Veteran Real Estate Executive Joins SMU Cox School of Business as Clinical Professor

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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Anna Martinez
annam@smu.edu

Maria Stamolis Draws on Three Decades of Experience in Real Estate Investment and Development to Prepare Cox Students for Thriving, Impactful Careers

Dallas, TX (SMU) January, Dec. 31, 2025 — As SMU begins its spring semester, the Cox School of Business welcomes veteran commercial real estate executive Maria Stamolis as its newest full-time clinical professor in real estate. Her robust track record of international industry leadership and experience enables her to teach and mentor B.B.A. and MBA students to thrive in impactful real estate careers.

Prior to her full-time faculty role, Stamolis was a Cox School adjunct faculty member while continuing her work in commercial real estate and investment management. Her teaching portfolio will initially focus on undergraduate courses in Real Estate Finance, for which she has applied her vast knowledge of real estate and investment management to develop a demanding curriculum that equips undergraduates and expands on fundamental concepts acquired in earlier courses. She also co-runs the Real Estate Practicum/Real Estate Impact Investment Fund launched by the Cox School’s Folsom Institute for Real Estate in 2022. She was a material contributor in creating the curriculum and managing the work in and outside of class.

“I’ve been fortunate to have had a wonderful career that spans more than three decades, in which I have been able to both lead the top teams in the industry and interact with the largest sources of capital and most successful investors and developers across the country,” said Stamolis. “And nothing could be as rewarding as having the opportunity to share what I have learned with the next generation of leaders. I also realize that this move from adjunct to full-time faculty member represents an entirely new challenge in my career. However, while I hear teaching is not for the faint of heart, I am very eager to embrace it.”

Stamolis is also an advisory board member of the Folsom Institute for Real Estate, which is the backbone of all real estate education at SMU Cox both inside and outside of the classroom. The Institute sits at the forefront of applied learning in real estate with the development of initiatives such as the SMU Cox Real Estate Impact Fund Practicum, which Stamolis—through her work as an adjunct and investment committee member—has been a key contributor. Limited to 20 students per term, the highly selective class allows undergraduate and MBA students on the cusp of graduation to apply their Cox education to generate real profits for future scholarships and positive social returns in the communities where they invest. Her deep industry insight and connections will enable the Cox School to grow its real estate programs through increased educational offerings.

“Cox delivers excellent education to students by combining academic rigor with knowledge from top industry leaders, and the Folsom Institute continually strives to improve and diversify its offerings,” said Joseph Cahoon, director of the Folsom Institute for Real Estate. “As a professor, Maria will deliver on all accounts. With her vast experience as a real estate investment and development executive, she will elevate the teaching rigor of real estate finance within all of our programs. Maria pushes our students to meet high bars, so they come away knowing what it takes to succeed in the top real estate firms.”

Stamolis previously served as chief investment officer and head of investment management at Lincoln Property Company. Before Lincoln, she spent 16 years at Canyon Partners, where she was the co-head of real estate and head of asset management. She also held executive roles at GE Capital, MBL Life Assurance Company, Oakwood International and Karney Management Company. Stamolis serves on the board and CGN committee for Minto Group, as well as the board and executive committee for Goodwill of Dallas. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in economics from Fordham University and an MBA in finance from Fordham’s Gabelli School of Business.

About SMU Cox

In 2020, the Cox School of Business celebrated 100 years of business education at SMU. The Cox School is committed to influencing the way the world conducts business via prolific research that provokes innovation, change and global thought leadership. SMU Cox offers a full range of business education programs including BBA, Full-Time MBA, Professional MBA (part-time), Executive MBA, Cox MBA Direct, Online MBA, Master of Science degree programs, graduate certificate programs, and Executive Education. Consistently ranked among the world’s leading business schools, SMU Cox maintains an active alumni network globally. SMU Cox is accredited by AACSB.