34th annual Real Estate Center Dinner spotlights students, program supporters
Shenan Murphy honored with Distinguished Real Estate Service Award
The UC Real Estate Center’s 34th annual dinner was held on June 11 and celebrated real estate students and Distinguished Real Estate Service Awardee Shenan Murphy, vice chairman, Cincinnati, Dayton, Cleveland-Akron, Colliers.
A record crowd of more than 600 attendees — comprised of real estate students, alumni, industry professionals and supporters — filled Cincinnati Music Hall.
Real Estate Center Executive Director Carl Goertemoeller began the night by welcoming attendees, thanking members of the center’s Board of Executive Advisors in Real Estate (BEARE) and reiterating the center’s purpose.
“Our mission is to create opportunities that empower students to blaze their own trails in real estate through classroom experiences, company visits, mentorship, engagement with the real estate community through our Roundtable series, co-op and internship opportunities, and eventually full-time work with many of the companies represented tonight.”
From left: Lindner dean Marianne Lewis; 2025 annual dinner chair Bill Williamson, Strauss Troy; PNC Bank Senior Vice President Pam Weber; Distinguished Real Estate Service Awardee Shenan Murphy, vice chairman, Cincinnati, Dayton, Cleveland-Akron, Colliers; UC Real Estate Center Executive Director Carl Goertemoeller; Gary Painter, academic director of the real estate program, professor of real estate and BEARE Chair in Real Estate; and PNC Regional President Warren Weber.
PNC Bank Senior Vice President Pam Weber followed with gratitude for the center’s staff, faculty and professors, and noted that PNC is “better, more creative and more diverse in its approach to business because of the talent and passion that our UC alums bring to work each and every day.”
Next on the microphone was 2025 annual dinner chair Bill Williamson of Strauss Troy, who extended appreciation for the dinner’s sponsors and members of the Real Estate Advisory Council.
Corporate Sponsors
- Basis Companies
- Colliers
- Jeff Wyler Automotive Family
- Strauss Troy
- Taft Law
- The Lanier and Murphy Families
- The Port
- Towne Properties
Bearcat Sponsors
- Cincinnati Commercial Contracting
- Clark Schaffer Hacket
- Corporex
- Dean Dorton
- Foster and Motley
- The Grote Family of Companies
- Huseman Group
- Marcus and Millichap
- Merus
- Mobile Infrastructure
- Oyler Hines
- PLK Communities
- Reading Rock
- The RCF Group
- Roehr Insurance
- STNL Development
- Tom Green
- Van Trust Real Estate
Individual Sponsors
- Ark Malibu
- Central Bank
- Cincinnati Development Fund
- Core Resources
- Fath Properties
- GPMG
- Keystone Management Group
- Loth
- Refinery Ventures
- SPS Partners
- Thompson Hine
- Thunderdome Restaurant Group
- Triversity Construction
Lindner dean Marianne Lewis, PhD, emphasized that the Real Estate Center is a “catalyst linking UC with industry leaders, alumni, students and community stakeholders.”
“The Real Estate Center exemplifies what we strive for at Lindner: the bridging of theory, practice, tradition and innovation.”
Highlighting student success
Gary Painter, PhD, academic director of the real estate program, professor of real estate and BEARE Chair in Real Estate, recognized 15 students as scholarship recipients.
A pair of recent graduates, Dean Misleh and Gwyneth Thomas, were honored as outstanding undergraduate students of the year. Misleh served as the UC Real Estate Assocation’s (UCREA) internal vice president, and completed co-ops with Andor Management Group, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and Uptown Rental Properties. He has joined the Cincinnati office of Lee & Associates in a full-time capacity.
Thomas had terms as UCREA’s vice president and president, and completed co-ops with Bellwether Enterprise, JP Morgan, Fischer Homes, The Port and Viking Partners. Thomas has accepted a full-time role with JPMorgan in Chicago.
- Ohio Realtors Association Scholarship: Michael Walsh
- Greater Cincinnati / Northern Kentucky NAIOP Scholarship: Billy Kander
- ICSC Scholarship: Chase McGugin
- James Selonick Scholarship: Sydney Hamilton, Ben Lones and Jack Suttles
- Carl Segal Scholarship: Brennan O’Neill, Ethan Pacella, Cecillia Pastrick and Sam Reed
- Neyer Scholars: Carter Eilers, Jenna Hartung, Monique Mauler and Michael Walsh
- BEARE Scholars: Raegan Griffith and Patrick Claggett
Distinguished Service honoree
The night concluded with Murphy, a longtime BEARE Board member and UC Foundation trustee who actively mentors and hires Bearcats with Colliers, receiving the Distinguished Service Award. Growing up in a single-parent household, Murphy was the first member of his family to attend college.
Distinguished Real Estate Service Awardee Shenan Murphy.
“I’m very thankful for the adults who took an interest in me,” he said. “We had great neighbors who counseled me and kept me out of trouble.”
Murphy spoke candidly about how his dyslexia taught him not only about failure and embarrassment, but the “value of seeking help.”
“If you ask for help, you build that strong village. And what my village has done for me has put me here tonight.”
The former UC baseball player closed by advising students to take advantage of the opportunities available to them at Lindner, UC and the Real Estate Center.
“Relationships make a difference in your life. You have to be out there. Make those phone calls. Go get those business cards and attend those lunches. Take the time to connect and be present.”
Prior to the annual dinner, Murphy joined Dean Lewis on the Bearcats Mean Business podcast to share more about his journey of overcoming adversity, giving back to Lindner, UC and Cincinnati, and championing the region’s future real estate professionals through mentorship.
Featured image at top: Distinguished Real Estate Service Awardee Shenan Murphy (far left) with real estate student scholarship and award honorees. Photos/Joeseph Fuqua II.
Leading Co-op Business School, Leading Real Estate Center
The UC Real Estate Center serves as the catalyst connecting the University of Cincinnati and the real estate industry. Academic programs, industry outreach and research are our pillars, and our strong connections to the industry allow our programs to cultivate the next generation of real estate leaders. Get involved today.
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