The centers finally moved in together this fall after years of separate residences.

From left to right, Center Directors: Mike Kershval (CUREC), Kathryn Wendell (CESR), Brian Lewandowski (BRD), Sheila Duffy (Burridge).

The Leeds School of Business’s four Centers of Excellence share refurbished suites on the third floor. This is a sunlit space with walls of glass that allow for more face-to-face interaction than ever before. The Center is Leeds’ gateway to industry and shares a mission to enhance the student experience through experiential learning, academic research, community engagement and industry exposure.

“The power of the Center is synergy and unity of interest. It’s amazing how casual conversations in the hallway can turn into creative ideas and solutions now that we’re physically together,” says CU Real. said Mike Kercheval, Executive Director of Estate Center (CUREC).

CUREC shares a “centre suite” with the Burridge Center for Finance, the Center for Ethics and Social Responsibility (CESR), and the Business Research Division (BRD). All that’s missing is a fifth Center of Excellence, the Deming Center for Entrepreneurship, which will occupy space in the new Rustandy Building to take advantage of synergies with engineering schools.

In September, four centers held open houses for all students, faculty and staff. The new colocation will make abundant resources easily accessible to all, said Vice Chancellor Stephanie Gillin. Furthermore, “collocations will inspire ‘chance collisions’ that generate new ideas and connections,” she added.

Sheila Duffy, executive director of the Burridge Center, agrees. “The spaces in the new center are open, bright, and ripe for collaboration. Common spaces are very beneficial because we all work to support our students, faculty, and our relationships with the outside world. This space makes it easy to have offline conversations, share ideas and collaborate on initiatives to enhance your academic experience in Leeds.”

The Center offers research topics for faculty, best practices for organizations, close relationships with industry partners, and hands-on learning experiences for students. We also sponsor many programs, events and special projects to inform and inspire professionals living and working in academia and our local communities.

And the myriad synergies between their areas of focus make collaboration easy.

“At CESR, we are thinking about how to integrate environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations into our business strategy and operations. It can be a much bigger conversation involving , students, and faculty,” said Kathryn Wendell, Executive Director of CESR.

In addition, each center can inform other efforts in their respective areas of expertise. BRD provides a general economic outlook for the Colorado economy several times a year and directly impacts the programs and experiences offered throughout the school. BRD executive his director Brian Lewandowski believes there are many ways to learn from each other.

“Our proximity to the center allows us to be more informed about interesting and diverse initiatives that impact our students and the wider community,” he said.

The Leeds community is looking forward to exciting new partnerships and a wealth of new opportunities.