Conference, panel discussions mark
MSLD program's 25th anniversary

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Texas A&M's Master of Science and Land Development program marked a significant milestone with "Land Development Post Meltdown: The 25th Anniversary Aggie Master of Science in Land Development Conference and Banquet” March 6 in the Langford Architecture Center.

A “Seat of Heat” panel discussion, “Creating Real Estate Value in the Brave New World,” highlighted the conference. Moderated by Jorge Vanegas, dean of the College of Architecture, the panel featured five distinguished speakers, all graduates of the Aggie MSLD program, in a lively discussion.

'Seat of Heat' at Master of Science in Land Development 25th Anniversary Conference and Banquet from TAMU College of Architecture on Vimeo.

"It was a proud Aggie moment, with five former students, all leaders in the real estate development industry, defining just how real estate value is created," said Geoffrey Booth, MSLD program coordinator. “It was an intelligent, insightful and entertaining discussion on a topic that is fundamental to the future of our industry.”

“Seat of Heat” panelists included:

• Jonathan H. Brinsden ’91, Urban Land Institute president-elect and CEO of Midway Companies, Houston;
• Tim Crawford ’96, president and owner of Resurgent Ventures, LLC, Charlotte, North Carolina;
• Rick Rodriguez ’84, president, Magi Real Estate, San Antonio;
• Mike Land ’84, town manager, Prosper, Texas and
• Dan Leverett ’80, vice president-commercial development, The Woodlands Development Company, The Woodlands, Texas.

Tailored for real estate professionals, the conference also featured workshops and briefings about the program as well as a panel discussion about the real estate market and its future, presented by Cydney Donnell, executive professor of finance and director of the Master of Real Estate program at Texas A&M's Mays Business School.

"It was both immensely satisfying and enjoyable to see so many existing and former MSLD students come together with faculty and friends of the college on the occasion of the masters program's 25th anniversary to endorse the reforms arising from the Anikeeff/McFarland report," said Booth.

The report stemmed from an external review of the program conducted last fall by Michael Anikeeff, professor and chair of the Edward St. John Department of Real Estate at Johns Hopkins University, and Margaret McFarland, director of the Master of Real Estate Development program and Colvin Institute of Real Estate Development at the University of Maryland.

 “Given the depth and breadth of real estate research and expertise and the strength and size of the multidisciplinary faculty at Texas A&M University, you have potentially the strongest university-based real estate offer in the world with the possible exception of the University of Reading in the United Kingdom,” wrote Anikeeff in a briefing delivered in December 2009 to Texas A&M officials.

At the same briefing, McFarland noted the program’s potential to draw upon and advance the rich multidisciplinary skills and expertise at the college—all of which contributed to or touched upon real estate development.

- Posted: Mar. 24, 2010-