The latest Trojan-Bruin rivalry has ventured off the field and into the realm of academia, as UCLA has acquired one of USC's top real estate scholars.
Come June 1, Stuart A. Gabriel, director of the USC Lusk Center of Real Estate and professor of finance, will join the Richard S. Ziman Real Estate Center, a joint venture between UCLA's Anderson School of Management and School of Law.
In a letter addressed to faculty and students, Jack Knott, the dean of USC's School of Policy, Planning and Development, said Gabriel would carry on his leadership skills as director of the Ziman Center.
Gabriel will also continue his teaching career at UCLA as a professor of finance, he wrote.
"Stuart has become an internationally recognized real estate policy and development expert," Knott wrote. "Please join me in heartily thanking Stuart for his excellent leadership of the Lusk Center and his several significant contributions to SPPD."
During his 17-year tenure, Gabriel earned praise and awards from several national real estate associations for his research on real estate economics, urban housing, mortgage repayment and default risk.
Gabriel also served as co-director of the Ross Minority Program, dedicated to urban redevelopment projects.
Some faculty members at the Anderson School have already extended their respect toward Gabriel.
"We needed someone who had a strong research reputation to provide good leadership to the Ziman Center," said Francis Longstaff, UCLA Allstate professor of insurance and finance. "Someone of Stuart's prominence would help us grow and I'm sure he's going to an excellent job in bringing that along."
Longstaff said Gabriel's hiring should not reflect any bad blood between the universities.
"(USC) has been good to (Gabriel's) career," he said. "We've got a lot of respect for our colleagues at USC. We're all, on a personal level, good friends."
Knott also announced in his letter that Lusk Center Chairman Stan Ross will step in as interim director on March 1, while professor Raphael Bostic will take over as interim associate director.
They will hold the positions until a new director is sought out and hired, Knott said.
Despite Gabriel's upcoming departure, Ross said with the quality of the remaining faculty, the Lusk Center would continue to produce quality research worthy of its current reputation.
"We'll miss him, but we'll move forward at a quick rate," Ross said. "The important thing is the depth of our faculty. Whenever you have a change like this, it creates an opportunity for younger people."