Jackson took time to thank everyone who had a hand in the CollaboratoryвЂ™s creation, including fundraisers, architects, members of the construction team and administrative staff. It was a way to celebrate success but also honor the many people whose donations-large and small-raised the $900,000 necessary for construction. The Burns School cut the ribbon on the Collaboratory with a reception, welcoming students, staff, faculty, alumni and community partners for cake and a glass of champagne. вЂњWhen I see her name, every time I look up there, I get teary eyed.вЂќДЄlumnus Nello Gonfiantini speaks at the Collaboratory grand opening event. вЂњShe was just a wonderful, wonderful woman,вЂќ Crean said at the CollaboratoryвЂ™s grand opening reception last week, where he shared stories of her grit, wit, determination and accomplishment. The space was to be named for his mother, Marion. Then, they brought the idea to Crean, who agreed, on one condition. Over lunch, Jackson and Gonfiontini sketched out an initial idea, repurposing the funds into what would become the Collaboratory. вЂњWe needed to find a way to connect the wisdom of the industry with the energy, enthusiasm and passion of the young people today-the next generation of real estate leadership, the next generation of professionals in this business.вЂќ вЂњAnd he said, вЂWhat I would have given to have access to the wisdom of the industry when I was a young man,вЂ™вЂќ Jackson recalled. Jackson remembers meeting Gonfiantini at his home in Reno, Nevada, to discuss it. After weathering 2008вЂ™s Great Recession, Nello Gonfiantini III (BSBA 1976, MBA 1977), initiated an endowed professorship in honor of beloved former faculty member Michael Crean. Real-world challenges are what sprung the Collaboratory in the first place. The students will have access like theyвЂ™ve never had access before to working on real challenges in the real world.вЂќ вЂњNow we have a platform for seamless interaction between industry and academia. вЂњI saw the vision to create the Burns School as the hub for the most advanced education in real estate and construction, and I feel like weвЂ™ve set it up on that trajectory,вЂќ Jackson said.

Daniels was the only institution in the country with a real estate and construction management program within it. The idea came to her when she taught at Cal Poly, but it wasnвЂ™t until she arrived at DU in 2013 that she felt she was on fertile ground to grow it. Photo by Janeena JohnsonДЇor Jackson, last weekвЂ™s grand opening was more than a decade in the making. This is a manifestation of exactly what that means.вЂќД«arbara Jackson, director of the Burns School, cuts the ribbon on the Collaboratory with former professor Mike Crean. вЂњIt influences how we interact, how we connect, how weвЂ™re able to solve problems. вЂњSpace matters,вЂќ said Barbara Jackson, director of the Burns School and visionary behind the Collaboratory. And in the middle of it all, round tables and rolling chairs equip guests to huddle together and soak up the 360-degree experience. A conference room comfortably seats at least a dozen for video calls and face-to-face meetings. Steps away, an 18-foot spread of interactive touchscreens (the Bluescape wall) allow teams to ideate together, whether theyвЂ™re in person or online. The arc of LCD screens (known as the Liquid Galaxy) wallpapers an elevated stage. Crean Collaboratory, located on the third floor of the Daniels College of Business. вЂњTransformativeвЂќ is a word that gets thrown around a lot when describing the new, Marion J. вЂњItвЂ™s going to really transform how I teach.вЂќ Burns School of Real Estate and Construction Management. вЂњYou can get a lot of geospatial data around the property and start determining who the product is, why people would live there, what they want, what their needs are,вЂќ explained Holt, an assistant professor in the Franklin L. He overlays demographic information, nearby amenities, traffic patterns, real-time real estate listings and even popular lunch spots nearby. HoltвЂ™s fingers keep flitting and suddenly, anything seems attainable.

The Google Earth satellite view is pristine and comes to life on 7-panel monitors. With a few strokes of the keyboard and clicks of a mouse, weвЂ™re in downtown Miami Beach, Florida, 1,723 miles from the University of Denver campus. вЂњThis is what cyberstalking a property looks like,вЂќ Eric Holt says, and his fingers go to work. MasterвЂ™s student Adrian Frank touches the interactive Bluescape wall at the Collaboratory.

Consumer Insights and Business Innovation Center (CiBiC).

Center for Analytics and Innovation with Data (CAID).

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