For more than twenty years, it has been a great opportunity for me to build and lead a real estate program of excellence at Columbia Business School. A lot of work and dedication for sure, but great fun and deep fulfillment in doing so. After thirty-six years of teaching and administration, I am moving into a new role as professor emerita, and I do so with tremendous pride with what we have built here at the Business School. I emphasize the “we” because building and sustaining a graduate program of real estate excellence has been a collective endeavor of engaged students and active alumni, dedicated faculty, and friends of the industry, in particular, those who have served on the Real Estate Program Advisory Board, who I fondly refer to as my “kitchen cabinet.” What we have built here will surely continue to have an impact on the future leadership of the real estate industry. A tremendous amount of knowledge resides in the field, and from so many in industry—alumni and non-alumni alike—we have consciously sought out wise counsel, commitments to provide case materials, participation in the classroom, and connections to jobs for our graduates, as well as financial support to increase the range of what we do for students and alumni outside the classroom. Those carefully built connections between professional practice and the academy are a distinctive feature of our program. They have been critical to our success, and will continue as such.

On a personal note, the returns I have gotten from hearing first-hand and reading about your achievements and professional advances have been the real rewards of teaching, seeing that I have made a contribution to someone’s future. I am forever grateful for all your feedback and continued communication.

We have a very strong reputation as a program of excellence, so I step aside at a moment of great pride. It’s been a great run at CBS. As I move on to write more books, serve on corporate boards, and engage in civic service, I intend to stay involved. My email will remain [email protected], so please stay in touch.