Chapman University, a private university in Orange, California, received a $5M gift to start a school of real estate from alumnus and CBRE Vice Chairman Alex Hayden.

“With the establishment of a dedicated real estate school, we can further position our students as leaders in this dynamic industry,” Chapman University President Daniele Struppa said in a statement announcing the gift.

The real estate school will exist within Chapman’s George L. Argyros College of Business and Economics.

Hayden graduated from Chapman University in 1995. In addition to his work specializing in tenant representation at CBRE, he serves as the chair of the board of counselors for Argyros College.

“I want Chapman to be known as the place for premier commercial real estate industry access, education and experience in higher education—and to continue its growth in real estate offerings,” Hayden said in a statement.

The gift is intended to raise the school’s national profile as a real estate education destination, help it recruit top faculty and build an environment where real estate students have access to connections and the education needed to help them succeed in the field, the school said. Chapman has offered a master’s program in real estate since 2020.