Kerry Vandell, an influential professor from the University of
Wisconsin-Madison, has been appointed executive director of the new
Center for Real Estate at UC Irvine's Paul Merage School of Business.
Vandell, who will also serve as a professor of finance, plans to
begin his tenure in July 2006. At Wisconsin, he directed the
Graaskamp real estate program, one of the most heralded business
education programs in the country.
As head of the UCI real estate program, he will preside over the
training of graduate students preparing for careers in the real
estate industry.
"One thing that struck me so much is how much of Orange County
really is a real estate play, starting with the Irvine Ranch
development and other large-scale urban developments," Vandell said.
"It always seemed ironic that UCI never really had a formal
academic real estate program," he added. "So it seemed to me like a
real opportunity when the dean suggested an interest in starting one.
It was an opportunity to really fill a void."
Vandell has headed the real estate program at Wisconsin-Madison
since 1990. During that time, he has also held visiting
professorships at Harvard University and UC Berkeley, and has
published more than 50 papers in academic journals.
"When you're trying to build the best center in the country, you
go after the best person, and that's Kerry Vandell," said Andy
Policano, dean of the Merage School of Business.
