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Housed within the Spears School of Business, The Center will serve as a hub for world-class real estate education, offering hands-on learning, scholarship opportunities, and professional development that will shape the next generation of industry leaders.<\/p>\n Launched in Fall 2025, The Program is the first of its kind in the state of Oklahoma. Its curriculum focuses on teaching the necessary knowledge and skills to develop, manage, and maintain real estate properties and assets across various sectors, including residential, commercial, industrial, and other business sectors.<\/p>\n Since its launch, 94 students have earned the Property and Real Estate Management certificate from Spears Business, and 157 students are currently enrolled in either the new bachelor's degree or the certificate program.<\/p>\n "We hope the major impact of The Program will be to introduce and attract many more students to major in this fabulous business of Real Estate," Weidner shared. "Of all the universities we recruit from, OSU students stand out as thinking, dedicated, hard-working people."<\/p>\n "This gift from Dean Weidner is transformational for both the Spears School of Business and real estate education in Oklahoma," said Dr. Jim Payne, dean of Spears Business. "Mr. Weidner's continued investment in our students demonstrates his commitment to building the next generation of real estate professionals. This gift will provide OSU students with the hands-on learning, industry connections, and support they need to succeed. We're deeply grateful to Mr. Weidner for his vision and generosity."<\/p>\n Weidner previously made a $1 million gift to OSU in 2018 to fund a property management specialization program, created in collaboration with the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, the Department of Finance, and the Department of Economics. The contribution also created the Dean Weidner Property Management Endowed Scholarship Fund to support students pursuing careers in property management. To date, 54 students have received the scholarship, a number that continues to increase.<\/p>\n "All these aspects of real estate require trained, professional people. I believe this training should start at the college level, where students can be exposed to and experiment with this fabulous business. We want to develop professionals from the ground up so they may benefit from having Real Estate careers, not just a job," said Weidner.<\/p>\n The Center broke ground this October and is expected to be completed by Fall 2026. Weidner is nationally recognized for its philanthropic support of higher education, having donated to seven programs throughout the U.S. and Canada.<\/p>\n "Dean Weidner's impactful gift transcends traditional philanthropy, signifying a vital and dynamic partnership that effectively bridges the gap between academic study and real-world industry demand," said Dr. Brij Thapa, vice dean of Spears Business. "The Weidner Business and Real Estate Center, bachelor's degree program and certificate program have fundamentally transformed our approach, enhanced our strategic position and provided students with essential skills for immediate success. They have established Spears Business as a national leader in real estate education, creating a legacy both regionally and nationwide."<\/p>\n About Weidner Apartment Homes<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n Founded by W. Dean Weidner in 1977, Weidner Apartment Homes is a real estate investment and property management company recognized for efficiently providing high-quality rental apartment homes and creatively developing new housing options. The company is headquartered in Kirkland, WA, and its portfolio covers 13 U.S. states and four Canadian provinces.<\/span><\/span><\/i><\/span><\/p>\n About the OSU Foundation<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n The Oklahoma State University Foundation serves as the private fundraising organization for OSU, as designated by the OSU Regents. Its mission is to unite donor passions with university priorities to elevate the impact of OSU.<\/span><\/span><\/i><\/span><\/p>\n About Oklahoma State University<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n Oklahoma State University is a modern land-grant university that prepares students for success. OSU has more than 34,000 students across its five-campus system and more than 24,000 on its combined Stillwater and Tulsa campuses, with students from all 50 states and around 100 nations. Established in 1890, OSU has graduated more than 275,000 students to serve the state of Oklahoma, the nation and the world.<\/span><\/span><\/i><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" (STILLWATER, OK, Nov. 18, 2025) – Dean Weidner, Founder and Chairman of Weidner Apartment Homes, the 12th largest apartment owner in the U.S., made a historic $10 million gift to the Oklahoma State University (OSU). This donation will establish the Weidner Business and Real Estate Center (The Center) and support the Weidner Real Estate and Property… <\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/cdngeneralcf.rentcafe.com\/\/dmslivecafe\/UploadedImages\/83698e62-a6d0-44c8-ac3b-b790dfc8abf7.jpg\")
(STILLWATER, OK, Nov. 18, 2025) <\/strong>– Dean Weidner, Founder and Chairman of Weidner Apartment Homes, the 12th largest apartment owner in the U.S., made a historic $10 million gift to the Oklahoma State University (OSU). This donation will establish the Weidner Business and Real Estate Center (The Center) and support the Weidner Real Estate and Property Management bachelor's program (The Program) at the University's Stillwater, OK, campus.<\/p>\n
{"id":9196,"date":"2025-11-17T16:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-11-17T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.weidner.com\/blog\/?p=9196"},"modified":"2025-11-18T18:12:25","modified_gmt":"2025-11-18T18:12:25","slug":"dean-weidner-founder-and-chairman-of-weidner-apartment-homes-donates-10-million-to-oklahoma-state-university-to-expand-real-estate-education","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.weidner.com\/blog\/2025\/11\/17\/dean-weidner-founder-and-chairman-of-weidner-apartment-homes-donates-10-million-to-oklahoma-state-university-to-expand-real-estate-education\/","title":{"rendered":"Dean Weidner, Founder and Chairman of Weidner Apartment Homes, Donates $10 Million to Oklahoma State University to Expand Real Estate Education"},"content":{"rendered":"