Professor Frank Kirkland

Professor Frank Kirkland has extensive industrial experience having worked for Rolls-Royce plc for 38 years latterly as Chief Designer-Civil Aerospace. His expertise in the Design and Aerospace field was recognised by the award of a Royal Aerospace Society Gold Medal in 2016 and an Honorary Degree from Queen’s University Belfast in 2019. He initiated significant industrial/academic research packages including the £10 million EPSRC funded Cornerstone Prosperity Partnership and research into aerospace materials. Since 2019 he has been a part-time Professor at Queen’s Belfast researching aircraft structures and Design Methods, this has included playing a key role in the EPSRC funded Reimagining Engineering Design (REID) research programme as Chief Designer.