In recent years, UVA and McIntire have greatly expanded their real estate programs and co-curricular activities to become an ever-growing diverse and vibrant array of learning opportunities for students interested in the subject. With a comprehensive B.S. in Commerce Real Estate Track, the innovative pan-UVA Real Estate Minor, and industry-focused events such as the White Ruffin Byron Center for Real Estate’s annual conference, students from various academic backgrounds across the University are enthusiastically seeking out their own myriad spaces within this dynamic and growing field.
Many Diverse Academic Avenues
As the real estate industry requires various skill sets and areas of expertise, UVA’s real estate studies reflect that range of backgrounds, offering pathways for students from a multitude of disciplines who bring a wealth of perspectives and interests.
Meagan Bass (McIntire ’25) is combining her concentrations in Finance and Management with the Real Estate Track at the Commerce School. Her aspiration to one day own hotels finds ample support in the network of industry professionals she has connected with through the School. “UVA has been an instrumental part of my discovery of this passion, thanks to our extensive alumni network,” Bass says. “I have had the opportunity to connect with industry experts who have taken me under their wing as a mentee to provide career advice and introduce me to other professionals.” She credits those connections with procuring her internship and job working closely with the real estate investing team on portfolio strategy at Goldman Sachs’s Asset Management on XIG (External Investing Group). “To me, real estate is a way to build and manage something tangible that lasts and can be physically transformed to create value. As opposed to financial investment instruments, real estate makes much more sense to me.”
Ava Birdwell (A&S ’24, M.S. in Commerce ’25) represents a different path. As a graduate student completing the M.S. in Commerce Biotechnology Track and a former Environmental Sciences undergraduate, she found value in the unexpected link between her field and real estate. Attending the Center for Real Estate Conference, Ava explored breakout sessions on environmental sustainability, fueling her curiosity about how real estate intersects with ecological concerns.
“I was curious how real estate, the environment, and sustainability could possibly be intertwined,” Birdwell says. “Throughout the session on Digital Infrastructure and the growing role of data centers in real estate, the discussion revolved around the subsequent vast demands for power, electricity, and water on the land, and how this not only represents a challenge for leasing land but a social and environmental challenge. I have a passion for working on social and environmental challenges; gaining new understanding of real estate’s impact on these issues inspires me to keep an open mind to industries and avenues that I might not have considered before as having an impact or the potential to help.”
For Anna Glasser (McIntire ’25), who is concentrating in Finance, pursuing the Real Estate Track, and minoring in Art History, her real estate journey is intertwined with a love for design. Her academic path reflects a curiosity about design’s ability to impact lives, which is complemented by a range of project-based Commerce courses. “My interest in real estate began with a love for design and how spaces influence people’s lives,” Glasser says. “McIntire’s Real Estate Track was a great bridge between my varied interests. The program has grown significantly during my time at UVA, and being part of that journey has been incredible.”
Daniel Wishengrad (McIntire ’25) is concentrating in Accounting and chose to pursue the Real Estate Track because he has “always been captivated by the intersection of finance, design, and market dynamics in shaping the built environment.” His interest lies in how financial decisions influence communities, supported by real-world projects and mentorship that prepare him for a dual career aspiration in tax law and real estate. “The track’s combination of theoretical and practical learning has been particularly valuable,” Wishengrad notes.
The Pan-UVA Experience
The White Ruffin Byron Center for Real Estate’s conference epitomizes the collaborative experience UVA offers to students pursuing real estate. Conversations with industry leaders like Colin Connolly (Darden ’03), President and CEO, Cousins Properties; Ward Fitzgerald, CEO, ExCorde Capital; and James M. Taylor (McIntire ’88, Law ’94), CEO and President, Brixmor Property Group, gave students essential insights into the subject.
Glasser found the discussions on adaptive reuse—integrating flexible building design for sustainability—compelling. “The variety of conversations at the conference highlighted how multifaceted the real estate industry is,” she says. Bass, meanwhile, connected with alumni such as Zander Geronimos (McIntire ’14), forming a valuable link that is paving the way for additional important conversations. “During our conversation, he offered to add me to the group, something which has already proven to be helpful when networking,” she recalls.
Economics major Tyler Lentz (A&S ’26) is completing the Real Estate Minor in hopes of gaining a well-rounded education on which to build a career in real estate. He enjoyed the many discussions that the Center for Real Estate Conference fostered among attendees with “key pillar topics of the commercial real estate industry, and dynamic conversations on emerging trends,” he says. “It was also inspiring to network with UVA alumni and local Charlottesville real estate leaders.”
His conversations have motivated him to further engage with the real estate community at UVA, as he enjoyed the accessibility of industry professionals during breakout discussions. “I found everyone incredibly approachable and eager to share their insights,” says Lentz.
Another Economics major and Real Estate Minor, Mason Lewis (A&S ’26), began to gain exposure to the subject through conversations with industry professionals he met through VUREC (the Virginia Undergraduate Real Estate Club) and decided to look into the minor after taking a prerequisite course covering basic financial concepts for real estate with Professor David Chapman. He found the annual conference extremely impactful. “The conference was an awesome experience, as it provided students like me, who are interested in working in the real estate field, an opportunity to speak with and learn from industry professionals who were once in my shoes,” he says, singling out the networking event the night before the conference for allowing him to connect one-on-one. “It was uplifting to find that these individuals wanted to learn about me just as much as I wanted to learn about them, leading to many valuable conversations regarding my interests and future aspirations in the field.”
A Community of Engagement
The real estate offerings transcend mere academics, fostering a profound sense of community and connectivity.
Michael O’Malley (McIntire ’25), a Finance and Information Technology concentrator who is also completing the Real Estate Track, says his interaction with alumni reveals the cohesive nature of the UVA real estate community and reinforces his appreciation for the network that evolves from shared educational roots. “Playing the ‘name game’ regarding the real estate industry was truly amazing, as there never failed to be a connection between any two individuals in the business,” he recalls. “Having a subset in the real estate industry network as powerful as UVA’s will prove to be something immensely important in my career.”
Wishengrad says the efforts of Commerce Professor Sanket Korgaonkar, who “goes above and beyond to help his students achieve their professional aspirations,” were particularly important for him, as they gave him the chance to speak directly with someone who had the experience he is seeking for himself. “After meeting with [Korgaonkar] about career paths in real estate, he connected me to Jake Berger (McIntire ’22), a recent alum who worked in real estate before attending law school. This pathway directly aligns with my long-term aspirations of earning both a CPA and J.D., with the goal of practicing tax law with a focus on real estate. Studying real estate at McIntire is equipping me with the knowledge, skills, and mentors necessary to contribute meaningfully to this evolving and impactful field.”
Whether through one of many in-depth courses, extensive programs, insightful conferences, or networking events, UVA’s real estate initiatives offer students a versatile platform to explore and refine their interests. The many options prepare them to navigate and reshape the future of the built environment, leveraging a foundation that is both diverse and inclusive. By uniting students from across Grounds, UVA continues to cultivate a learning environment that champions innovation, collaboration, and growth—attributes that are essential in the fast-evolving world of real estate.