MSRED student Mythea Mazzola discusses the UB experience

Mythea Mazzola is a MS in Real Estate Development student at UB with a passion for creating an inclusive built environment, developing entrepreneurial and forward-thinking projects, and diversifying the real estate industry.

She was recently featured in a deep-dive student interview series profiling  real estate development graduate programs across the U.S. The "Graduate Real Estate Series" is published by A.CRE, a leading industry blog in commercial real estate.

The program profile provides a detailed overview of UB's MSRED curriculum, its engagement with the community and profession, mentoring and professional development services, and student life. The article also features a video interview with Mazzola, who shares her perspective on the program.

Mazzola points to UB's interdisciplinary approach in her decision to attend UB: "What really intrigued me about UB was that it is housed in the School of Architecture and Planning, and electives are taken with architecture and planning students. It has a design and planning bent to it."

Mazzola herself has taken advantage of course options in inclusive design and historic preservation. 

Another draw for Mazzola was UB's focus on affordable housing, which the School of Architecture and Planning explores through its programs in real estate as well as architecture, urban planning and environmental design.  

The program's extensive engagement with MSRED alumni and graduates from across UB who work in the industry is also a program highlight. Students are assigned two mentors, one an established professional and another a young alumni and emerging leader.

Mazzola says small classes and place-based engagement in Buffalo promote interactive, collaborative learning and space for students to push entrepreneurial projects and ideas.  

Last year, in the height of the pandemic, Mazzola and her classmates took the initiative to form the program's first student club. Today, the UB Real Estate Club is open to students from across UB with a passion for real estate with the aim to promote networking, engage the profession, and provide opportunities for additional learning through lectures and events. Mazzola serves as its inaugural president.  

In addition to UB, the A.CRE graduate program profile series features Columbia University, Cornell University, MIT, NYU, Harvard University and Johns Hopkins University. 

Mazzola graduated  from the University of Rochester with a B.A. in Business and Political Science in 2020 and began her career in real estate development at Home Leasing, a Rochester, NY-based firm that specializes in affordable and senior housing development, property management, and construction. She is also a member of the Urban Land Institute.