The Center for Real Estate at Rutgers Business School was established in 2014 as an academic program positioned to transform and inspire the next generation of real estate leaders.
From the start, it has shown a willingness to put financial resources behind that goal.
Earlier this month, the Center hosted its 5th annual scholarship celebration, where 50 students (who had received awards ranging from $2,000 to $5,000 over the past two semesters) were honored.
The Center for Real Estate has awarded nearly 750 scholarships valued at more than $2 million since its inception.
The Center’s Executive Committee, Advisory Board, and Leaders Council are comprised of the most knowledgeable and successful real estate professionals, in both academic study and in real-world practice, all of whom are dedicated to creating and cultivating a collaborative community of industry thought leaders.
Donors of the scholarships, which include members of the center’s executive committee, advisory board and leaders’ council were there. Several students were awarded named scholarships donated by Glenn and Mary Rufrano/ICSC, and the Kokes family.
Michael Kokes, donor of the Kokes Family Scholarship and one of the most generous donors, said the event has great meaning.
“Being able to meet and speak with the scholarship recipients provides me much hope about the future of our industry,” he said.
Lei Lei, the dean of Rutgers Business School, obviously is thrilled by the support.
“Rutgers Business School is committed to rewarding excellent students, and this celebration is proof of that philosophy,” she said. “It was heartwarming to see the appreciation students and alumni have for the donors who work closely with the Center for Real Estate.”
Morris Davis, the Paul V. Profeta Chair of Real Estate, and the academic director of the Rutgers Center for Real Estate, said the students in the program are deserved of the recognition.
“In 2024, we had so many excellent students in the program,” he said. “Teams of these students participated on real estate case competitions and won or placed against large, well-known universities.”
As chair of the scholarship committee, Ed San George, president and owner of the Integra Management Corporation, said the process of reviewing hundreds of applications and reading why students want to pursue a career in real estate, coupled with the high GPAs of the applicants, demonstrates the quality of the future workforce for commercial real estate.
“The program has so many excellent students,” he said. “We continue to be thrilled to award them scholarships.”
