Dr. Phil Simpson Promoted to EFSC Vice President Role

Eastern Florida State College has announced that Dr. Phil Simpson has been promoted to Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs.

With a nearly 30 year career at EFSC, Dr. Simpson has served in positions ranging from instructor of English and Humanities to Department Chair (Palm Bay Campus), Academic Dean of Humanities and Fine/Performing Arts, Vice Provost North Region (Cocoa and Titusville campuses), Associate Provost (Palm Bay campus), Provost and Dean of Faculty, Provost (Titusville campus and Eastern Florida Online), Dean of Arts and Sciences, and most recently Interim Academic and Student Affairs Chief Executive.

“Dr. Simpson is well-respected by faculty, staff, and students here at the college,” said college president Dr. Jim Richey. “He has earned that respect by being honest, approachable, and caring. He truly has our students’ best interests at heart. I have utmost confidence that Dr. Simpson will make a positive difference in our academic and student affairs.”

Simpson was raised in Illinois, born to two devoted parents who cultivated a love of lifelong learning and encouraged his career pathway into higher education.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Eastern Illinois University, graduating magna cum laude in 1986. He earned his master’s degree in English from Eastern Illinois University in 1989 and worked in the university writing center as a graduate assistant/tutor and taught Developmental English.

He also worked as an editor at a small Midwestern publishing company for two years and then as an adjunct at a state technical college teaching Composition and Developmental Writing.

Simpson returned to graduate school as a doctoral student at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale in 1990, completing a Ph.D. in Twentieth Century American Literature in 1996.

As a teaching assistant at SIU-C, he taught Special Admissions English, English Composition, Intermediate Composition, and Appreciation of Literature, and also worked as an adjunct at a neighboring college teaching English Composition and Introduction to Literature.

He worked as a temporary full-time instructor at Iowa State University in 1996 teaching First-Year Composition and Business Communications.

In 1997, he came to then Brevard Community College at the Palm Bay campus as a full-time instructor of English and Humanities.

Simpson is a prolific published author, specializing in books and articles primarily about popular culture (horror, science-fiction/fantasy). He is also a frequent presenter at academic conferences and an invited speaker about various popular culture subjects.

“I am deeply honored to be given this opportunity to ensure student success at EFSC,” said Dr. Simpson. “Serving our community, launching career dreams, and devoting my life to education is something that feeds my soul in a way I could never express in words. I am grateful to Dr. Richey for this opportunity and look forward to making an even greater difference here at Eastern Florida State College.”

For more information about EFSC, visit easternflorida.edu.

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