New scholarship to help lay the foundation for success at Penn State Smeal

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — When Penn State began exploring options for its Nittany Lion Inn and Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center in 2021, Penn State Smeal College of Business alumnus Gary Brandeis saw more than a business opportunity — he saw a way to invest in the University and give back in a meaningful and lasting way.

In 2022, Brandeis’s firm, Scholar Hotels, was selected to purchase and ground-lease the hotels, and major renovations to the Nittany Lion Inn began the following year. Brandeis called this “the largest investment” of his career, driven by his belief in Penn State and confidence that doing it the right way would lead to success.

His commitment to Penn State didn’t end when renovations to the Nittany Lion Inn were complete. Instead, he said, it was the beginning of something bigger.

Reflecting on his own experience as a student with significant financial need in the 1980s, Brandeis said he was inspired to help today’s students navigate similar financial challenges. Together with his wife Jill, he made a $100,000 gift to endow the Brandeis Family Scholarship at Smeal.

“We fully funded the scholarship up front, and there is already a student receiving support this year, which is exciting for us,” he said. “Jill and I plan to make new gifts every year so that, over time, the fund grows substantially and can benefit even more students.”

The Brandeis Family Scholarship will benefit full-time undergraduate students who have demonstrated financial need but do not qualify for federal or state grants, with preference given to students majoring in either accounting or real estate — fields that reflect Brandeis’s own professional experience.

Jennifer Eury, Smeal’s associate dean for undergraduate education, expressed her gratitude for their gift.

“Scholarships like this are so important because they support students who fall outside traditional aid programs but still face significant financial challenges when paying for their college education,” she said. “Every scholarship dollar our students receive helps reduce the cost of a Penn State education, allowing them to focus on their education rather than how they will pay for it. I am grateful to Gary and Jill for their gift and their ongoing partnership at Smeal.”

Brandeis said he sees a reciprocal partnership between a thriving business community and a world-class university like Penn State, and he actively works to strengthen both.

He is a frequent guest lecturer for both the School of Hospitality Management and Penn State Smeal, a coach to Smeal’s real estate case competition teams, and he shares his time and expertise with the Borrelli Institute for Real Estate Studies, Cocoziello Institute of Real Estate Innovation and Propel Business Advisory Network.

He also serves on several boards in the State College business community, including the Downtown Improvement District, Happy Valley Adventure Bureau, the Chamber of Business and Industry of Centre County Economic Development Council and the Centre County Housing Task Force.

While his involvement at Penn State and with the local community reflects his desire to engage on “both sides of College Avenue,” Brandeis said it’s his time with students that brings him the greatest fulfillment.

“Real-world experience matters, so it is vital that real-estate professionals like me get into the classroom and share our experiences with students,” he said.

Brandeis graduated from Penn State with a degree in accounting in 1988 and began his professional career at Price Waterhouse (now PricewaterhouseCoopers), where he worked with organizations across many industries, including real estate.

He said it did not take long to realize he loved the asset class.

“There were numbers and financial analysis, but I could also walk into a building. I could go to a construction site and see something tangible being created. That combination really sparked my interest in real estate,” he said.

Brandeis, who also holds the certified public accounting designation, joined Lincoln Property Company as controller for the firm’s Washington, D.C., office in 1990.

He was responsible for construction accounting and property management accounting, and he ran the accounting and financial side of the operating business. Over 12 years with the firm — five in D.C. and seven in Philadelphia — Brandeis grew from a young accountant into a senior vice president running his own office. At Lincoln Property Company, Brandeis said he enjoyed the benefits of a large company while also having the autonomy to create opportunities in the Philadelphia market, uncovering his passion for entrepreneurship.

He acquired his first hotel in 2006 and has been involved in the hospitality industry as an investor, developer and manager ever since.

Today, Brandeis is the founder and CEO of the Scholar Hotels — a role he said he cherishes. The company focuses on what Brandeis calls “university hotels” — properties linked to large universities that generate consistent and reliable demand. In addition to six Penn State properties, Scholar Hotels also owns hotels near several other major universities, including Syracuse, West Virginia, Radford (in Virginia) and Virginia Tech. Altogether, the company has 10 hotels and close to 850 employees, with several new projects in Scholar Hotels’ pipeline.

Brandeis said the opportunity to see a new side of the University ignited his desire to give back.

“When you are young, the University gives you an education — a platform to grow and learn,” he said. “Even after graduation, it continues to give through relationships, experiences and a sense of belonging. Eventually, that relationship flips and you realize it’s time for you to give back. For me, that time came during the renovations at the Inn, which was truly a labor of love,” he said.

“Now that I’ve started, I can’t wait to see how far we can take it.”

Donors like Gary and Jill Brandeis advance the University’s historic land-grant mission to serve and lead. Through philanthropy, alumni and friends are helping students to join the Penn State family and prepare for lifelong success; driving research, outreach and economic development; and increasing the University’s impact for students, families, patients and communities across the commonwealth and around the world. Learn more by visiting raise.psu.edu.