The Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor will launch a real estate center that will offer a suite of practice-oriented courses thanks to a $10 million gift from Ron Weiser, a regent and alumnus of U-M.
Students at the Weiser Center for Real Estate will learn from industry professionals, and the center will work with schools across U-M such as the A. Alfred Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning and the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy.
“The Weiser Center for Real Estate will transform the real estate offerings at Ross and the university by providing students with practical training, supporting applied research and thought leadership, and serving as a catalyst for interdisciplinary collaboration at Michigan and beyond,” says Scott DeRue, the Edward J. Frey dean of business and Stephen M. Ross professor of business.
“Students will gain the knowledge, skills, and connections they need to launch successful careers in real estate. Students will also learn how real estate plays an important role in all types of business and how understanding the principles of real estate is essential for managing global and distributed organizations. The center’s engagement with industry professionals and companies will elevate our reputation as a leading center of excellence in this exciting field.”
The center will offer undergraduate and graduate courses on real estate finance, real estate law, real estate investing, asset and property management, sustainable development, and more. There also will be opportunities to work with real estate firms. The center, in coordination with the Taubman College, will enable the Ross School of Business to further develop U-M’s current real estate certificate program and introduce a new undergraduate minor in real estate.
The Weiser Scholars Fellowship will also be an aspect of the center. It will accept six students per year and provide them with support and fellowship activities. There will also be scholarships and paid internships.
Within the first two years, the center will support an initial cohort of faculty who will serve as professors. It will also have a professional-in-residence program with real estate experts who will offer professional development workshops, mentorship, career coaching, and more.
“I look forward to the center becoming the hub for real estate at the university and Ross,” Weiser says. “I am thrilled to be able to help bring this exciting program to fruition at Michigan Ross.”
Ron and Eileen Weiser are U-M alumni, volunteers, and donors. They have committed more than $100 million to the university to date. Both have served as vice chairs of the Victors for Michigan campaign and support programs across U-M’s three campuses. Weiser graduated from Michigan Ross in 1966 and is the founder of McKinley Inc., a national real estate investment company based in Ann Arbor. Eileen Weiser is a graduate of the U-M School of Music, Theatre, and Dance.
