The Georgia Tech African American Student Union and the 50th Anniversary of Matriculation of Black Students at Georgia Tech hosted a Town Hall Panel on March 12 featuring Randal Pinkett and Jeffrey 
Robinson (BSCE '95, MSCE '96), co-authors of Black Faces in White Places.
School of Civil and Environmental Engineering alumnus Jeff Robinson is an award-winning business school professor, international speaker and entrepreneur. Since 2008, he has been a leading faculty member at Rutgers Business School, where he is an assistant professor of management and entrepreneurship and the founding assistant director of The Center for Urban Entrepreneurship & Economic Development. The Center is a unique interdisciplinary venue for innovative thinking and research on entrepreneurial activity and economic development in urban environments.
Robinson’s research examines how business practices and entrepreneurship can shape societal issues, with particular emphasis on community and economic development issues for urban metropolitan areas in the United States and abroad. He is the author of books and articles on such topics as social entrepreneurship, African American women in entrepreneurship, and Black unemployment. In 2007, he received the Aspen Institute’s Social Impact Faculty Pioneer Award for his research, service and teaching activities at the intersection of business and society.
Robinson is a sought-after speaker, author and media commentator, having appeared on Dateline NBC and NBC Nightly News, PBS, NJN News, NJBIZ, and in The Star-Ledger and The New York Times. The keynote speaker at international events and conferences in Shanghai, Lagos and London, he has been invited to present his work on six continents.
Robinson is co-founder and a member of the Advisory Board of BCT Partners, which provides management, technology and policy consulting to non-profits, foundations, corporations and government entities as they plan and implement change strategies to improve organizational effectiveness. In 2008 he and his wife, Valerie Mason-Robinson, opened Eden Organix, a day spa and retailer of organic skin and beauty products in Highland Park, New Jersey, that has been recognized by New Jersey Magazine as one of the 10 best spas in the state.
In all, Robinson has completed five academic degrees in the areas of engineering, urban studies and management including a Doctor of Philosophy in Management and Organizations from Columbia Business School. He lives in Piscataway, New Jersey, with his wife and their three children.