Experienced business school leader named dean of the Belk College of Business

Richard J. Buttimer Jr. is dean of the Belk College of Business, effective July 1, following approval by the UNC Charlotte Board of Trustees.

Buttimer comes to Charlotte from the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, where he has been dean of the Coggin College of Business for four years. Under his leadership, the college has extended interdisciplinary research and collaborative partnerships and has established and expanded industry-responsive centers, labs and fields of study. Prior to his appointment in Florida, he was a long-serving faculty member in Charlotte’s Belk College. 

“Richard has built a strong record of success with broad-based experiences as a leader, researcher and educator operating in urban business schools,” said Jennifer Troyer, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs. “He has advanced research opportunities to address business and societal challenges, engaged and supported talented faculty and staff and developed innovative partnerships to enhance the student experience. We are fortunate to have such a creative leader to guide the Belk College and to partner with the business community.”

Before joining UNF in 2020, Buttimer was the John Crosland Sr. Distinguished Professor of Real Estate and Development at Charlotte and served the Belk College as senior associate dean, associate dean for faculty and research, director of the Childress Klein Center for Real Estate and in other leadership roles. Earlier in his career, he was the Gould/Mayfield Scholar in Real Estate and director of the real estate master’s degree program at the University of Texas at Arlington.

“Belk College is well-positioned to extend its already impressive reach in the region and beyond,” Buttimer said. “Our work will be critical as the University moves to the highest research designation next year and as industry and business schools harness artificial intelligence and other technologies as useful tools. These are among the many opportunities the college has to fulfill its vision as a leading urban research business school that creates usable knowledge and prepares students to succeed in a dynamic world.”

At UNF, Buttimer has led the process for the successful renewal of its AACSB accreditation in business and accounting, which the Belk College also holds. AACSB accreditation is the longest-standing, most recognized form of specialized accreditation that an institution and its business programs can earn.

In other accomplishments, he championed a new master’s in business analytics program and a FinTech Academy with UNF’s College of Computing, Engineering and Construction with a master’s degree in fintech and other fintech offerings. New applied learning options for students included NASA’s T2U technology transfer program, which allows students to adapt certain patents for commercial use.

Buttimer’s academic research spans aspects of mortgage finance, real estate development and housing markets. He has published in academic journals including Real Estate Economics, The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Regional Science and Urban Economics, The Review of Futures Markets, the Journal of Housing Economics and the Journal of Money, Credit and Banking.

He has taught graduate and undergraduate courses in real estate finance, real estate capital markets, financial management, corporate finance, financial derivatives and fixed-income derivatives. He has made editorial contributions to leading journals including Real Estate Economics and The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics.

He also has served on the Board of Directors for the American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association. He earned a Ph.D. in business administration with a focus in real estate and a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business and is a member of the Phi Kappa Phi honor society. Beyond academic roles, he is a member of the Board of Advisors for Sterling Valuation Group, a firm specializing in valuation and consulting services for hedge funds and financial institutions.