Posted on September 17, 2026 by Sean M. Wood
UT San Antonio Alumnus Shuaipeng He Credits Professors with Fundamentally Changing His Approach to Engineering
Shuaipeng He and Dr. Chunjian “C.J.” Qian
Shuaipeng He’s career path was very different 10 years ago. He envisioned the traditional career of an electrical engineer in China, working in either industry or conducting research. His passion was controller design of complex dynamic systems.
Instead, he came to San Antonio, earned his Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering and is a principal artificial intelligence engineer in the San Francisco Bay area for one of the world’s largest electronics hardware design, supply chain and manufacturing companies.
“My original vision of my career was much narrower than where I ultimately ended up,” He said. “If you had asked me before coming to UTSA whether I would one day be building AI systems for hardware engineers, I probably would have said, ‘no.’”
When Things Changed
He was working on his master’s degree in electrical engineering at Shanghai University of Electric Power. He developed a strong interest in control systems, automation and mathematical modeling.
In 2016, he met a lecturer who shared his interests — former Electric and Computer Engineering Department Chair Dr. Chunjian “C.J.” Qian. The two talked following Qian’s presentation and He shared his interest in completing a Ph.D. in electrical engineering. Qian invited him to come to UT San Antonio, work in his lab and complete his dissertation. He arrived in 2017 and learned, not just about control systems, but how to conduct research.
Constantly Curious
He said his work went beyond his courses. He learned the skills necessary to be a researcher.
“My professors encouraged me not to stop at finding answers, but to ask why,” He said. “They taught me how to approach complex problems systematically, challenge assumptions, and stay curious even when the solution wasn’t immediately obvious. That critical-thinking mindset has stayed with me throughout my career.”
He said he was doing more than completing assignments on the way to his Ph.D. It was “great experience” for identifying problems no one had solved before, conducting independent research, literature reviews, theoretical designs, simulations, experiments and more.
As a result, he stayed curious. That curiosity took hold as the prevalence of AI grew.
“AI evolves,” He said. “AI changes quickly. Engineering principles do not.”
Good News / Bad News
Like most of his classmates on the cusp of graduation, He was working to secure an internship. During a career fair, he met a recruiter from Dell Technologies who took He’s resume and eventually offered him a summer internship. It was the summer of COVID.
Dell was able to accommodate its interns, however. He knew people whose internships were canceled. Dell pivoted and made his virtual.
“Our work transitioned to the chief technology officer,” he said. “They sent us computers and monitors. Everything was virtual.”
The trio completed a network automation project that was successfully integrated into the system. He was hired following his internship and designed enterprise server systems as a senior hardware designer. But his curiosity about AI grew.
Moving on
He said it’s important to keep learning, even if it’s something you’re not prepared for, like AI. A multitude of people were using ChatGPT, but they were using it as an advanced search tool when it launched, he said. So, He started reading about other AI uses. He then went to work, entering the Dell AI Hackathon in February.
The internal company-wide innovation competition encourages employees to develop and showcase practical AI solutions for real business and engineering problems. It brings together employees across different organizations to demonstrate how AI can improve products, workflows, and customer experiences.
“My project focused on applying generative AI and AI agents to hardware engineering,” He said. “I developed a multiagent system that helps engineers review complex schematic designs by combining AI with engineering knowledge and design rules. The goal was to improve engineering productivity and reduce the time spent on repetitive design review tasks.”
His project received the Best Innovative Idea Award. “It was a rewarding experience because it validated that AI can make a meaningful impact in engineering beyond simply generating text,” He said. “It can become a practical tool that helps engineers solve real-world engineering problems.”
Different Direction
He is now a principal AI engineer in the San Francisco office of electronics giant Celestica. His job is much different than what he was doing for Dell. But He said Qian and UT San Antonio did a good job preparing him. The Dell Hackathon, he added, demonstrated the direction his career has been going.
“UTSA wasn’t just where I earned a degree,” He said. “It was where I developed the confidence to tackle unfamiliar problems and keep learning throughout my career. Careers don’t always follow a straight line. If you’re willing to stay curious, keep learning, and embrace unexpected opportunities, your career can evolve in ways you never imagined.”
— Sean M. Wood
