Andrea Chegut Obituary, Death – We are utterly heartbroken to share the news that Dr. Andrea Chegut, the Director of the Laboratory and a Co-Founder, has passed away. Her research, as well as the courses she teaches at MIT and the short course she developed for getting smarter online called Data Science in Real Estate, reflect her passion for making the world a better place by gaining a deeper understanding of innovation in the built environment, urban economics, and real estate.
Andrea was a thought leader who was renowned all over the world and who willingly shared her knowledge at a wide variety of events, including conferences, seminars, and other gatherings all around the world. She held a profound faith in individuals, possibilities, originality, and the truth. Working with students and resolving issues all the way through the process of research discovery was the aspect of Andrea’s job that she most looked forward to during her whole professional career.
Her study, and ultimately the book “What Do You Do With An Idea?” by Kobi Yamada, served as the source of inspiration for her. In 2015, Andrea was one of the co-founders of the MIT Real Estate Innovation Lab. She passionately led a team of scholars from a diversity of disciplinary backgrounds in a number of different projects. Notable outcomes include the MIT Tech Tracker, a public analytics web tool that makes use of proprietary algorithms to provide insight into the real estate industry, and The Value of Design:
Design Agency in a Market Economy, a book she co-authored with @helenaarong, @tonyjuncheng_, and @mkangk and is scheduled for release in 2023. Both of these books are slated to be published by MIT Press. The research conducted at this lab has been referenced in a variety of publications, including academic journals, popular news outlets such as the New York Times, Forbes, the Financial Times, and Politico, to name just a few.
Andrea was often found 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 when she wasn’t astounding the world with her knowledge of data science, innovative technologies, and financial economics.
Andrea is survived by her devoted husband, @ danielfink, their young daughter Athalia Fink, whom they consider to be their greatest accomplishment, their cherished cat and Lab mascot, @gregthepersian, and an innumerable number of friends, family members, and colleagues who will profoundly miss her brilliant spirit, remarkable mind, and unwavering loyalty. Andrea passed away on April 1, 2019. Please consider making a donation to the American Brain Tumor Association in honor of Andrea. Andrea passed away from a brain tumor.