University of Sheffield alumna, Denisse Pasco Ku was awarded the Royal Aeronautical Society’s Norbert Edward Rowe (NE Rowe) Award, which recognises young engineers for their technical presentations on an aeronautical subject.
Awarded for her presentation on her final year project, which explored low-cost manufacturing techniques for composites, titled 'Water Bath Curing for Aerospace Composite Structures,' the project detailed a sustainable curing process designed to reduce the environmental footprint and increase the accessibility of aerospace material production.
Denisse, now a Graduate Research Engineer for National Composites Centre (NCC), entered the 22 to 35 age category and won a prize package of a grant of £500 to put towards future research in her specialist area as well as a medal and certificate. The awards are a way for the Royal Aeronautical Society to recognize and encourage technical excellence, research, and communication skills among the younger generation in the aerospace, aviation, and space industries.
The win comes on the back of Denisse’s many achievements whilst at the University of Sheffield: being invited to the House of Commons to showcase her research; appearing as part of the Faculty of Engineering’s Wall of Women initiative; and featured as a student profile to encourage potential engineering students to study at Sheffield.
Denisse said: “This recognition from the Royal Aeronautical Society has reinforced my passion for sustainable engineering and strengthened my motivation to continue exploring ways to make these practices more accessible in both research and educational settings, inspiring and supporting the next generation of engineers. In my current role at NCC, I am fortunate to work on projects that align with this vision, exploring automation and digital tools to support sustainable energy and advanced manufacturing processes. Looking ahead, I am excited to continue building my technical expertise and professional development, working toward Chartered Engineer status and contributing to meaningful innovation in aerospace.”
Dr Simon Hayes, Senior University Teacher in Aerospace Materials and Director of Postgraduate Studies in Aerospace Engineering, said: “Having won the Sheffield branch of the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS) Young Person’s Lecture Competition in May, featuring talks from two other students, Denisse was duly nominated for the NE Rowe Award later in the year. Throughout her research and preparation for the talk, she showed huge capability as an aerospace engineer and thoroughly deserved the recognition that this award imbues.”
