RWU’s Real Estate Team Places Fourth in National College Competition
Five students from Construction Management, Architecture, Marketing, Real Estate, and Preservation Studies combined their diverse skills to tackle real-world challenges.
BRISTOL, R.I. – Competing for the first time in the national Corcoran Center Case Competition, a group of five students from Roger Williams University’s new Real Estate Club with diverse academic backgrounds came together to create an affordable housing proposal that landed them in fourth place out of 60 teams from across the country.
As part of the sixth annual Corcoran Center Case Competition at Boston College, which ran virtually from March 22 to April 16, teams of undergraduate students created comprehensive proposals for the design and financing of an affordable housing development for homeless veterans based in Los Angeles. RWU’s team passed the first round to make it to the final four, where they competed against teams from the University of Wisconsin, Florida State University, and Boston College.
“Placing fourth in the competition is a remarkable achievement for our newly formed RWU Real Estate program, especially considering this was our inaugural participation,” said Issa Ramaji, Director of Curriculum for RWU’s Real Estate Program and advisor to the Real Estate Club. “In the final round, we competed against teams from universities with prestigious real estate programs. This intense competition underscores the caliber, commitment, and creativity of our students. Our fourth-place finish highlights our team's potential and establishes a solid foundation for RWU in the national real estate academic arena. It’s a proud moment that demonstrates our students' readiness to make significant impacts in the real estate industry.”
The Real Estate Club was created this spring with the goal of bringing together students from various majors interested in learning more about the real estate industry and to participate in educational, networking, and professional development opportunities. The competition team consisted of junior Daniel Fontana, a Construction Management major from Armonk, N.Y., who served as team captain; junior Bryce Riccitelli, a Construction Management major from Monroe, Conn.; senior Charles McGowan, a Preservation Studies major from Scituate, R.I., who is also pursuing an M.A. in Architecture; senior Liam Lachi, an Architecture major from Newport, R.I.; and junior Stephen Nalesnik, a Marketing major from Middleton, Mass.
The team’s diversity of academic backgrounds – from Construction Management, Architecture, Marketing, and Preservation Studies – illustrates the multidisciplinary nature that sets RWU’s Cummings Institute for Real Estate apart and also served as a strength and key differentiator noted and praised by the competition judges, Ramaji said.
“Collaborating with students from different majors like Architecture and Marketing was a fantastic learning experience,” said Fontana, who serves as the President of the Real Estate Club. “This cross-disciplinary teamwork is invaluable for my future in construction management, teaching me how to collaborate effectively with people of various backgrounds. The competition pushed us all out of our comfort zone, challenging us to apply our knowledge creatively in design and finance. I'm grateful for the opportunity to leverage our team's diverse backgrounds to tackle real-world challenges and develop skills essential for my career."