Matthew Kyng

Matthew is a PhD student at Victoria University, working on a project for modelling the generation and transport of firebrands in bushfires. He is a double engineering graduate from the University of New South Wales, having completed a Masters in Biomedical Engineering concurrent with a degree in Chemical Engineering. Having previously worked in modelling of industrial chemical processes and in the development of open online courses at Macquarie University, he also has some relevant experience in computer programming and modelling.

Having seen the 2019-2020 bushfire season escalate to extremes in intensity, the urgency of further research into technologies to control and predict the spread of fires became increasingly apparent. With the necessary engineering and technological background to do research in this field, he wanted to put his skills to a productive use in this area. His project is working toward a parameterized model of firebrand generation and transport, focusing on short-range firebrands that have been found to be particularly damaging to man-made structures.