Rate My Professor Jeff Robertson

Jeff W. Robertson, Ph.D., is the Dean of the College of Health, Science, and Technology and Professor of Astrophysics in the Department of Physical Sciences at the University of Central Missouri. He assumed these roles in January 2022 after an extensive academic career at Arkansas Tech University (ATU), where he joined in 1997 as Assistant Professor of Astrophysics and Director of the Astronomical Observatory. Robertson progressed through the faculty ranks to full professor, served as Head of the Department of Physical Sciences, and held multiple administrative positions, including Dean of the College of Natural and Health Sciences for 11 years—overseeing 100 faculty and staff, 22 undergraduate programs, three master’s programs, and 1,600 students. He also acted as Interim Dean of the College of Business, Interim Dean of the Graduate College, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, and Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Robertson earned a Bachelor of Science in Physics and a Bachelor of Science in Astronomy from the University of Kansas in 1989, a Master of Science in Astronomy from San Diego State University in 1991, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Astrophysics from Indiana University in 1995. His research specializes in cataclysmic variables, interacting binary stars, blazars, exoplanets, and potentially hazardous asteroids. Key publications include “Confirmation of the 12-year optical outburst cycle in blazar OJ 287” (Astronomy and Astrophysics, 1996; 250 citations), “The 2001 superoutburst of WZ Sagittae” (Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, 2002; 210 citations), “Double-peak structure in the cyclic optical outbursts of blazar OJ 287” (Astronomy and Astrophysics, 1996; 158 citations), “The 65 day period in 3C 66A during bright state” (The Astrophysical Journal, 1999; 132 citations), and “RZ Leonis Minoris, PG 0943+521, and V1159 Orionis: Three cataclysmic variables with similar and unusual outburst behavior” (Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, 1995; 126 citations). He has contributed to professional development as a photometry and CCD imaging instructor for two years at Vanderbilt University’s Dyer Observatory and served on the Higher Learning Commission Peer Review Corps. Robertson has led professional organizations as President of the Arkansas Dean’s Association and twice as President of the Arkansas Academy of Science, and completed the American Academic Leadership Institute’s Becoming a Provost Academy.