Head Academic
Qualifications
Research interests
Biography
Jody Simpson is a Senior Lecturer and Head Academic at Vega School, where he has been teaching for nearly a decade. With a background in architecture and brand communication, his research explores the intersections between learning spaces, public spaces, collaboration, and branding—examining how spatial design shapes identity, experience, and engagement in educational and urban contexts. He has presented at seven national and international conferences, including INTED, EDULEARN, and DEFSA, and has published on topics spanning social cohesion, creative collaboration, and design pedagogy. Jody is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Brand Leadership (DPhil) at Vega, focusing on developing a framework that aligns spatial design, pedagogy, and brand identity in higher education environments. His broader academic interests include human-centred design, organisational culture, and creative learning environments. Through his teaching and research, he aims to bridge theory and practice, creating innovative, inclusive, and purpose-driven approaches to design education.
Head Academic
Qualifications
Research interests
Biography
Jody Simpson is a Senior Lecturer and Head Academic at Vega School, where he has been teaching for nearly a decade. With a background in architecture and brand communication, his research explores the intersections between learning spaces, public spaces, collaboration, and branding—examining how spatial design shapes identity, experience, and engagement in educational and urban contexts. He has presented at seven national and international conferences, including INTED, EDULEARN, and DEFSA, and has published on topics spanning social cohesion, creative collaboration, and design pedagogy. Jody is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Brand Leadership (DPhil) at Vega, focusing on developing a framework that aligns spatial design, pedagogy, and brand identity in higher education environments. His broader academic interests include human-centred design, organisational culture, and creative learning environments. Through his teaching and research, he aims to bridge theory and practice, creating innovative, inclusive, and purpose-driven approaches to design education.
An educational brand of The Independent Institute of Education
Formed by the strategic evolution of The IIE's Varsity College, IIE MSA, Vega and
the School of Hospitality and Service Management, uniting under the Emeris name.
Emeris is an educational brand of The Independent Institute of Education (Pty) Ltd which is registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training as a private higher education institution under the Higher Education Act, 1997 (reg. no. 2007/HE07/002). Company registration number: 1987/004754/07. View certificate here.
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