Rate My Professor Jack Tooley

Dr. Jack Tooley is an interdisciplinary design academic, practitioner, and researcher with over 14 years of experience teaching and practicing across architecture, interior design, and project management. He holds a PhD in Spatial Sociology and an MPhil in Architectural Psychology. Currently serving as Senior Lecturer in Spatial Design in the Department of Design at Monash University, Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture, Tooley previously held positions at the University of South Australia (UniSA Creative) and Curtin University. At UniSA and Curtin, he led award-nominated curriculum innovations that employed constructivist learning models to translate contemporary challenges into effective design teaching strategies. His career trajectory aligns with the evolving landscape of South Australian higher education, particularly following the 2026 merger of UniSA and the University of Adelaide to form Adelaide University.

Tooley's research expertise centers on spatial equity, the role of design in fostering community well-being, and bridging psychology with spatial design. He investigates how built environments shape and are shaped by human behavior, social judgment, and cultural context. Tooley has secured competitive private research grants, including as Primary Chief Investigator for the project 'Mining camp design for well-being' (July 2024–July 2026), alongside grants for studies in the construction sector and explorations of future queer spatial typologies. Key publications include 'First impressions and the built environment: exploring zero acquaintance judgments in socio-spatial contexts' (Theory and Society, 2024), 'Spatial influences on first impressions: a case study on how stranger behavior is judged in urban transitional spaces' (Cogent Social Sciences, 2024), 'A Dramaturgical Position to Reveal the Affect of Space on Discriminatory Judgments of Behaviour' (International Journal of Community Well-Being, 2025), 'Developing Visual Literacy in the First-Year Interior Design Studio' (Journal of Interior Design, 2025), and 'Conceptualizing Conviviality: An Interior Speculation' (Journal of Interior Design, 2023). His design studios have been recognized in the Journal of Interior Design, and he serves as a guest advisor for Cogent Social Sciences.