Casey Queen

Casey Queen is a 2025-2026 Self Memorial Scholar pursuing an M.S. in Aerospace Engineering. Casey earned her B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Kansas with both departmental and university honors in 2025, along with a minor in Spanish for which she received the 2025 outstanding undergraduate student award. During her time as an undergraduate at KU, Casey was active in several professional and honor societies, serving as vice president for the KU chapter of Sigma Gamma Tau, the American Honor Society in Aerospace Engineering. Outside of coursework, Casey conducted research under Dr. Mark Ewing at the KU Flight Research Lab (FRL), specializing in optimization of aerospace structures via Finite Element Modelling (FEM). Her work at the lab led to her development of a new shear testing apparatus for thin timber specimens which is used in determining vital mechanical properties in modern UAV materials. During her M.S., she has served as a graduate teaching assistant for an aerospace structures course and continues her work at the FRL as a graduate research assistant. Casey intends to continue her research in structural optimization with particular interest in applications of composite materials and additively manufactured aircraft components, namely those of variable infill density and complex geometries. After completing her M.S. she hopes to work in designing lightweight aircraft components to aid in the development of modern high-performance aircraft.