One of the aspects that I like most about academics is that there is a very clear start and end to everything we do. As we stand at the start of a new academic year, it is always a moment of renewal, but this year carries particular weight for the Steers Center. We enter the fall not only with a new class of students but also with a new home, an expanded mission, and a sharpened commitment to excellence.

New Location at 111 Massachusetts Avenue

We are now based at 111 Massachusetts Avenue in Washington, D.C., a location that reflects both our ambitions and the industries we serve. We believe that our recent move toward real assets is enhanced by this new location, particularly as it pertains to our infrastructure ambitions.

The building sits at the nexus of the District’s business, policy, and academic communities, offering our students direct access to the conversations shaping real assets globally. Our new space is more than an address — it is a signal of intent. It positions us where real estate, infrastructure, and decision-making intersect with government and capital, and it gives us the stage we need to convene the best minds from industry and policy. To be clear, however, we have not abandoned the Hilltop but will continue to educate and work with our students in both locations.

Expanding Beyond Real Estate

The decision to broaden our scope beyond real estate into infrastructure reflects where the market — and our students’ careers — are headed.

Infrastructure and real estate are increasingly inseparable. From data centers and logistics to energy transition assets and transportation systems, the built environment and essential services now define global investment opportunities. Our new identity, the Steers Center for Global Real Assets, captures that expanded focus. It allows us to educate and equip leaders who can operate across both asset classes, with the sophistication to navigate capital markets and the pragmatism to understand the operational realities of physical assets.

Students at the Heart of the Center

Despite these changes, one thing remains constant: the student is at the center of every decision we make. Authentically caring about our students is the very essence of who we are and what we stand for. We measure our success not by the number of programs or publications but by the impact we have on students’ lives and careers.

The move to 111 Massachusetts Avenue and our expanded mission are both in service of creating opportunities for our students: opportunities to learn, lead, and launch careers that will shape the future of real assets.

The Steers Standard of Performance

Our work is guided by what we call the Steers Standard of Performance — a culture of excellence that defines how we operate as educators, students, alumni, colleagues, and partners. 

We are building more than an academic program or brand, but a culture of excellence that will serve our students well beyond their time at Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business. We expect that every person involved with the Steers Center will bring the very best that they have to offer. The cycle is simple, but it is powerful – by holding ourselves to the highest standards in everything we do, the outcome takes care of itself.

Looking Ahead

This year marks a turning point for the Steers Center. We are no longer simply a real estate center within a business school. We are a platform for thought leadership, talent development, and industry engagement at the intersection of infrastructure, energy transition, and real estate. We are rooted in Washington but global in outlook. We are student-centered but industry-driven. Above all, we are committed to setting a standard of performance that elevates our students and strengthens the industries we serve.

As we welcome the new academic year, I invite all of our students, alumni, employers, and partners to engage with us in this next chapter.

Come visit us at 111 Massachusetts Avenue. Join us for events and discussions that will shape the future of real assets. Most importantly, continue to challenge us to live up to the high expectations we set for ourselves.

The Steers Center has never been stronger. With your support, this year will not only mark a new chapter but the start of a new era.

Author: Matthew L. Cypher, Ph.D., is the Atara Kaufman Professor of Real Estate and the academic director of the Steers Center for Global Real Assets at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business.