Rate My Professor Bryn Durrans

Bryn Durrans serves as an Associate Lecturer in the School of Engineering and Energy at Murdoch University. His academic qualifications include a Diploma of Technology (DipTech), a Bachelor of Engineering with First Class Honours (BE Hons1), a Graduate Diploma in Education (GradDipEd), and membership in the Institution of Engineers Australia (MIEAust). Durrans contributes to the renewable energy engineering undergraduate degree major at Murdoch University, focusing on aligning curricula with industry needs and pedagogical standards. He is listed among the energy academic staff and plays a role in delivering education in sustainable energy systems.

Durrans is the lead author of the peer-reviewed article 'Benchmarking a Sustainable Energy Engineering Undergraduate Degree against Curriculum Frameworks and Pedagogy Standards from Industry and Academia,' published in Energies in 2020 (13(4), 822). This study employs the Murdoch University renewable energy engineering degree as a case study to assess alignment with curriculum frameworks recommended by the Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching and pedagogy standards from academia and industry. The evaluation covers learning outcomes for core units such as photovoltaics, wind and hydro power, energy management, and a capstone design project (ENG442). Findings indicate strong alignment overall, with high student satisfaction in project-based learning, laboratory work, and real-world relevance, as confirmed by internal reviews and external peer calibration through the Innovative Research Universities program. The paper emphasizes experiential learning, problem-based approaches, group work, and systems thinking to prepare graduates for the sustainable energy sector, which saw 700,000 new jobs in renewables in 2018. It supports accreditation pathways with Engineers Australia and the Clean Energy Council, while identifying opportunities for enhancement in economics, grid integration, policy, and interdisciplinary content. Durrans has also supervised master's theses, including 'Climate Change Impact Analysis & Adaptation Strategies' by R. Ravichandran (2025) and 'Renewable Energy in the City of Rockingham: Wind, Solar, Biomass' by K. Ritchie. His expertise encompasses pedagogy, renewable energy technologies, power generation, thermal engineering, curriculum development, and teaching in sustainable energy engineering.