Jeffrey Robert

This fall, the Program in Real Estate welcomed its second faculty hire, Dr. Jeffrey Robert. Robert, collegiate assistant professor of real estate, received his Ph.D. from the University of Georgia and his M.B.A and B.A. from Bentley University in Massachusetts. He is excited to be joining the Program in Real Estate’s team.

“Virginia Tech is an excellent institution of higher education. VT receives national praise for its research and scholastic achievements. In addition to the pedigree of the university, I was most excited to join the growing Real Estate Program within the Pamplin College of Business. There is great energy and excitement surrounding this program,” Robert said.  

Prior to joining Virginia Tech, Robert worked as a senior analyst for the House of Representatives in Rhode Island and served as an appointed member of the planning board for the city of Warwick, Rhode Island. Robert is originally from Rhode Island, where he also worked as a financial advisor for Ameriprise Financial.

“Teaching is one of my passions. I enjoy seeing students grow with the content and in their personal beliefs of achievement. Every student has different strengths.

Identifying those strengths and tailoring lesson plans and activities to maximize their learning is a refreshing daily challenge,” Robert said

Robert’s teaching and research interests include real estate price externalities, state and local land use policy, and real estate development. He has also researched student achievement and classroom outcomes.  He is scheduled to teach four classes during the Fall 2019 semester: REAL 2034 Real Estate Data Analysis, REAL 3034 Real Estate Market Analysis, REAL 4075-4076 Real Estate Studio, and REAL 4984 Real Estate Practicum.

“I am excited to teach the Real Estate Market Analysis class this semester,” Robert said, “This class intersects academic theory and practical application. In this junior level class, students analyze market information to support real estate development decisions.”

Outside the classroom, Robert most likely be found outdoors or playing volleyball. He was even a volunteer coach for the University of Georgia’s volleyball team.

“I have been playing and coaching volleyball for over a decade. Volleyball is and will remain a lifelong pursuit. Akin to teaching in a classroom, coaches present athletes with complex problems that must be solved in real-time. I am fascinated by the influence of team dynamics, technical skills, and player motivation on athletic results,” Robert said.

Although he is new, Roberts has fully emerged himself at VT, and has a busy first year planned. He is currently working on redeveloping course content for Real Estate Data Analysis and working to publish four articles from his dissertation. At the same time, he is participating in the Principles of Effective Teaching Certificate program with the VT Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning in order to learn how to best provide a learning community at VT and support a structure within which faculty can become better teachers. He was also selected to participate and to present at the 12th Annual Conference on Higher Education Pedagogy hosted by Virginia Tech this February. His busy schedule, however, has not deterred his enthusiasm for VT.

“From my initial interview, I knew VT was right for me,” Robert said.

Written by Hannah Polan and Samantha Sproviero