The University of Michigan’s history in commercial real estate is distinguished by notable alumni, including Alfred A.Taubman, Stephen M. Ross, Jeff Blau, Ambassador Rob Weiser, and Sam Zell. When you study with us, you join the industry’s best to carry on a powerful tradition of leadership, innovation, and impact.
Alfred Taubman, a self-made billionaire and pioneering force in American retail development, rose from modest beginnings to reshape how Americans shopped—and how institutions served their patrons. Born in Pontiac, Michigan, in 1924 to German Jewish immigrants, Taubman began working at a young age to help support his family. His early experiences—first as a gas station attendant, then in a shoe store—sparked a fascination with customer service and retail, which would go on to define his professional life.
After serving in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II, Taubman studied architecture at the University of Michigan and Lawrence Technological Institute before launching Taubman Company in 1950 with a $5,000 loan. He opened his first retail center just two years later. Inspired by the work of architect Victor Gruen, Taubman became a leader in developing the modern enclosed shopping mall. Over the following decades, his company built a nationwide portfolio of high-end retail properties, fundamentally altering the American consumer experience.
In 1983, Taubman expanded his business interests into the art world by acquiring a controlling stake in Sotheby’s, rescuing the historic auction house from an unfriendly takeover. Although some viewed the move as a bid for social status, Taubman transformed Sotheby’s into a more customer-focused and profitable enterprise. His tenure, however, was later marred by controversy: in 2001, he was convicted of price fixing in a commission scheme involving Christie’s. While he denied wrongdoing, he served a year and a day in prison. The conviction did little to tarnish his legacy in Detroit, where his civic engagement and philanthropy remained unwavering.
Taubman was a tireless benefactor in education, health care, and the arts. He was the principal donor behind the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, the Taubman Health Sciences Library, and the Taubman Medical Research Institute at the University of Michigan. He also endowed the Taubman Center for State and Local Government at Harvard and was a major supporter of Wayne State University Law School, particularly its Keith Center for Civil Rights. He counted civil rights attorney Damon Keith among his close friends and notably assisted Rosa Parks in securing safe housing after she was attacked in 1994.
Despite his legal troubles, Taubman’s philanthropic record earned him numerous honorary degrees and enduring respect. His legacy is especially strong in his hometown of Detroit, where he championed urban revitalization and invested in institutions that would uplift future generations.
Taubman is survived by his wife, Judy; three children—Robert, William, and Gayle—from his first marriage to Reva Kolodney; nine grandchildren; and a great-grandchild. He died on April 17, 2015, at the age of 91.
Stephen M. Ross is the Chairman and Founder of Related Companies. Mr. Ross formed Related in 1972 and today the company includes over 3,000 professionals. Related is one of the largest owners of affordable housing, has developed over $22 billion in real estate, and owns real estate assets valued at over $20 billion made up of best-in-class mixed-use, residential, retail and office properties in premier high-barrier-to-entry markets. Mr. Ross is also the owner of the Miami Dolphins.
Mr. Ross is Chairman of the Board of Directors of Equinox Holdings, Inc., serves on the Executive Committee and is a trustee of Lincoln Center, and is a trustee of New York-Presbyterian Hospital and the Guggenheim Foundation. He is a director on the board of The Shed and the Jackie Robinson Foundation and is chairperson emeritus of the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY), the city’s leading real estate trade association. Mr. Ross is also a director on the board of the World Resources Institute (WRI) and recently established the WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities, an innovative new initiative to integrate urban planning, sustainable transport, energy and climate change, water resources, and governance.
Over the years, Mr. Ross has received numerous honors for his business, civic, and philanthropic activities. Most recently, he was a New York Power Player by the New York Times, the Most Powerful Person in New York Real Estate by the New York Observer, Multi-Family Property Executive of the Year by Commercial Property News, and Housing Person of the Year by the National Housing Conference. He also received The National Building Museum Honor Award, REBNY’s Harry B. Helmsley Distinguished New Yorker Award and the Jack D. Weiler Award from UJA. Crain’s New York named Mr. Ross one of the 100 Most Influential Leaders in Business and he was recognized by NYC & Company with their Leadership in Tourism Award. In 2013, Mr. Ross pledged to give more than half of his estate to philanthropic causes and charitable organizations through the Giving Pledge, a long-term global initiative created by Warren Buffett and Bill and Melinda Gates that aims to inspire deeper engagement in philanthropy and increase charitable giving globally.
Mr. Ross graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree, from Wayne State University Law School with a Juris Doctor degree and from New York University School of Law with a Master of Laws in Taxation. In 2004, the University of Michigan renamed its business school the Stephen M.Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan and in 2011 the University of Michigan awarded Mr.Ross an honorary degree, Doctor of Laws.
Jeff T. Blau is the Chief Executive Officer and a partner of Related Companies, the most prominent privately-owned real estate company in the United States. Mr. Blau joined Related in 1990.
Mr. Blau also serves as Chairman and is a founding partner of energyRe, a leading independent company developing transformative clean energy projects across the country.
As Chief Executive Officer of Related, Mr. Blau is responsible for directing and overseeing new developments worth more than $60 billion in virtually every sector of the real estate industry. He is responsible for the strategic direction of the company, overall management of the firm, the pursuit of new development opportunities and corporate acquisitions and financing activities across all business platforms.
In his role as Chairman and Founding Partner of energyRe, Mr. Blau led the recruitment of the company’s executive management team, and continues to oversee the company’s foundational, nation-leading renewable energy projects including Clean Path NY and Leading Light Wind. Clean Path NY is the largest renewable energy infrastructure project in the United States and is an $11 billion transmission-led development, comprised of a 175-mile underground transmission line and 3,800 MW of solar and wind generation. Leading Light Wind, is a $6 billion, off-shore wind project in the New York Bight.
Mr. Blau also serves on the Board of Directors of Equinox Holdings, Inc., the Central Park Conservancy, the New York City Partnership Fund, Robin Hood Foundation, Real Estate Roundtable, The Wharton Graduate School, Lincoln Center, and The Mount Sinai Medical Center.
Ambassador Ron Weiser was elected to the Board of Regents at the University of Michigan (UM) in 2016 and currently serves as its chair. Ron Weiser founded McKinley Associates Inc., a national real estate investment company, in 1968 and was its chairman and chief executive officer until 2001. From 2001-05 under President George W. Bush, he served as the U.S. Ambassador to the Slovak Republic.
Regent Weiser served on the board of directors of numerous non-profit organizations, including the national board of the Ginsberg Center at UM, the Detroit Institute of Arts, the UNCF of Washtenaw County, the Michigan Theater, Artrain USA, and The Henry Ford Museum. He served on the advisory boards of the Zell Lurie Institute in the Stephen M. Ross School of Business and the University’s Food Allergy Center. In 1984, together with his wife, Eileen, he created the McKinley Foundation, a public community foundation that built Ann Arbor’s NEW Center. He and his wife also founded two educational institutes at UM: the Weiser Center for Emerging Democracies and the Weiser Center for Europe and Eurasia, and established the Weiser Diplomacy Center at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy. They also served as deputy chairs of the University’s Victors for Michigan Campaign.
He currently is a trustee of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation and The Henry Ford, a member of the endowment committee of the Detroit Institute of Arts, and the chair of an effort to raise resources for a pediatric brain cancer research initiative at the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital in honor of the late Chad Carr.
He was born in South Bend, Indiana and graduated with honors in 1966 from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. He also did post-graduate work at the University’s Business and Law Schools. He and his wife Eileen have three children and five grandchildren.
Sam Zell, a transformative force in real estate and one of the architects of the modern REIT era, passed away on May 18, 2023, at the age of 81. Known for his bold investments and contrarian thinking, Zell left a lasting mark on the built environment, the investment world, and entrepreneurial education.
Born in Chicago in 1941 to Polish Jewish refugees, Zell’s early life was defined by resilience and drive. While studying at the University of Michigan, he and his partner Robert Lurie began managing student apartments, launching what would become Equity Group Investments in 1964. That venture sparked a career that reshaped real estate investing.
Zell founded and chaired several prominent REITs, including Equity Residential (NYSE: EQR), Equity LifeStyle Properties (NYSE: ELS), Equity Commonwealth (NYSE: EQC), and Equity Office Properties Trust—the first REIT added to the S&P 500 and the largest office owner in the U.S. before its $39 billion sale to Blackstone in 2007.
A tireless champion of listed REITs, Zell advocated for transparency, access, and accountability in real estate investment. He served as Chair of Nareit from 1999–2000 and was honored with its Industry Leadership Award. Nareit CEO Steve Wechsler described him as the “architect and progenitor of the modern REIT era” and praised his vision, determination, and legacy.
Beyond real estate, Zell invested in businesses across industries such as energy, manufacturing, retail, and health care. He was also a dedicated philanthropist, supporting entrepreneurial education through programs like the Zell Lurie Institute at the University of Michigan, the Zell Fellows Program at Northwestern’s Kellogg School, and initiatives at Wharton and Reichman University.
Zell is remembered for his intellectual curiosity, entrepreneurial spirit, and deep commitment to doing the right thing. He is survived by his wife, Helen; his sisters, Julie Baskes and Leah Zell; his children, Kellie, Matthew, and JoAnn; and nine grandchildren. His legacy continues to inspire a new generation of real estate and business leaders.
