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New faculty introduction: Alexei Tchistyi

Tchistyi is an associate professor of real estate at SHA

By: Stephen D'Angelo
Alexei Tchistyi is an associate professor of real estate at SHA

With the academic year upon us, meet the newest faculty from across the SC Johnson College of Business and learn about their academic focus, teaching, and interests.

Alexei Tchistyi | Associate Professor | SHA

Education

  • Ph.D. in Business Administration, Graduate School of Business, Stanford University.
  • M.A. in Economics, New Economic School, Moscow
  • M.S. in Applied Mathematics and Physics, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology
  • B.S. in Applied Mathematics and Physics, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology

Academic Positions

  • 2020-present – Associate Professor of Real Estate, Cornell SC Johnson College of Business
  • 2014-2020 – Associate Professor of Finance, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  • 2014-2020 – Director of Office of Real Estate Research, UIUC
  • 2008-2014 – Assistant Professor of Real Estate and Finance, Haas, UC Berkeley
  • 2012-2014 – Co-Chair, Fisher Center for Real Estate and Urban Economics, Haas, Berkeley
  • 2005-2008 – Assistant Professor of Finance, Stern School of Business, NYU

What is your research/teaching focus?

My research focuses on various topics related to real estate finance and corporate finance: mortgage design, asset-backed securities, banking regulations, and executive compensation.

What attracted you to the SC Johnson College of Business, specifically SHA?

Unlike many other business schools, the SC Johnson College of Business and SHA make real estate research and education a top priority. Real estate is the largest asset class in the world, and its importance cannot be underestimated. 

Have you adapted your research or teaching focus in any way because of COVID-19?

The hotel industry has been hit particularly hard by the COVID-19 crisis. I am currently working on a research project that aims to evaluate effectiveness of government policies, such as the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), using the hotel industry performance data.

What are you most looking forward to during your first year at SHA?

At this time, I am looking forward the most to meeting my colleagues and students in person.

When did you know you wanted to be a professor?

In high school I always knew I wanted to be a scientist. After I won top prizes in national Physics Olympiads in the former Soviet Union, I was certain I would be a physicist. However, later I developed interests in economics, finance and real estate and eventually became a business school professor.

What’s the best book you’ve read this year?

“Black Hole Blues and Other Songs from Outer Space” by Janna Levin. This book tells an amazing story of the discovery of gravitational waves, which were predicted by Einstein’s general theory of relativity one hundred years ago, but thought to be impossible to detect.