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Casey Leigh-Anne Denham

Title: Aerospace Technologist 

Projects: Air Mobility Pathfinders (AMP), CAS ÆNodes (Airports as Energy Nodes)

Originally from Western North Carolina, Casey has always had a passion for airplanes. She was first introduced to aerospace engineering at a summer camp in elementary school, solidifying her dream to work at NASA. She attended other aerospace engineering summer camps in high school, including Summer Ventures in Science and Mathematics at Appalachian State University and Summer Engineering Camp at North Carolina State University.

She began her first internship at NASA Langley Research Center only two days after graduating from high school in 2011. Interning under Dr. Bruce Owens in the Flight Dynamics Branch for five summers throughout her undergraduate education, she worked on dynamic wind tunnel tests, including forced oscillation and rotary balance testing of the FASER aircraft. After receiving her Bachelors in Aeronautical Engineering in 2015 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, she began her Doctoral studies at Virginia Tech. Three years into her program, she received a Pathways position in the Aeronautics Systems Analysis Branch at NASA Langley and moved to Hampton, Virginia to work full time while completing her degree. After a successful dissertation defense in 2022, Casey converted to a full time employee in the Aerospace Systems Analysis Branch.

Casey is particularly active in employee resource groups at NASA Langley. After serving as the Center Chair for Promoting Agency Cross-Connections (PAXC) for several semesters, she served as the National Director for the agency-wide student group in Fall 2019. In 2021 she was one of the founding members of Langley’s 11th employee resource group – North American Indigenous Heritage Community (NAIHC). She is also a member of the Allies and Advocates for Women (A2W), Employees Enabled and Empowered (EEE), and the Langley Emerging and Advancing Professionals (LEAP) employee groups.

Awards

  • Superior Accomplishment Award (Group) – February 2022
    • Group award for significant achievements with NASA Langley’s Employee Resource Groups

Education/Professional Experience

  • SB in Aeronautical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2015
  • MS in Aerospace Engineering, Virginia Tech, 2018
  • PhD in Aerospace Engineering, Virginia Tech, 2022
  • Langley Aerospace Research Student Scholars (LARSS) Intern, 2011-2015
  • Pathways Internship Experience Program Intern, 2018-2022

Publications

ORCID Profile

Dissertation

Journal Papers

Conference Papers

  • Abraham, T. A. and  Denham, C. L. “Flight Dynamics Modeling for a Rapid Conceptual Development Environment”, AIAA Aviation, July 2024.
  • Denham, C. L. and Cummings, W. G. , “Air Traffic Management Response to Vertiport Closure”, International Conference on Research in Air Transportation, July 2024.
  • Schaefer, J. A., Bekemeyer, P., Denham, C. L., and Coggon, S., “Development Strategies for Uncertainty Quantification to Enable Aircraft Certification by Analysis”, AIAA SciTech, January 2024.
  • Denham, C. L., Patil, M., Roy, C. J., and Alexandrov, N. A., “Application of Framework for Estimating Performance and Associated Uncertainty for Modified Aircraft Configurations Using NASA’s X-57 Maxwell”, AIAA SciTech, January 2023.
  • Denham, C. L., Chau, T., Ryan, G. W., and Jansen, R., “Mission Profiles for the SUSAN Electrofan Concept”, AIAA SciTech, January 2023.
  • Denham, C. L., Cummings, W. G., and Smith, J. C., “Theoretical and Simulated Capacity of Urban Air Mobility Airspace Characteristics”, AIAA SciTech, January 2023.
  • Cummings, W. G., Denham, C. L., and Smith, J. C., “Effect of Airspace Characteristics on Urban Air Mobility Airspace Capacity”, AIAA SciTech, January 2023.
  • Jansen, R., et. al., “Update on Subsonic Single Aft Engine (SUSAN) Electrofan Trade Space Exploration”, 33rd Congress of the International Council of the Aeronautical Sciences, September 2022.
  • Denham, C. L., Jansen, R. H., “Initial Regulatory and Certification Approach for the SUSAN Electrofan Concept”, AIAA-2022-2180, AIAA SciTech, January 2022.
  • Jansen, R., et al., “Subsonic Single Aft Engine (SUSAN) Transport Aircraft Concept and Trade Space Exploration”, AIAA 2022-2179, AIAA SciTech, January 2022.
  • Denham, C. L., Patil, M., Roy, C. J., and Alexandrov, N., “Applicability of Framework for Estimating Performance and Associated Uncertainty for Modified Aircraft Configurations”, AIAA-2021-2793, AIAA AVIATION, August 2021.
  • Schaefer, J. A., Romero, V. J., Schafer, S. R., Leyde, B., and Denham, C. L., “Approaches for Quantifying Uncertainties in Computational Modeling for Aerospace Applications”, AIAA-2020-1520, AIAA SciTech Forum, January 2020.
  • Denham, C. L., Patil, M., and Roy, C. J., “Estimating Uncertainty Bounds for Modified Configurations from an Aerodynamic Model of a Nominal Configuration”, AIAA-2018-1762, AIAA Atmospheric Flight Mechanics Conference, January 2018.
  • Denham, C. L, and Owens, D. B., “Rotary Balance Wind Tunnel Testing for the FASER Flight Research Aircraft”, AIAA-2016-3105, AIAA Atmospheric Flight Mechanics Conference, June 2016.
  • Hale, L., Denham, C. L., Luxhøj, J. T. Mancini, C., Woolsey, C., and Mooney, R., “Assessing System Safety for an Urban, Tethered UAS”, AIAA-2016-3595, 16th AIAA ATIO Conference, June 2016.
  • Hoe, G., Owens, D. B., and Denham, C. L., “Forced Oscillation Wind Tunnel Testing for FASER Flight Research Aircraft”, AIAA-2012-4645, AIAA Atmospheric Flight Mechanics Conference, June 2012.

Contributions to Larger Works

  • Levitt, I. Phojanamongkolkij, N., Horn, A., and Witzberger, K., “UAM Airspace Research Roadmap Rev 1.2,” NASA/TM-20220008917, Washington, D.C., Jun 2022.
  • American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (ed.), Recommended Practice: When Flight Modelling Is Used to Reduce Flight Testing Supporting Aircraft Certification, AIAA R-154-2021, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc., Reston, VA, January 2021.