This fall, with the departure of Dr. Joe Glass, Neumann University welcomed new CDM faculty member, Dr. Brendan McCauley. He is currently teaching media writing, broadcast news, and effective public speaking.
Dr. McCauley is originally from Providence, Rhode Island. He earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at Montserrat College of Art in Massachusetts and stayed in Boston where he earned his Ph.D. and eventually started teaching at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he was a lecturer and a Gallery Director at the UMass Union Art Gallery.
Concerning the adjustment in coming from a larger university to a smaller campus like Neumann, he said that it has been a good transition and that it has been especially good being near a city again. In Philadelphia, he is a current board member for the Practice Space in center city, where he continues his passion for the fine arts.
On why he chose Neumann he said, “[Neumann] is focused on community building, especially in media production.” As for his biggest surprise since starting at the university he expressed how the students are great, everyone’s engaged and brings a lot of energy to his classes, and that, “here people can be a little bit more of themselves.”
Dr. McCauley also expressed how he appreciates that Neumann doesn’t treat students as customers and how he wants to spend his time here helping students get their dream projects off the ground and finding an audience for that.
Overall, Dr. McCauley chose Neumann because it offers him a chance to connect more with his students, especially in the digital media aspect. “Digital media is consuming everything; people access the world through it now, so it’s important for students to know how to engage and make it,” he said.
