ANN ARBOR, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business kicked off homecoming weekend tonight with the unveiling of its new Jeff T. Blau Hall. The ribbon-cutting ceremony was attended by several hundred guests including the school's namesake, Stephen M. Ross, in addition to Jeff T. Blau, Scott DeRue, the Edward J. Frey Dean and Stephen M. Ross Professor of Business at Michigan Ross, and former deans Joe White, Bob Dolan, and Alison Davis-Blake.
The 104,000-square foot academic building is named after Jeff T. Blau, the CEO of Related Companies, one of the largest private real estate development firms in the country. The new building consists of six floors and nine classrooms, as well as a career services center and office space for various staff departments including operations, finance, development, and human resources. Blau had his family in attendance for the ceremony, with his children in tow to cut the ribbon.
“The construction project completes a vision of a unified business school complex,” said Blau. “The new buildings keep Michigan Ross at the cutting edge of technology and provide inspiring new spaces to study and work. Most important, however, they are specifically designed to encourage collaboration, creativity, and innovation among our students and our staff — and in doing that, they help keep our school among the very best in the world.”
Blau Hall was funded, in part, by Blau’s $10 million gift to the business school, as well as Stephen Ross’ $100 million gift. To date, Ross has donated more than $313 million to the business school and University of Michigan Athletics, making him the largest single donor in the university’s history. Ross sees the new building as a vessel for preparing the next generation of business movers and shakers.
“I believe it is critical to support the education of tomorrow’s business leaders,” said Ross, who is also a U-M alumnus. “And I take special pride in supporting business education at the University of Michigan, where I had a life-changing experience that built the foundation for my career and business.”
Friday's event also celebrated the 25th anniversary of Michigan Ross’ Multidisciplinary Action Projects (MAP), the school’s signature program for MBA students. The student-driven, experiential learning program is designed for students to tackle complex business issues at various companies around the world. Since 1992, nearly 10,500 students have completed more than 2,000 projects in 92 countries worldwide.
“It is through the generosity of people like Steve Ross and Jeff Blau that we are able to bring this mission to life and create a world-class environment for our students, faculty, and staff,” said DeRue. “I am deeply grateful for their generosity and support of our mission, the university, and our community."
About Michigan Ross
The
Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan is
a vibrant and distinctive learning community grounded in the principle
that business can be an extraordinary vehicle for positive change in
today's dynamic global economy. The Ross School of Business mission is
to develop leaders who make a positive difference in the world. Through
thought and action, members of the Ross community drive change and
innovation that improves business and society.
Ross is consistently ranked among the world's leading business schools. Academic degree programs include the BBA, MBA, Part-time MBA (Evening and Weekend formats), Executive MBA, Global MBA, Master of Accounting, Master of Supply Chain Management, Master of Management, and PhD. In addition, the school delivers open-enrollment and custom executive education programs targeting general management, leadership development, and strategic human resource management.