BU School of Hospitality Administration Launches Real Estate Advisory Council
Boston, MA (July 11, 2023) – Boston University School of Hospitality Administration (BU SHA) is proud to announce the formation of a Real Estate Advisory Council. These highly respected leaders represent various real estate sectors, including hotel ownership, development, research, consulting, financing, asset management, transaction advisory, and law. The Council’s extensive combined global experience, network of connections, and executive leadership in hospitality real estate of the Council further enhance students’ education and career development opportunities.
“This wealth of knowledge gives our students a running start to navigate the complexities of the industry and thrive,” said Arun Upneja, Ph.D., Dean of Boston University’s School of Hospitality Administration. “The Council is integral to the growth of our Real Estate program, led by Kaushik Vardharajan, Associate Professor of the Practice and Director of the SHA Real Estate Program, who spent nearly two decades as a global real estate executive advising private equity funds, sovereign wealth funds, investment banks, hotel brands, and hotel ownership groups.”
The members of the Real Estate Advisory Council provide strategic guidance and advice on the School’s robust real estate programming and curriculum, which offers concentrations in real estate development and finance at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The Advisory Council also played a key role in the formation of the new Master of Science in Hospitality Real Estate (MSRE) degree that equips students with a strong foundation in all the financial and analytical disciplines critical to making and managing hospitality real estate investments. BU SHA will begin accepting applications for this program in September 2023.
“For Council members, engaging with BU SHA students and helping shape the curriculum gives us the opportunity to mentor the rising generation who will go on to be leaders and innovators in the industry,” said Rachel Roginsky, Chair of the BU SHA Real Estate Advisory Council, Owner and Principal of Pinnacle Advisory Group, and Adjunct Professor at BU SHA.
The BU SHA Real Estate Advisory Council Members
Josh Bowman, Partner & Chair of Hospitality Practice, Sherin & Lodgen, LLP
Spencer Davidson, SHA ’12, Senior Vice President, Hunter Hotels
Zach Demuth, SHA ’11, Global Head of Hotels Research, JLL
Cecilia Gordon, ISHC, Attorney & Co-Chair of the Hospitality and Recreation Industry Group, Goulston & Storrs
Jonathan Jaeger, ISHC, SHA ’09, Senior Managing Director, LW Hospitality Advisors
John Lancaster, VP, Emerging Markets Franchise Development, Choice International
Jim Luchars, Senior Advisor, Stonebridge Companies
Rachel Roginsky, ISHC, Principal/Owner, Pinnacle Advisory Group
Ama Romaine, General Counsel, Real Estate Asset Management, Blackstone
David Ruger, SHA ’08, Vice President Investments, HEI Hotels & Resorts
Chad Sorensen, ISHC, Managing Director & COO, CHMWarnick
MEDIA CONTACT:
Mara Littman, Director of Corporate and Public Relations
Email: mlittman@bu.edu
Office: 617-353-4496
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About the Master of Science in Hospitality Real Estate (MSRE)
Real Estate, integral to the hospitality industry, represents one of the most significant investments by the investor and is therefore of critical importance. Courses in the Master of Science in Hospitality Real Estate (MSRE) program examine, in detail, the breadth and depth of the various important parts of the real estate cycle from acquisition or construction through disposition, such as market analysis, feasibility and valuations, construction and acquisition financing, asset management, and the purchase and sale process. In this program, students will gain expertise in the science and art of analytical decision-making, negotiation, and critical thinking for success in the world of hospitality real estate. The degree will also focus on the study of innovation and disruption and teach students to create new and innovative business models that are required in today’s fast-changing world.
About Boston University School of Hospitality Administration: Established in 1981 and celebrating over 40 years of innovating the business of Hospitality, Boston University’s School of Hospitality Administration (SHA) offers students a combination of rigorous academics, liberal arts curriculum, and international experiences for the pursuit of success in lodging, restaurants, food service, and other avenues of the hospitality industry. SHA has a unique relationship with the city of Boston, where the area’s hotels and restaurants provide students with numerous opportunities for internships to satisfy work experience requirements for their degrees.