Rutgers Center for Real Estate adds Walker & Dunlop as corporate sponsor

The Rutgers Center for Real Estate announced today that Walker & Dunlop will be its newest corporate sponsor, offering support to students studying commercial real estate and influencing the development of course work to better prepare them for careers in the industry.  

The Center for Real Estate has existing corporate partners in Sills Cummis & Gross, P.C., and M&T Bank.

"The Rutgers Center for Real Estate is committed to being the top real estate program in the country in terms of training our students and producing the most important and industry-relevant research in the country,” said Morris A. Davis, the Paul J. Profeta Chair of Real Estate and academic director for the Rutgers Center for Real Estate.

“It is an honor for Rutgers to have Walker & Dunlop as a corporate partner, given its long history of excellence and commitment to being the premier commercial real estate finance firm in the country,” Davis said. “We look forward to our partnership and exploring all the possible benefits to our students and our other industry partners."

Irelynne Estevez-Waller, vice president of Diversity & Inclusion at Walker & Dunlop, said the company views the partnership with Rutgers as a “substantial step” in its ability to continue attracting and developing diverse talent in markets like New Jersey.

“By supporting the education and initiatives of the Rutgers Center for Real Estate, we will identify talented students, introduce them to the opportunities within commercial real estate, and provide them with the internships to enhance their resumes and prepare them for jobs upon graduation,” Estevez-Waller said.

Walker & Dunlop, in collaboration with the Center for Real Estate, plans to start a series of initiatives this year, including a case competition to provide students with an opportunity to test their academic knowledge in a real-world commercial real estate situation. The case will incorporate both financial and development aspects of the business.

Walker & Dunlop will also offer internships to students from the real estate program to provide them with opportunities to gain on-the-job experience. The company’s real estate professionals will mentor the students, providing them with coaching and one-on-one feedback and support during their experience. 

An internship with Project Destined will also kick off this year with a boot camp designed to educate students on real estate and investment at Walker & Dunlop. Project Destined is a program concentrated on providing diverse and minority students with exposure to the field of commercial real estate through hands-on, paid internships with companies supportive of this goal.

Lei Lei, dean of Rutgers Business School, expressed appreciation for Walker & Dunlop’s partnership with the Center for Real Estate. “Our corporate partners are extremely important because of the experiential learning opportunities and support they provide,” Lei said. “The opportunity for our students to apply their knowledge in real-world situations offers them a powerful learning experience that strengthens their time in the classroom.”

About Walker & Dunlop

Walker & Dunlop (NYSE: WD) is one of the largest providers of capital to the commercial real estate industry, enabling real estate owners and operators to bring their visions of communities — where Americans live, work, shop and play — to life. The power of our people, premier brand, and industry-leading technology makes us more insightful and valuable to our clients, providing an unmatched experience every step of the way. With over 1,400 employees across every major U.S. market, Walker & Dunlop has consistently been named one of Fortune’s Great Places to Work® and is committed to making the commercial real estate industry more inclusive and diverse while creating meaningful social, environmental, and economic change in our communities.

About the Center for Real Estate

The Center for Real Estate at Rutgers Business School was established in 2014 as a rising academic program positioned to transform and inspire the next generation of real estate leaders. The Center’s Advisory Board is comprised of the most knowledgeable and successful real estate professionals, in both academic study and in real world practice, and is dedicated to creating and cultivating a collaborative community of industry thought leaders.

About Rutgers Business School

Rutgers Business School – Newark and New Brunswick – is an integral part of one of the nation’s oldest, largest, and most distinguished institutions of higher learning: Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey founded in 1766. Rutgers Business School has been accredited since 1941 by AACSB International – the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business – a distinction that represents the hallmark of excellence in management education.