Director of Real Estate Initiatives and Associate Professor Of Practice, Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning
William “Bill” Bubniak is the Executive Director of the Weiser Center for Real Estate at the Ross Business School and Director of Real Estate Initiatives/Associate Professor Of Practice at Taubman College. Across both roles, his single driving mission is to provide the absolute best, most comprehensive real estate education possible for students. By seamlessly bridging the gap between classroom theory and high-stakes private sector execution, Bill ensures that University of Michigan graduates emerge as the next generation of visionary industry leaders.
Alongside his academic leadership, Bill maintains an active, prominent role in the private sector as an Executive Leadership Board member at NAI Farbman. With a career spanning 37 years and billions of dollars in commercial real estate transactions, his background as a licensed attorney, CPA (inactive), and licensed real estate broker deeply informs his approach to education. He believes in a curriculum rooted in real-world application, teaching students how to practically navigate risk, structure sophisticated deals, and master the macroeconomic forces shaping modern cities.
Under his direction, the real estate ecosystem at the University of Michigan has achieved significant milestones. Bill successfully launched an industry advisory board of over 75 leading professionals and spearheaded the fundraising of more than $2 million to support and scale the program. His initiatives have dramatically expanded flagship coursework, brought top-tier national REIT executives and developers directly into the classroom, and established robust programmatic support for experiential learning initiatives like the student-led Wolverine REIT Fund. Through his leadership, Bill continues to cultivate a thriving, cross-disciplinary pipeline connecting students across all University of Michigan schools & colleges directly to top-tier real estate careers.
Amy Merrick serves as the Managing Director of the Weiser Center for Real Estate, where she leverages extensive experience in strategic leadership, team management, and real estate development to advance the Center’s mission. She is passionate about being a connector of good people, fostering meaningful collaborations between students and alumni, enhancing educational programming, and supporting the next generation of real estate professionals. With a strong track record of thriving at the intersection of vision, strategy, and execution, Amy brings a results-driven mindset to everything she undertakes. The opportunity to bridge academia and applied experience at the Weiser Center is an exciting avenue.
Previously serving as the Director of Special Projects at Promanas in Saline, MI, from 2018 to 2025, Amy managed multiple high-value real estate projects ranging from $1M to over $150M. She specializes in transforming ambitious concepts into tangible assets, fostering strategic alliances, and optimizing project timelines and budgets to consistently exceed expectations.
A proud University of Michigan alum with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology, Amy is also a licensed Real Estate Agent in Michigan. Balancing her professional pursuits with athletic excellence, Amy was an NCAA Division I Varsity Athlete at Michigan, winning the team’s first Big Ten title, and a member of the USA Field Hockey Under-21 World Cup Team.
Her greatest accomplishment is building an “active” family with her husband, Andrew, and their three boys, Adyn, Cameron, and Landon. With plenty of hockey and other events, their days and nights are always filled. When she’s not at the rink, you can find her and Andrew enjoying walks with their two golden retrievers, Maizey and Finn.
Colleen Triezenberg serves as the Student Affairs Program Manager for the Center. In this role, Colleen manages strategy and execution across the Center’s program offerings, including scope, timelines, budget, and communication. Prior to joining the Weiser Center, Colleen served as the Program Director for North Star Reach, implementing year round programming for children with serious medical challenges. Colleen holds a bachelor of arts degree in Public Relations, Advertisement, and Applied Communications from Loyola University Chicago, with a minor in Marketing and a master of science in Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management from North Carolina State University.
During Colleen’s personal time, she enjoys camping, hiking, and living an active lifestyle as well as, spending time with her husband and two loveable boys. She holds her National Academy of Sports Medicine Personal Training Certification and specializes in nutrition and women’s fitness.
Natalie Keene serves as Community Engagement Coordinator for the Center, where she works to support the team by collaborating with and engaging students, alumni and the communities they inhabit. Prior to joining the Weiser Team, Natalie served as a Health Educator for the Washtenaw County Health Department on the Epidemiology team, working primarily with communicable disease awareness and prevention. Natalie received her bachelor’s degree in Communication from Eastern Michigan University, where she also minored in both Marketing and Women & Gender Studies. Natalie went on to acquire a master’s in Media and Communications from Goldsmith’s College, University of London, in London, England.
