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UST Student Profile

UST MSRE Student Profile – Brandon Doyle, Realtor

The UST Opus College of Business Master’s in Real Estate program welcomes the new class to the 2014-2015 academic year! Take a look at a brief snapshot of the students in this year’s class.

FULL NAME: Brandon Doyle

What is your educational background and experience?
Bachelor of Science in Real Estate from St. Cloud State University.
Doyle Real Estate Team – RE/MAX Results REALTOR

Why did you choose the MSRE program at UST?
I joined the MSRE program in order to network with other top professionals in the real estate industry.

What are your future career goals?
I’m currently growing my residential real estate team and am looking to expand into commercial, investments, and development.

As you enter the MSRE program, what aspect of the program are you most excited about?
I’m excited to have the opportunity to connect with other top professionals in the real estate industry, as well as MBA and Law students.

What do you enjoy most about the real estate industry?
The opportunities within the real estate industry are endless, you’re able to create your own career path and are constantly interacting with other professionals.

What is your favorite non-real estate pastime and why?
I enjoy traveling and experiencing new cultures.

October 3, 2014 by Gauthier Mubwa

UST Student Profile

UST Student Profile- Marty McCarthy, Project Manager and Green Building Consultant

The UST Opus College of Business Master’s in Real Estate program welcomes the new class to the 2012-2013 academic year! Take a look at a brief snapshot of the students in this year’s class.

Marty McCarthy is a part of the new class of students entering the MSRE program in Spring 2013. Marty brings over 10 years of public and private sector experience to the program, including five years as a project manager for the City of Chicago’s Department of Planning and Development. He also spent several years in the private sector green building industry where he focused on energy efficiency improvements. By obtaining an advanced degree in Real Estate at UST, Marty hopes to broaden his understanding of the Real Estate industry and to expand his professional network.

What is your educational background and experience?

My major was sociology, however because I went to a small school I was able to shape my studies to focus on Urban Issues that affect communities. I studied the concepts of Ernest Burgess of the University of Chicago who created the Concentric Zone Theory. One of my professors was getting his Doctorate from the University of Chicago and I studied his theories on gentrification in Chicago and how Hipsters/artists were the indicator of where gentrification would happen next.

Why did you choose the MSRE program at UST?

To broaden and make deeper my knowledge of the Real Estate industry. I also was attracted to the program because of the networking possibilities that the program offers.

What are your future career goals?

I would like to be a consultant for small businesses or work for a commercial/industrial developer.

As you enter the MSRE program, what aspect of the program are you most excited about?

I am most excited about growing my knowledge in financial aspects of real estate. I want to know more about financing real estate deals and also the financing a real estate business.

What do you enjoy most about the real estate industry?

I’m really interested in Commercial/Industrial development. I am particularly interested in distressed properties and helping small businesses with understanding how to manage their real estate assets.

What is your favorite non-real estate pastime ?

Well there are two. No. 1 is golf because I love to challenge myself. I played soccer all my life including a year in college and have found that Golf fills that competitive spirit in my life. No. 2 I love baseball, Chicago White Sox to be specific. I do have respect for the Twins, but no love for the Chicago Cubs. I have noticed a sizable population of fans of the Lovable Losers (cubs) in twin cities, so I feel I need to represent the Southside.

What is your favorite local development and why?

A few months ago I attended a presentation by Ryan Companies at UST on the development of 222 Hennepin. I really like all projects that incorporate mixed use development in dense urban settings. I think I favor this type of development because I grew up in a dense neighborhood in Chicago. I favor being able to walk places over having to getting in a car to go everywhere.

February 15, 2013 by Spencer Agnew

Appraisal, UST Class Profile, UST Student Profile

UST Student Profile – Natalie Mink, Certified Residential Real Estate Appraiser

The UST Opus College of Business Master’s in Real Estate program welcomes the new class to the 2012-2013 academic year! Take a look at a brief snapshot of the students in this year’s class.

NAME: Natalie Mink

What is your educational background and experience?

I graduated from the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire with a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting. Currently, I am a Certified Residential Real Estate Appraiser and work for Sunrise Community Banks as an Appraisal Specialist.

Why did you choose the MSRE program at UST?

I was looking for ways to expand my education regarding all aspects of commercial real estate. I researched many programs throughout the country and found the MSRE program at UST offered exactly what I was looking for.

What are your future career goals?

I am working towards an SRA designation with the Appraisal Institute and hope to have the opportunity to earn a commercial real estate appraiser license.

As you enter the MSRE program, what aspect of the program are you most excited about?

I am looking forward to networking with other local real estate professionals.

What do you enjoy most about the real estate industry?

I enjoy the fact that the market is constantly changing and every property is unique therefore every day is different with new challenges.

What is your favorite non-real estate pastime and why?

I enjoy doing anything outdoors.

October 26, 2012 by Jessica Kluntz

UST Class Profile, UST Student Profile

UST Student Profile – Eric Thiewes, Senior Housing Development Officer

The UST Opus College of Business Master’s in Real Estate program welcomes the new class to the 2012-2013 academic year! Take a look at a brief snapshot of the students in this year’s class.

NAME: Eric Thiewes

What is your educational background and experience?

I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Housing Studies and a minor in Construction Management from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities. I have eight years of construction, housing development, and housing finance experience. Currently, I work at Minnesota Housing Finance Agency as a Senior Housing Development Officer in the Single Family Community Development Division. I work with developers and city administrators helping them develop and finance housing programs such as owner occupied rehabilitation projects. I also help finance developers that acquire, rehab and sell affordable single family homes and build new construction homes throughout Minnesota.

Why did you choose the MSRE program at UST?

I choose the MSRE because I wanted to further my educational background in real estate focusing my studies on commercial real estate and multifamily housing developments. This is really the only Master’s program here in the Twin Cities that specializes in real estate finance.

What are your future career goals?

I would like to continue down a path of housing finance but would like to explore career possibilities in commercial real estate finance. Continue Reading

October 2, 2012 by Jessica Kluntz

Uncategorized, UST Class Profile, UST Student Profile

UST Student Profile – Thomas Strohm, Architect and Construction Administrator

The UST Opus College of Business Master’s in Real Estate program welcomes the new class to the 2012-2013 academic year! Take a look at a brief snapshot of the students in this year’s class.

Name: Thomas Strohm

What is your educational background and experience?

I graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in Architecture and a minor in Construction Management. During my undergraduate studies I obtained an internship at BWBR Architects. After graduation, I joined BWBR full-time and continued to work there for nearly seven years. I have worked on projects in the health care, corrections, athletic, and corporate office sectors. It was great to collaborate on interdisciplinary teams and partner with contractors, developers, and project owners to develop project scope and reach team goals. In addition to traditional design work, I received an opportunity to work on a job site for six months acting as a Construction Administrator. This experience allowed me to better bridge the gap between design and construction – ultimately allowing me to deliver a better final product and better serve our clients.

Why did you choose the MSRE program at UST?

I was searching for a program that would allow me the flexibility to work and go to school. The MSRE program allows me the flexibility to do both and at a pace that fits my goals. I was also drawn to the program because of its connection to industry leaders. I wanted to learn from and network with respected experts.

What are your future career goals?

In the near future I would like to secure a position in development, where I can further expand my understanding of the development process. In addition, I hope this position would allow me to apply my studies from the UST program to real world situations. Upon graduation I plan to continue to gain experience in the development of large commercial projects, grow into my role and help to achieve successful projects. Long term I would like to start my own development company where I can utilize my diverse experiences in design, construction and real estate. Continue Reading

September 24, 2012 by Jessica Kluntz

UST Class Profile, UST Student Profile

UST Student Profile – Jonathan Hines, LEED-accredited Project Engineer

The UST Opus College of Business Master’s in Real Estate program welcomes the new class to the 2012-2013 academic year! Take a look at a brief snapshot of the students in this year’s class.

NAME: Jonathan Hines

What is your educational background and experience?

I received a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering in 2008 from Iowa State University. I currently work for a large Minneapolis based construction manager and developer. Before coming to the Twin Cities, I worked as a Project Engineer for the same company out of the Chicago office for 3.5 years.

Why did you choose the MSRE program at UST?

I chose the MSRE program at UST because I was looking for a local established real estate program that provided exemplary opportunities to connect with local real estate professionals, real estate developers and would allow my career to come full circle, that is to have an experience that has included knowledge about development, civil engineering, design phase management and construction management.

What are your future career goals?

I intend to specialize in real estate development and focus my career on finding local development opportunities in various markets. I hope to support these development opportunities by managing the full scope of a project including; site selection, programming, design phase management, owner representation and eventually using my construction management background to transition these development projects to be operated by a property management staff or new perspective owners. Continue Reading

September 14, 2012 by Jessica Kluntz

UST Student Profile

UST Student Profile – Sue Marshall, Broker & Social Contract Negotiation (Community development, Collaborative planning)

As a licensed real estate broker, established entrepreneur and real estate investor, Sue Marshall brings over 17 years of industry experience to UST’s RE program. As managing broker, Sue delivers her expertise in the residential market to developers and planners, consulting on community development projects. She also manages market research in new developments, ensuring demographics will support community projects, and works to strengthen social dynamics of such developments through managing social media, and cause marketing campaigns. Now, Sue is further expanding upon her real estate and development knowledge in the MSRE program.

March 8, 2012 by Catherine Davies-Nelson

Uncategorized, UST Student Profile

Student Profile: Tim Lawrence, Site Selection Specialist & Retail Real Estate Broker

With expertise in geography and location analysis, Tim Lawrence helps retailers and developers find the perfect site. Now, Tim is expanding upon his real estate knowledge in the MSRE program.

What is your educational background and professional experience?

I majored in Geography and English at the University of Wisconsin- Eau Claire. Because of my interest in Location Analysis, one of my professors recommended a master’s program at UNC-Charlotte. I completed the MA in Geography at UNC-Charlotte, a program focused on Location Analysis, particularly retail location.

I became interested in under-served retail markets, particularly inner-city retail potential. While in that program, I was hired to complete research projects for two wonderful companies that were on the brink of rapid expansion into under-served markets. At Supervalu, I built a sales forecasting tool for potential new Save-A-Lot store locations. Supervalu was one of the first retail chains to conduct detailed market analysis studies decades before I had the opportunity to work for the same department.

After that, at Family Dollar, I interned with the real estate department. I conducted a customer-spotting project to determine trade area parameters. Using this information, we were able to create a model to use for evaluating prospective sites. Family Dollar soon hired me as a Real Estate Manager, a position I held for six years, both in Charlotte and the Twin Cities. I found this to be an excellent opportunity to gain retail real estate experience and exposure to dozens of retail markets throughout the country to complement my background in retail market planning and analysis.

Currently, I operate my own commercial real estate brokerage, Terrager Corporation, with a focus on location consulting for developers and retailers.

November 9, 2011 by Caryn Brooks

Uncategorized, UST Student Profile

Student Profile: Henry Ndawula

What is your professional experience and education?

I graduated from St. Henry’s High School Masaka (Uganda) in 2005; I then joined the University of St. Thomas Minnesota in spring 2006. I graduated in fall 2010 with majors in Accounting, Entrepreneurship and Real Estate. When I graduated, I never wanted to work in any business sector other than Real Estate. I then joined the Masters in Real Estate program starting fall 2010. Currently I’m in my last year through the program and expecting to graduate fall 2012.

My working experience has been short but exciting. I worked in the Minneapolis campus bookstore for a few years. In the summer of 2008, I had an opportunity to work as an intern student at Premier Banks in Maplewood which was another exciting and adventurous experience for me. In 2009, I was lucky to get my much desired internship in real estate at Shenehon Company Minneapolis which I’m still doing up to now. It has been a great learning experience working with commercial and business appraisers.

Why did you choose the MSRE program at UST?

After my graduation in fall 2010, I was interested in the real estate business, since I had my internship with Shenehon Company and an undergraduate degree in real estate. I wanted to further explore what real estate as a business has to offer me. I came to this decision after talking to a couple of people from the MSRE department, talked to Susie and Dr. Tom Hamilton who really helped me very much in my desire to do the program. Since I had graduated from St. Thomas, I pretty much knew the system and even the professor, so it was not a hard decision to choose this program.

What was your career goal when you entered the program and how has it evolved since?

My career goal was to learn as much as I can from the program and see how I can apply all the knowledge attained into the real life business. This goal has not changed; I’m just eager to get the most I can from the program.

My goal is to start a real estate business in Uganda, dealing in development, property/asset management and investment.

Continue Reading

November 2, 2011 by Caryn Brooks

Uncategorized, UST Student Profile

Student Profile: Caryn Brooks, Multifamily Housing Professional

What is your educational background and professional experience?

I graduated from the University of North Carolina with a degree in psychology and began my career in real estate as an Assistant Property Manager at an apartment community in Chapel Hill, NC. About 8 months later I was promoted to Property Manager of a community in Raleigh and then decided to pursue opportunities with national apartment management companies. In 2004, I signed on with Oakwood Worldwide and moved to Minneapolis to manage LaSalle Apartments. A few months into the position, Oakwood announced the sale of its entire portfolio to a REIT, Archstone-Smith. Archstone sold off its Midwest properties and in 2006, TE Miller Development, a local family-owned apartment management company acquired the property. TE Miller had recently purchased 3 other properties and was in need of someone with on-site experience to supervise its portfolio of 1,100 units, so I stepped into the role of Regional Property Manager.

Overseeing a variety of different communities was an incredible learning experience. In 2008, TE Miller began construction on York Place Apartments in Edina, and I was fortunate to be able to work with the owners to fine-tune development proformas and the details of the community from establishing a unit mix and rents to meeting with contractors to select amenities and unit finishes. My goal with the project was to make decisions that would be cost-effective, sustainable, and allow for the property to be efficiently managed and marketed well into the future, since the owners planned to manage the property long-term.

It’s amazing to be able to watch the whole development process from start to finish and make decisions at each step of the way, knowing those decisions will impact residents’ daily lives for the next 40+ years!

Around this time, I also became very interested in the sustainability of buildings and became a LEED Accredited Professional. I realized I needed a more solid base of commercial real estate and finance knowledge to continue doing what I loved – development, so I decided to pursue a master’s degree.
Continue Reading

October 6, 2011 by Editor

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