development - Full semester course completed with an "A" at Evergreen Valley College, CA - FALL 2020
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Online Course Management – STOT [Structured Training for Online Teaching] - Levels I and II at College of San Mateo, SMCCCD.
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Quality Online Teaching & Learning - College of San Mateo July 2020
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CSM Regular and Substantive Contact - College of San Mateo 2020
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DE Training - San Jose City College - Summer 2020
Scientific Research Experience
NASA Scientist & Post-Doctoral Research Associate
Goddard Space Flight Center & Ames Research Center
- Conducted advanced research in Star Formation and the Origin of the Solar System.
- Published findings in the Astrophysical Journal and the Journal of Computational Physics.
- Served on the Scientific Organizing Committee for the Human Exploration of Mars Program.
Professional Publications
1. Astrophysicsl Journal
"Effect of Turbulent Viscosity on the Isothermal Collapse of a Rotating Protostellar Cloud". The Astrophysical Journaal, 294, 504-512, 1985 July 15
2. Journal of Computational Physics
TC Vanajakshi, KW Thompson, DC Black - … of Computational Physics, 1989 - Elsevier
Numerical simulations of time-dependent phenomena involving magnetohydrodynamic
(MHD) waves encounter serious problems due to artificial reflection of waves at numerical
boundaries in situations where the time-dependent magnetic fields external to those
3. Journal of Computational Physics
Time-dependent boundary conditions for hyperbolic systems, II
KW Thompson - Journal of computational physics, 1990 - Elsevier
… Volume 89, Issue 2, August 1990, Pages 439-461. Journal of Computational Physics … Phys., 68
(1987), p. 1. 2. KW ThompsonLecture Series in Computational Fluid Dynamics. NASA …
Springer-Verlag, New York (1948). Google Scholar. 5. TC Vanajakshi, KW Thompson, DC Black
4. Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 20, p.882
A 2-D Simulation for Rotating, Magnetized Solar Wind
CT Vanajakshi, A Barnes - Bulletin of the American …, 1988 - adsabs.harvard.edu
… The structure is assumed to be symmetrical about the equator and the pole. The propogation
of information through the inner boundary (ro) is treated rigorously using the method of
non-reflecting conditions for MHD waves developed by Vanajakshi et aL(1).
5. ICARUS
Spectral Irradiance Measurements of Simulated Lightning in Planetary Atmospheres
Author links open overlay panel W.J.Borucki C.P.McKaya D.Jebensb H.S.Lakkaraju C.T.Vanajakshi
ICARUS Volume 123, Issue 2, October 1996, Pages 336-344
Measurements of the spectral irradiance from approximately 380 to 820 nm are reported for laboratory simulations of lightning in the atmospheres of Venus, Jupiter, and Titan. The observations were made at 1 and 5 bars of pressure for Venus and Jupiter and at 1 bar for the Titan mixture. The spectra were obtained by observing laser-induced plasmas with a scanning spectrometer and an optical multichannel analyzer. Simulations of lightning show that atomic line and continuum radiation dominate the spectra. Weak molecular band radiation from CN was also observed for Venus and Titan. As the ambient pressure was increased from 1 to 5 bars, the prominence of the line radiation diminishes compared to the continuum radiation, some lines disappear, and the intensity of the molecular band radiation increases. Laboratory results for the venusian lightning spectrum are consistent with those found by the Venera 9 spectrometer when it viewed a storm on the nightside of Venus. For both Jupiter and Venus, narrow spectral features are present that are ideal for detecting lightning from Earth-based telescopes.
AI & Leadership Experience
AI Policy Committee Member | Austin Community College, TX | 2024 – Present
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Spearheading the development of institutional AI policies to govern the ethical use of generative AI in classroom settings.
- Consulting on the integration of AI tools to enhance student learning outcomes and academic integrity.
AI Integration in Online Education | Multiple Institutions | 2023 – Present
- Leveraging AI to optimize online astronomy and physics courses for asynchronous learners.
- Evaluating AI-driven Course Management Systems (CMS) to improve student engagement across Canvas and Blackboard platforms.
SLO/Assessment Coordinator | College of San Mateo, CA | Ongoing
- Directed faculty training for assessment software (TRACDAT) and authored comprehensive user guides for institutional learning outcomes.
Software Industry Experience
Project Manager / Software Designer | Siebel Systems & Asera Inc.
- Managed complex software design, development, and curriculum deployment for enterprise-level CRM and supply chain systems.
- Led cross-functional teams through the software development lifecycle, ensuring technical requirements met user-end pedagogical needs.
Academic Leadership & Teaching
Professor of Physics & Astronomy | 1995 – Present
- 25+ years of excellence in teaching Physics, Astronomy, and Mathematics at institutions including SFSU and SJSU.
- 20+ years of specialized experience in Online/Asynchronous course delivery.
- National Board of Advisors Member: Developed distance education courses used by colleges nationwide.
Published: February 16, 2026