Dr. Jeff Roberts, a member of the Tennessee Tech University faculty since 1991 and chairman of the Department od Hiatory since 2002, was appointed in May, 2006, as the university's Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR) to the NCAA. Roberts, 49, replaced Dr. Thurston Banks, who retired after 25 years as FAR.
   
Roberts earned his bachelors degree in 1981 from Cornell University. He received his master's from The Ohio State University in 1984, and accepted his Doctor of Philosophy from Ohio State in 1990.
   
In just his second year at Tech, he was appointed to the Athletics Committee and has been on that body for ever since, including a two-year term as chairman from 2000-2002.
   
In 1995, he was appointed to the Sports Hall of Fame Committee, and he drafted new selection procedures that have been in use ever since. In 2004, he was a member of the search committee that brought Mark Wilson to the campus, and was chairman of the Academic Integrity Subcommittee for the NCAA Certification Team in 2003-04.
   
Outside of athletics, Roberts has served on the Academic Council - including a term as Chair - and the Faculty Senate. He has also been a member of the Cookeville Rotary Club since 1993, serving as Club President (2002-2003) and District Assistant Governor (2006-2009).