Alumni couple Willis Blackwood and Mary Nolen Blackwood of Richmond and Bonita Springs, Fla., have donated $2 million to name and endow the director’s position at the rapidly growing Virginia Tech real estate program.
According to the school, the gift is the largest ever made to the program, which began with four students in August 2013 and has grown to more than 200 undergraduates.
“Virginia Tech is on the leading edge in this industry,” Willis Blackwood ’72, said in a statement. He is the founder and president of Blackwood Development Co. Inc., a privately owned real-estate firm in Richmond. “Students from this program are extremely valuable to future employers because they get a comprehensive foundation in the industry that other schools just don’t provide.”
