Rate My Professor Brendan McGann

Dr. Brendan McGann is a Lecturer in the School of Electrical Engineering, Computing and Mathematical Sciences (EECMS) at Curtin University, part of the Faculty of Science and Engineering. He is an integral member of the Physics and Astronomy team, where he serves as a lecturer and course coordinator with a primary focus on undergraduate teaching and the applied physics specialisation. McGann teaches foundational physics units including PHYS1006 Foundations of Physics and PHYS1007 Physics 2, covering topics such as mechanics, heat, electricity, magnetism, waves, quantum theory, and atomic models. These courses equip first-year students with essential principles for further studies in science and engineering disciplines. His dedication to education is evident in his coordination of laboratory classes and development of remote laboratory resources to enhance practical learning experiences.

In addition to teaching, Dr. McGann contributes to research with a publication record that includes journal articles in 2007, 2016, and 2017, as well as conference articles in 2008. Notable among his works is the 2017 publication 'Wind resource assessment using WRF model in complex terrain,' which employs the Weather Research and Forecasting model to evaluate wind energy potential in challenging environments. He is also co-author on 'Wind modelling, validation and sensitivity study using Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF) and Doppler LIDAR' published in Environmental Modelling & Software in 2017. More recently, McGann co-authored 'Remote laboratories for undergraduate foundation physics laboratory classes' in the Proceedings of The Australian Conference on Science and Mathematics Education (2022), demonstrating his commitment to innovative pedagogical tools. His research interests intersect with applied physics, atmospheric modeling, and renewable energy applications.

Dr. McGann has a long-standing career at Curtin University, previously serving as Postgraduate Coordinator in the Department of Applied Physics. He supervises undergraduate and PhD students on diverse projects, including hyperspectral remotely sensed imagery dimensionality reduction (2008), tidal modeling in correlation to meteorological conditions in Torres Strait (2012), fundamental insights on carbon formation from methane pyrolysis, and mapping the galaxy in 3D using HII region observations (2022). Additionally, he facilitates research collaborations, such as the project with Aeolius Wind Systems on advanced laser radar for wind profiling. Through these efforts, he bridges academia and industry, fostering student development and advancing applied physics knowledge.