At the Center of It All: Students Dive Deep Into World of Real Estate Development.

• Author: Kuhn, Kristy
• Position: Industry Insiders: U's Master of Real Estate Development Program at the Ivory-Boyer Real Estate Center

Students in the Master of Real Estate Development (MRED) program at the University of Utah are ready to hit the ground running for their employers when they graduate --thanks, in large part, to the invaluable real-world experience afforded to them through the Ivory-Boyer Real Estate Center. That's good news: for the Student ts, for their employers and for the state's overall real estate outlook.

A Center with a Purpose

The Ivory-Boyer Real Estate Center (IBREC)--located atop the Spencer Fox Eccles Business Building on the University of Utah's campus--opened in 2007, thanks to a generous endowment from Clark Ivory in honor of his father Ellis Ivory of Ivory Homes, and Roger Boyer of the Boyer Company. Their support plus the leadership of dean of the David Eccles School of Business Taylor Randle, and advisory board members Fred Fairclough and Bob Moore, among others, was instrumental to getting the center on its feet. The designated purpose of the Center is simple: to provide unsurpassed real estate industry education and research. In practice, the Center works closely with the MRED academic program to offer students a deep dive into the world of real estate development: one that expands their understanding of the work at hand in their current industry positions and prepares them to seamlessly step into new roles after graduation.

"The IBREC is really one of the top real estate programs in the nation and is training the future leaders of our industry," says Clark Ivory, CEO of Ivory Homes. "There is no doubt in my mind our industry and economy have greatly benefited from the program, faculty, students, alumni, and the advisory board."

A Wealth of Learning Opportunities

The Center is an integral part of the MRED students' education right from the start. Flyn Dawson, the Center's director, has been in commercial banking for more than 25 years. Thanks to the generous support of Zions Bank, he utilizes his experience as a senior vice president of real estate to prepare students for the industry and all the exciting learning opportunities that await: The Real Estate Challenge, development-oriented field trips, a mentorship program, a guest speaker series, and the newly added Women's Council.

The Real Estate Challenge is an annual event open to any college student in the State of Utah. Students form teams and submit proposals and business plans centered around development. Submissions are judged by a panel of real estate experts from the community...