Dear Alumni, Board Members and Friends,
The University of Wisconsin-Madison commencement was on Saturday, May 11th, and we’re so excited to celebrate the Real Estate Class of 2024! We’re proud of the many accomplishments of our students and look forward to seeing their real estate careers unfold.
On behalf of our faculty, staff, and students, we thank you for your commitment to the success of our students. You’ve helped us plan amazing field trips; shared your expertise in the classroom; presented on conference panels; and generously provided financial support for student scholarships and activities. Our graduates are well-prepared for their careers because of the support of our alumni, board members and friends like you.
Reflecting on a Banner Year
As we look back on all that we have accomplished this year, we believe there is no other program, graduate or undergraduate, that provides deeper learning experiences in real estate and urban land economics than those provided by the Wisconsin Real Estate Program. This is reflected in the #1 ranking of the Wisconsin Undergraduate Real Estate Program by U.S. News and World Report, 2023-24 and the #5 ranking of the Wisconsin Real Estate MBA Program.
Students also participated in a record number of applied learning activities, including field trips to Boston, London, L.A., Milwaukee and Chicago to name a few. Three student teams placed first in highly competitive case competitions, and we also partnered with Harrison Street to host a new Private Equity Case Competition last fall. The Center hosted three major world-class conferences for board members, alumni industry professionals. All had capacity attendance and featured industry thought leaders.
As we close the 2023-24 academic year on a high note, the planning for upcoming events and initiatives is well underway. We’re pleased to share some our plans and initiatives below.
2024-25 Initiatives and Events
Enrollment Projections
Based on current enrollment data, we are looking forward to another year of record enrollments:
- 700+ BBA Students based on recent enrollment figures.
- 23 Real Estate MBA Students: 14 first-year and 9 second-year students enrolled to date for a total of 23 MBA students. Enrollment deadline is June 4, 2024.
- 50+ MSRE Students: 40+ MSRE students are enrolled so far for Fall 2024 with 10+ pending MSRE enrollment decisions, as well as 7 returning MSRE students who enrolled in Spring 2024.
- 23 Global Real Estate Master’s Students enrolled to date.
Cutting-Edge Curriculum
- Launch of a new BBA capstone course which builds upon the concepts taught in Real Estate Finance, Real Estate Valuations, and applies many of the topics covered in the entire real estate curriculum. Read the article.
- Launch of a new Real Estate Tutoring Program for students who need support in their real estate courses. We’ve hired several top students to serve as tutors and to help us build the program.
- Full launch of Affordable and Sustainable Housing Development (ASHD) Graduate Track
- New ASHD courses “Housing Justice” and “Affordable Housing,” debuted in Spring 2024, to be offered again in Fall.
- Student tours will focus on affordable and sustainable housing developments are planned for Madison and Chicago in Fall and Spring.
- Extensive outreach has yielded a growing list of over 50 firms poised to offer student jobs, internships, and/or participate in ASHD curriculum and events.
Expanded Co-Curricular and Applied Learning Activities
- Expanded WREAA-supported field trips and an active Real Estate Club and Women in Real Estate organizations engage student minds and apply the knowledge.
- Undergraduate field trips are being planned to Minnesota in the Fall and Chicago and Milwaukee in the Spring.
- The Real Estate Private Equity Club and the Graaskamp Center are planning the second annual Harrison Street Case Competition.
- The Global Real Estate Master’s Program has students field trips planned for Chicago and NYC.
Leadership Transitions
- The search for the new Graaskamp Center Director is underway with an anticipated hire date in early June. Another position will be posted this summer for a leadership position to oversee the Graaskamp Board of Advisors and the Real Estate Private Equity Track. Please contact Lee Gottschalk at lee.gottschalk@wisc.edu if you have questions.
Faculty Research Updates Coming Later This Summer
- Faculty members of the Wisconsin Real Estate Program are active researchers and academics at the frontier of knowledge in the fields of real estate economics, housing and finance. They regularly have articles published in top academic journals and frequently participate in conferences around the world. Stay tuned for a new faculty research update later this summer!
- Lu Han, Nathan F. Brand Chair Professor in Real Estate and Urban Economics, received the WSB Erwan A. Gaumnitz Distinguished Research Award. Lu has distinguished herself as one of the pre-eminent Urban and Real Estate economists in the world. Her research focuses on three key aspects of urban economics and real estate: affordability, sustainability, and inequality.
Fall Events – Many More to Come!
- September 12-13: WREAA Trends Conference, Chicago
- September 25: Real Estate Club Career Fair, UW-Madison Campus
- September 27: Applied Real Estate Investment Track (AREIT) Board Meeting, UW-Madison Campus
- October 11: The Wisconsin Real Estate & Economic Outlook Conference
- November 6 – 8: Real Estate Club Fall Trip is planned for Charlotte, NC
- November 6 – 8: Harrison Street Case Competition, UW-Madison Campus
- Throughout the year: Five new Graaskamp on the Road events will be hosted in cities such as Denver, Miami and more.
On behalf of the Wisconsin Real Estate Program staff and faculty, we want to thank you again for your continued engagement and support. Wishing you all a great summer!
The Graaskamp Center Team
Tags: