Buono Family Gives $2 Million to the College
The College of Charleston School of Business and School of Education will have enhanced faculty and student experiences thanks to a $2 million gift by Mark Buono ’81 and Judy Buono ’22 (M.Ed.).
The Buono Endowed Professorship in Commercial Real Estate will be an endowed faculty position in the School of Business that will elevate the distinction of the real estate discipline at the university. The fund will supplement the base salary of a tenured faculty member, which will enable the College to recruit more competitively for a candidate to both teach in the Commercial Real Estate Finance program and serve as director of the Carter Real Estate Center.
The Commercial Real Estate Finance program has flourished thanks to the Carter Real Estate Center, which has built momentum for the College’s real estate program by engaging the local community, arranging for cutting-edge tools such as CoStar and partnering with local and national professional organizations. Since 2018, the number of declared commercial real estate finance majors has grown from 33 to 190.
“The program has grown substantially since it was created a short time ago,” says Mark Buono, who is also a professor of practice in finance and is serving as interim director of the Carter Real Estate Center. “The program will only continue to be successful with excellent faculty and staff, and we hope our gift will allow the College to attract top-notch faculty.”
Erika LeGendre • June 5, 2024