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Biography
Following a 25-year career as a real estate attorney, developer and broker, Prof. Sears began teaching at Leeds in 2008. In 2011 he became a full-time Instructor, was promoted to Sr. Instructor in 2014, and became the first finance faculty member at Leeds to receive the title of Teaching Professor in 2018. In 2013 and each year since, Prof. Sears has been recognized as the CU Real Estate Center’s Instructor of Distinction. Prof. Sears has taught many undergraduate courses including Principles of Real Estate, Real Estate Law, Real Estate Development, and Sr. Seminar in Real Estate. He is also responsible for the undergraduate real estate case analysis, presentation, and competition program and assists with the graduate program. Prof. Sears received the Marinus Smith Award (2014) given by students and their families to faculty/staff who have had a particularly positive impact on students. In 2022 he received the highest teaching award at Leeds, the Joseph L. Frascona Teaching Excellence Award, having been a finalist four times prior (2016, 17, 18 & 20). Prof. Sears received his undergraduate degree with an emphasis in real estate from the Cox School of Business, Southern Methodist University (1983), his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Colorado Law School (1992; Order of the Coif) and completed the AACSB Bridge Program for Professionally Qualified Faculty (2008).
Education
JD, University of Colorado
BA, Business Administration, Southern Methodist University