Clemson University professor recognized for real estate research for the institutional investment community

Elaine Worzala, visiting professor of finance at Clemson University’s Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business, was awarded the designation of Fellow by the Real Estate Research Institute (RERI) in May 2023. Worzala is among just 44 RERI Fellows who have earned this distinction.

“This designation is particularly meaningful to me as it represents a recognition of my life’s work to help the institutional investment community and to help our real estate academics better understand the role of real estate in an investment portfolio,” said Worzala.

She joins some of the top real estate researchers in the world, both in academia and industry, in earning this honorary designation to recognize her commitment to an ongoing connection between academic and industry researchers.

Over the years, Worzala has received more than $30,000 in funding for research focused on pension funds and their research priorities, investment in executive office suites and business centers and investment in senior housing for institutional real estate investors. She also served on RERI’s board, advisory board and numerous committees over the past 25 years.

According to the organization’s website, RERI is a nonprofit organization created to promote research on real estate investment performance and market fundamentals. The RERI Fellow designation recognizes outstanding contributions to RERI, encourages ongoing connection between academic and industry researchers who have served on past RERI boards, and inspires senior researchers to embrace RERI’s redirected emphasis on nurturing the next generation of real estate researchers. The number of times an individual has been funded for papers and the extent of their past participation also play a role in Fellow selection.

View the current list of RERI Fellows.