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rthur Pasquarella, a Penn State graduate and long‑time member of the university’s Real Estate Advisory Board, together with his wife Gail, pledged $1 million in July to endow the Arthur P. Pasquarella Professorship in Real Estate at the Smeal College of Business. The gift, which the couple says is intended to position Penn State as a leading real‑estate program, will fund a faculty chair that supports cutting‑edge research, professional development and enriched classroom instruction.
Dean Corey Phelps praised the donation, noting that endowed positions are “cornerstones of academic excellence” and that they allow the college to attract and retain scholars whose work raises Smeal’s global reputation. “This extraordinary gift reflects a shared belief in the power of education and research to shape the future of real estate,” Phelps said.
Pasquarella earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from Penn State in 1979 and a master’s in real‑estate and investment analysis from the University of Wisconsin‑Madison in 1980. He began his career in mortgage banking at Strouse, Greenberg Financial Corporation, then served as vice‑president of the Investment Sales Division at Helmsley‑Greenfield Inc., negotiating major transactions for institutional investors across the eastern United States. In 1987 he joined Equus Capital Partners Ltd. (formerly BPG Properties), helping transform the regional firm into a national real‑estate investment and development powerhouse. He now serves as vice‑chairman and principal of the firm.
With more than four decades of industry experience, Pasquarella was among the first appointees to the Real Estate Advisory Board when it was formed in the late 2000s. He credits the board’s passion for strengthening faculty and curriculum as key to the program’s evolution—from a risk‑management option to a full major—and to its growing stature.
The inaugural holder of the new professorship is Dr. Jiro Yoshida, a Penn State faculty member whose research in real‑estate finance, macroeconomics and asset pricing has earned international recognition. “An endowed position can be transformative in pursuing innovative research and mentoring the next generation of students,” Yoshida said, expressing gratitude for the Pasquarellas’ generosity.
Pasquarella emphasized that alumni philanthropy is essential for Smeal’s ambition to become one of the country’s top real‑estate schools. “Philanthropy can create change at the University, whether for a specific program, for students or for faculty,” he said. “The real‑estate profession has given me so much, and I am honored to pay it forward.”
Through gifts like this, donors help Penn State fulfill its land‑grant mission—supporting students, advancing research, and driving economic development across the Commonwealth and beyond. For more information, visit raise.psu.edu. Updated September 25, 2025.
