Dr Bobby Nisha
Department of Urban Studies and Planning
Senior University Teacher
+44 114 222 6934
Full contact details
Department of Urban Studies and Planning
Room D11a
Geography and Planning Building
Winter Street
Sheffield
S3 7ND
- Profile
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The fascination for built environment led me to a Bachelor award in Architecture (B.Arch). As an Architect I gained international experience working for an architectural practice in Dubai. Realizing that there is enormous potential to bridge the gap between urban planning and building architecture, led me to a post graduate qualification in Urban design (MArch) from the University of Nottingham.
I moved full-time into academia as a Graduate Teaching Associate at University of Bolton in where I was lecturing and doing a PhD in Design decision-making and graduated PGCHE (PG cert in Teaching and learning in HE) from University of Bolton. I joined the Department of Urban Studies and Planning at the University of Sheffield in September 2014.
National SEED Project: Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity
I am a trained SEED leader (trained in USA), I design and co-deliver the UK SEED Project here at the University of Sheffield, is a sector-leading equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) professional development programme for members of staff across the university.
- Research interests
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In the broadest sense, my research focuses on psychological impacts of urban design, design decision-making with a focus on bridging the gap between the physical space and its perceived counterpart and use of immersive virtual reality to understand how people experience, understand, interpret and navigate through spaces.
I welcome applications for PhD study within my areas of research interest as outlined.
Recent research projects (Lead investigator):
HEIF Higher Education innovation funding Community Engagement with Virtual & Augmented Reality: Shirebrook market redevelopment project to engage in participatory design of community spaces with immersive visualisation. virtual reality enabled community engagement with eye tracking in controlled virtual environments, mapping and keeping track of the participants gaze. To inform and widen our understandings of user/space relationship. (March 2019)
HEFCE Higher Education Funding Council England Developing design consultants of the future - To embed immersive virtual reality and augmented reality in urban design. Leading innovative pedagogic practice of learning with immersive Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality; taking forward the urban Design teaching at UG & PG level to new technological realms. View project summary. (November 2016 – April 2018)
ESRC Economic and Social Research Council: Urban Extravaganza: The city as a lived experience with VR- research fund to exhibit pedagogic research work at Winter Gardens in ESRC Festival of Social Sciences; (May 2017)
TESS Teaching Excellence in Social Sciences: Fostering Intercultural Competence and Promoting Integrated Learning Experience. (Jan 2016)
Recent research projects (Co-investigator):
EU H2020 Research and Innovation Staff Exchange (RISE) - ‘Makerspaces in the early years: Enhancing digital literacy and creativity’, led by Prof. Jackie Marsh. MakEY fellow and Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellowship.
Research team member of As a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellow, undertaking research on creative design skills, design thinking, immersive technology engagement, role of makerspaces and collaborating with academics from across the globe.
- Teaching activities
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My approach to teaching begins from a position of respecting the self-expression and individuality of students to further inspire creative thinking.
I seek to engage students in current academic debates in order to help them to develop an understanding and appreciation of the interdisciplinary nature of Urban Design in terms of its theory, principles, components and practice.
I currently teach on the following modules: