Marquette University alumni Perry and Sheila Vieth are giving $1.75 million to establish an endowed directorship in its College of Business Administration’s Center for Real Estate.
Perry Vieth, a 1979 College of Business Administration graduate, is the co-founder and president of Ceres Partners LLC, an Indiana-based investment manager focused on food and agriculture. Sheila Vieth graduated from Marquette with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1980. They are founding members of the President’s Advisory Council at Marquette, a group established in 2019 to provide counsel for university leadership and help drive its strategy forward.
In addition to the endowed directorship, the Vieths have dedicated a portion of their gift to provide “excellence funds” within the Center for Real Estate and its Applied Investment Management program, according to Marquette’s announcement.
The Center for Real Estate connects students with real-world cases, site tours, conferences and industry leaders within real estate. The Applied Investment management program provides students with the opportunity to manage $4 million in investments within the university’s endowment to gain hands-on experience.
The new Vieth Directorship for the Center for Real Estate will help fund the director’s salary, support strategic priorities, grow professional development opportunities and enhance the center’s marketing, equipment and research, the university said.
“We are pleased to make this donation to Marquette’s Center for Real Estate, which offers students a unique opportunity to get applied investment experience that will jump-start their careers,” Perry and Sheila Vieth said in a statement. “Marquette’s leadership team within the College of Business is excellent, and this gift will secure the center’s directorship so that the real estate program continues to thrive and expand.”
The gift comes as the university continues work on its new $60 million business school building at 16th Street and Wisconsin Avenue. The 100,000-square-foot facility, which is expected to be completed by the end of the year, will house its business and innovation leadership programs when it opens.
The gift contributes to the university’s multi-year, $750 million “Time to Rise” fundraising campaign. In November, Marquette president Michael Lovell announced the campaign surpassed $500 million in funds raised.
The Vieths have now given a total of $3 million in “Time to Rise” gifts, also supporting the new College of Business Administration facility and establishing excellence funds within the Center for Real Estate and Applied Investment Management program.
“Perry and Sheila are positioning Marquette Business to serve as a national leader as we continue to cultivate the region’s talent pipeline,” said Tim Hanley, acting Keyes Dean of Business Administration.
