Nearly 200 students, faculty and community leaders attended a May 6 naming ceremony to honor Harriet and Harvey Bookstein for their generous support for the real estate program and center at California State University, Northridge’s David Nazarian College of Business and Economics.

Audience members heard remarks from distinguished guests CSUN President Erika D. Beck, the Booksteins and Nazarian College Dean Chandra Subramaniam. The event also included a panel discussion, moderated by Harvey Bookstein ’70 (Business Administration), Hon.D. ’16, with industry experts on issues facing the real estate industry.

As part of the ceremony, Subramaniam announced that the Center for Real Estate housed in the Nazarian College will now be known as the Bookstein Real Estate Center.

The center was named in recognition of a host of generous gestures — from financial donations to teaching classes and mentoring students — that the Booksteins have made to Nazarian College and CSUN since they were students at the university nearly 50 years ago.

“Harvey and Harriet have once again shown their unwavering support of Nazarian College with their generous contribution to our real estate program,” Subramaniam said. “Their long-time philanthropic and volunteer support has benefited countless students and inspired many over the years. That’s why we are so pleased that our real estate center will be known as the Bookstein Real Estate Center.”

The mission of the Bookstein Real Estate Center is to educate future generations of real estate professionals, advance the profession and real estate law, and serve as a resource. The center offers theoretical and practical aspects of real estate and provides an academic foundation for careers in real estate. Students completing an option in real estate will have satisfied most of the educational requirements for the California real estate broker’s license and the real estate appraiser’s license.

In her remarks, Harriet Bookstein shared the significance of having the real estate center named after her and her husband.

“Anyone who knows Harvey knows how passionate he is about real estate,” she said. “To give students the opportunity to ask questions and get answers as well as learn all the different aspects of real estate does Harvey’s heart good. And to be able to expand students’ minds in a different direction will make both of us happy. Giving students the opportunity to learn and perhaps develop their own passion is definitely a win-win for everyone and the frosting on the cake.”

Harvey Bookstein highlighted the work of faculty at Nazarian College and their impact on ensuring student success.

“Part of making students great is having great professors,” he said, adding that the college has met that commitment with professors who know their subject matter and care about their students and their advancement.

Harvey Bookstein also moderated a panel discussion on issues facing today’s real estate market. Three specialists — Keltie Cole, division president of KB Home Los Angeles/Ventura; Paul Jennings ’85 (Marketing), Hon.D. ’22, principal of PCS Energy and expert in commercial real estate; and Cleo McDougald ’02 (Finance), senior vice president, CRE Credit Risk, for IDB Bank — discussed the impact of interest rates on residential and commercial properties, new home construction, including ADUs, and housing supply issues, among other topics.

A reception followed the panel discussion. “We are thankful for the Booksteins’ continued generosity and excited to take our real estate center and academic programming to the next level,” Subramaniam said. “Students interested in a real estate career at Nazarian College will have access to competitive programming and services, knowledgeable faculty and hands-on experience — all key ingredients for a successful career.”

Nazarian College Dean Chandra Subramaniam, Cleo McDougald, senior vice president CRE Credit Risk for IDB Bank, Harvey Bookstein, Keltie Cole, division president KB Home, Los Angeles/Ventura; Paul Jennings, principal of PCS Energy. Photo by David. J. Hawkins/CSUN.