Meet the Team

Marc Norman serves as Faculty Director of the Weiser Center for Real Estate.  Marc is an Associate Professor of Practice in Urban and Regional Planning at the A. Alfred Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning and also directs the undergraduate real estate minor and graduate certificate.  He is an internationally recognized expert on housing policy and finance and community development who joined the University of Michigan Taubman College in 2017.

Prior to joining the University, Marc worked in the field of community development and finance for over 20 years, directed a center for Design, Research and Real Estate at Syracuse University, and held senior positions at Deutsche Bank and Duvernay+Brooks, LLC. After completion of the Harvard Loeb Fellowship, Marc founded Ideas and Action, a multidisciplinary consultancy advising public, private and governmental organizations on finance, development and housing innovation. As Faculty Director, Marc is responsible for setting and advancing a strategic agenda for the Center that anticipates future industry trends and advances programmatic, and research initiatives that ensure the Ross School of Business and the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning are recognized as the leaders in real estate education.

Jake Albers serves as Managing Director of the Weiser Center for Real Estate.  In this role, Jake oversees the day-to-day management and provides strategic direction for the Center.  Prior to joining the Center, Jake served as Assistant Director of Alum and Employer Engagement for the LSA Opportunity Hub, leading a team of regional managers in creating a global portfolio of partners who could help advance the career aspirations of LSA undergrads.

Jake brings to the Center nearly a decade of experience across higher education and community and economic development sectors, having worked in municipal roles with the City of Ypsilanti Downtown Development Authority and in non-profit economic development with Ann Arbor Spark.  Jake holds a bachelor of arts degree in History from Saginaw Valley State University and a master of science degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Eastern Michigan University.