Rob Hoyt’s career has spanned nearly four decades of service to the University of Georgia and left an enduring mark on generations of Bulldog students. 

Rob joined the University of Georgia as a faculty member in 1988 and served as interim dean of the Terry College of Business in 2007. Over his distinguished career, he taught corporate risk management and enterprise risk management while leading the Department of Insurance, Legal Studies and Real Estate for 23 years. He served as the Dudley L. Moore, Jr. Chair of Insurance and a Professor in the C. Herman Terry Risk Management and Insurance Program (RMI) until his retirement in December 2025. 

During his tenure at UGA, Rob shaped the academic and professional journeys of thousands of Terry students through teaching, mentorship and leadership. He taught the capstone Corporate Risk Management class for the undergraduate RMI program, ensuring that every graduate from the RMI program between 1994 and 2025 passed through his classroom. Following his students’ successes remains one of Rob’s greatest treasures. 

Rob’s commitment to the success of his students goes beyond the classroom. He organized the annual RMI Careers Day event, one of UGA’s largest recruiting events, bringing 80 recruiters to Athens and serving over 400 students each year. Rob also oversaw the selection and mentoring of 14 students who present to over 35 industry executives at the RMI Program’s AIMS (Annual Insurance Management Seminar) conference. He coordinated both events for more than 25 years, continuing traditions that have now spanned over half a century.

Rob’s excellence in teaching, research and service led to his place as a decorated member of Terry College faculty, receiving the Terry College of Business Outstanding Service Award, the Outstanding Teaching Award and the Outstanding Research Award. His university-wide honors include the Richard B. Russell Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award in 1994 and the Walter H. Buce, Jr. Memorial Award for the Insurance and Risk Management Professional of the Year in 2009 from the Risk Management & Insurance Society’s Atlanta Chapter.

Rob has been deeply engaged in professional and community leadership. He is a past president of the Risk Theory Society, the American Risk and Insurance Association and the Southern Risk and Insurance Association. He was also an editorial board member of the Journal of Insurance Regulation and Risk Management and Insurance Review. His community involvement includes roles as the former chair of the Board of Athens Regional Medical Center, the former vice president of the International Insurance Society and a former trustee of the Piedmont Athens Regional Foundation. 

Along with supporting UGA through his work as a professor, Rob and his wife, Patti, have generously supported the University through contributions to the Terry College of Business, the State Botanical Garden of Georgia, the UGA Redcoat Band and establishing the Hoyt Family Scholarship through the Georgia Commitment Scholarship program. Since 2021, he has served as a UGA Mentor with the UGA Mentor Program.