Remembering Dr. Andrea Chegut
Letter to our community from CRE
We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our dear friend and colleague Dr. Andrea Marie Chegut.
Andrea was the Director and Co-Founder of the MIT Real Estate Innovation Lab, Co-Founder of MIT DesignX and Research Scientist at MIT. Her passion for creating a better world through a deeper understanding of innovation in the built environment, urban economics and real estate was reflected in her courses at MIT and her online short course, Data Science in Real Estate. Andrea was a world-recognized thought leader who generously shared her knowledge at numerous conferences, seminars and events across the globe. She believed deeply in people, possibilities, creativity and truth. Working with students and problem-solving throughout the research discovery process was what Andrea enjoyed most throughout her professional career.
Watch from a selection of Andrea’s presentations:
- Side Walk Talks: A Sandbox for the Built Environment, Affordable Housing
- World Real Estate Forum 2018: On the Cusp of Change, REIL Science Fair
- World Real Estate Forum 2019: Real Estate Meets Innovation
- LCAU Seminar Series 2021: Value of Design
Raised on Sanibel Island, Florida, Andrea received undergraduate degrees in Philosophy and Economics from the College of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina and went on to achieve her Masters in Economics and Law at Utrecht University in the Netherlands. She joined MIT in 2013 as a Visiting Researcher at the Center for Real Estate after completing her PhD in Financial Economics at Maastricht University.
Inspired by her research and, ultimately, Kobi Yamada’s book, What Do you Do with an Idea? Andrea co-founded the MIT Real Estate Innovation Lab in 2015. Measuring the financial and economic performance of innovation in real estate, planning and design, Andrea enthusiastically led a team of interdisciplinary researchers in a variety of initiatives. Notable outcomes include the MIT Tech Tracker, a public information and analytics webtool that uses proprietary algorithms to provide insight into the real estate industry; UnReal Estate, an exploratory project examining virtual spaces and how they translate into real world assets and economies; and The Value of Design: Design Agency in a Market Economy, a book based on a series of research papers within the Lab that identifies design metrics to link design to financial outcomes (scheduled for release in 2023.) Research from the Lab has been cited in several academic journals as well as the New York Times, Forbes, Financial Times and Politico, to name a few.
When Andrea wasn’t wowing the world with her knowledge of data science, innovative technologies and financial economics she was often listening to Beyonce, reading everything from scientific journals to astrology forecasts, and emphasizing the importance of personal investing to people of all ages and income brackets. She leaves behind her beloved husband, Daniel Fink, their young daughter and proudest achievement, Athalia, her cherished Persian cat, Greg, and countless friends, family and colleagues who will deeply miss her brilliant spirit, remarkable mind, and steadfast loyalty.
The Center for Real Estate will host a memorial service in the near future. In the meantime, please consider a donation to the American Brain Tumor Association in memory of Andrea.
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