Meet Edward Walter. Walter is the CEO and president of Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc., the nation’s largest lodging real estate company, and the newly appointed Robert and Lauren Steers Chair in Real Estate and professor of practice at the McDonough School of Business.
Walter was brought on board to create and teach a new course for spring 2015 titled Real Estate Public Equity. In addition, he will collaborate with Matthew Cypher, director of the Real Estate Finance Initiative, to establish the program as a top real estate program globally. These actions come as part McDonough’s Real Estate Finance Initiative mission of providing an applied education through a private-sector oriented approach,
“Walter’s expertise will bring real estate theory to life for Georgetown McDonough students,” Cypher said. “This new course expands our curriculum and enhances students’ experience by providing training that integrates real-world applications with their coursework. Partnering with an individual of Ed’s caliber and reputation is a huge win for the Real Estate Finance Initiative and will accelerate our growth.”
McDonough’s Real Estate Finance Initiative primary objective is to “elevate the role Georgetown McDonough plays in real estate finance by developing future business leaders interested in careers in real estate finance.” The initiative aims to do this by making the university a forum for industry leaders to gather, discuss changing industry trends and share their knowledge.
Walter’s addition to the faculty also falls in with the Real Estate Initiative’s applied learning focus, which capitalizes on global relationships in the private sector to engage students in practical experience. The initiative utilizes an agenda of curricular and co-curricular activities and maximizes the Washington, D.C. area’s position as a global real estate market.