Goldstein's research specialties include sequence stratigraphy of carbonates, diagenesis, and fluid-inclusion research. Current research focuses on the following: (1) sea-level, paleotopographic, oceanographic, and climate controls on depositional sequence architecture of the Spanish Miocene; (2) modeling reservoir-analog architecture in deep-water and shallow water carbonates; (3) predicting porosity in reservoirs from new conceptual models of carbonate diagenesis; (4) effect of hydrothermal fluids on carbonate and sandstone reservoir rocks; (5) origin and distribution of early and late dolomite; (6) new fluid inclusion techniques for constraining thermal evolution of sedimentary systems; and (6) new fluid inclusion techniques for evaluating history of fluid composition. Currently, he and his students are working on a variety of projects dealing with upstream fossil fuel energy supply including both conventional and unconventional oil and gas resources.

As the Provost’s Special Advisor on Campus Development, Goldstein was responsible for advising the Provost and senior leadership on space, buildings, and all teaching and research facilities for the Lawrence campus. Responsible for management of the $78.5 million Earth Energy and Environment Center project and co-management of the $180 million Integrated Science Building project. This major interdisciplinary campus development breaks new ground in terms of funding model, integration, and management structure, and includes fundraising activities. The Special Advisor also plays a major role in directing an inclusive campus master planning process for the University of Kansas.

Robert Goldstein served as the Associate Dean for the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Kansas. He reported to the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. As Associate Dean of this Division, he led a unit of 212 faculty members, consisting of the Departments of Chemistry, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Geography, Geology, Mathematics, Molecular Biosciences, and Physics and Astronomy, as well as programs in Undergraduate Biology, Computational Biology, and STEM Learning. The Division contributed 133,000 student-credit-hours per year to the University and had a $40 million budget. In addition, faculty and staff expended $34 million annually from research grants. The Division serves 2664 undergraduate and graduate majors. Its graduate programs achieve high national rankings with four of its programs in the US News public institution top 50 (Geology, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology/Molecular Biosciences, Mathematics, Chemistry) and seven ranked in the top 50 by Academic Analytics (Bioinformatics, Botany, Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, Geography, Mathematics, Physics). The Division takes a leadership role in implementing mechanisms for improving student learning and engagement in the Sciences through the Course Transformation Initiative and Center for STEM Learning. It has implemented major interdisciplinary faculty hiring initiatives. Other initiatives concentrate on fundraising for, planning, and building major new research, teaching, and outreach facilities for the University.

The Chairperson of the Department of Geology at the University of Kansas reports to the Associate Dean for Natural Sciences and Mathematics and the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. As Chairperson, Goldstein was responsible for managing the budget and endowment, alumni engagement, fundraising, supervising faculty and staff, and providing a valuable educational experience to students. As Chairperson, Goldstein’s initiatives improved Department function, enhanced student recruiting, grew the faculty and support staff, improved research funding, improved diversity, and funded new initiatives to enhance the Department infrastructure.