10th Anniversary Celebration of the Daniel M. DiLella Center for Real Estate

CELEBRATING 10 YEARS
DiLella Center for Real Estate
It’s hard to believe that 10 years have elapsed since the Real Estate Center first opened its doors.
Having spent my entire career in the field, I had long felt that enhancing the VSB student experience
with real estate coursework and exposure would be invaluable to the school and students alike.
When then-Dean James Danko, Shawn Howton and I started seriously discussing the introduction
of a real estate curriculum into the business school program, I knew that this longtime goal finally
had the support it needed to be realized. For me, the project was fueled by my desire to give back to
Villanova for all it had given me; I was also excited to expose students to the dynamic profession that
has brought me so much career fulfillment over the years.
The ultimate goal was to give Villanova students a comprehensive, pragmatic
undergraduate real estate experience that would prepare them for a career in the
industry after graduation.
I think we have achieved these objectives over the past 10 years—in fact, I think we have
far exceeded them. We now have an undergraduate Real Estate degree—one of the largest
graduating majors in VSB, and one of only a handful of such programs in the country. We have
dedicated real estate professors who bring their real-world experiences into the classroom. We
have an extensive network of real estate entrepreneurs and executives who mentor our students
and provide invaluable internship opportunities that lead to real jobs after graduation. We have
an elite board comprised of national leaders in all aspects of the industry. The students who have
completed the program are excelling in their respective areas of the field, and many are now
returning to the Center itself as mentors and as contributors to the future success of the program.
This is our legacy.
– Dan DiLella ’73 VSB